GAME OVER! FIJI 22 - COOK ISLANDS 18
Cook Islands need a miracle!
Mr Whippy has a cramp
Takairangi's kick goes out on the full.
Two tackles left in the set.
Milne's kick goes into touch. Cook Islands have to go 90m.
Blake recovers the onside kick.
Wakeham converts - 22-18.
TITO!! To break the hearts of the Cook Islands. Sunia Turuva ran back against the grain and crashed over the top of the fullback to retake the lead.
SIX AGAIN: Leg Pull
It's good! Cook Islands lead 18-16.
The 18th MAN! Isaiah Cooper-Tetevano crashed onto a short ball from Esan Marsters to score a vital try for the Cook Islands with limited time remaining.
VIDEO REF: Klein has a try looking to confirm the try.
A rare Jahream Bula error.
Wakeham converts - 16-12.
From the short-dropout. Waqa Blake picked up the loose scraps and ran all the way to score and put Fiji in front for the first time today!
VIDEO REF: Klein has a try
Esom Ioka takes no chances and knocks it dead.
NO TRY!
VIDEO REF: Klein has NO TRY confirming a knock on.
PENALTY CKI: High shot by Mikaele Ravalawa... continuing his horror afternoon in Port Moresby.
Sivo tries an offload and it's recovered by the Cook Islands.
SIX AGAIN FIJI: Slow ruck.
Ruatapu Ngatikaura goes for a run but tries a silly offload and it was on the deck and Fiji have recovered it.
Ravalawa is SMASHED over the sideline. Iro has copped some knocks today and that is a nice little win right there.
Kick goes out on the full from Esan Marsters.
Cook Islands to work it away from their own end.
Ball was deflected by Kayal Iro... Fiji will get it back but it's a challenge coming up.
SIX MORE FIJI: Slow peel
Bula already running for over 200 metres.
Atkins says it's a lose carry - NO TRY COOK ISLANDS
VIDEO REF: Klein has NO TRY confirming it's held up.
Isaiah Cooper-Tetevano has been activated as 18th man.
Clever kickoff - Kautoga drops it.
Wakeham converted from in front and it was again a slender lead for the Cook Islands.
Fiji hit back off the back of a penalty and created some lovely play out the right hand side. Donoghoe went into space before linking up with Kautoga who found Jahreem Bula who stood up the fullback to cross on his Fiji debut.
PEN FIJI
Recovered by William Samuel
Malachi Morgan knocks it dead. Line dropout to come.
SIX AGAIN FIJI: Hand on ball!
Some good play from Penioni Tagituimua linking up with Bula and the Fiji side is 20m out from the CKI line.
Marsters converts the try and it's 12-4.
Cook Islands create the second phase play. Esan Marsters breaks through creating second phase play before offloading to Esom Ioka to score their second try.
Fiji spill it and it's a seven tackle set.
Ioka recovers the 40/20 attempt...
Cook Islands breaking over halfway.
PEN CKI: Obstruction
Back underway for the second half but CKI lose the ball on the restart.
Ball is intercepted by Stephen Marsters and that will be all for the first half.
That is a big shot - Samuel was crunched and lost it!
Great tackle on William Samuel on Maika Sivo. There's a penalty against him for a pass off the ground.
Wakeham's grubber had to be taken dead by Esan Marsters.
Watasoni Waqanisaravi coming into the action - Roosters Jersey Flegg product.
Forward pass out of dummy half... looked line ball to me.
Still hard to believe Kayal Iro has had only ONE GAME
Ball is spilled looks like Donoghoe drops it
SIX AGAIN FIJI
Takairangi kicks early but Iro couldn't beat the ball. Hit the advertising hoardings quite hard but is OK.
Justin Makirere is HELD UP - I will maintain we need the National Bingo Night man to announce the NO TRY!
VIDEO REF: Klein has no try - it looks like Justin Makirere is held up here.
Dakin straight from the ground with the other Ioka coming on.
Kautoga will go for 10... bad tackle there.
Time is out and this might be a penalty or worse here. Kitione Kautoga guilty of a direct high shot... what will the course of action be here. Rhys Dakin is hurting here.
Ioka recovers the short drop-out.
Esan Marsters breaks through before offloading to Malachi Morgan who got inside Fiji territory. Esan then delivered a banana kick and Bula has to take 0 chance and runs dead.
PENALTY FIJI: Slow peel against Rhys Dakin.
Fortunately, they seem to recover the onside dropout attempt.
Um... Fiji!!!!! HELLO!!!! Catch the ball off the kickoff please...
Wakeham's kick is no good. 6-4 CKI with a narrow lead.
Off a penalty for an obstruction. Fiji continued to work down the left hand side where they had some earlier success. Blake went through a gap fending away Maungatti and streaking away before finding Sivo for the first of the afternoon for the Bati.
PENALTY FIJI: Obstruction - Davvy Moale crashed into Wakeham.
PENALTY CKI: Tackle in the air against Sunia Turuva. Good confident take from Esom Ioka though.
Cook Islands complete their set after points.
Steven Marsters converts.
TRY for the Cook Islands who were rewarded for their possession and strong running. Esan Marsters took the ball to the line and beat some would be Fijian defence to score the first try of the afternoon.
VIDEO REF: Klein calls a TRY to confirm Esan Marsters gets it to the ground
Mikaele Ravalawa continues his unhappy arvo. Some rare space down the right saw him break away but he was taken into touch by Esan Marsters.
CKI turned something out of nothing. Quick hands down the right saw Alvin Maungatti taken metres short from the line. Much better from them in the second week of the Pacific Champs.
Takai Mokohar on early for CKI.
Cook Islands recover this short dropout with Esom Ioka.
Grubber from Marsters was spilled by Donoghoe but took his time, spilled it and has to be tackled in the in-goal area.
Short drop-out is taken by Donoghoe and then gives it to Sivo and runs up field. Klein penalised for a slow peel, Waqa Blake takes the quick tap. Fiji create some nice second phase but it's put down by Wakeham.
This is peak Mikaele Ravalawa... he was way too casual. He spills it and nearly let Takairangi get to it but just taps it dead.
Ravalawa is shot out of a cannon trying to take Iro but he's been up to the task. Listening to our requests to give him some early ball. Well done Karmichael Hunt.
Kurt Donoghoe taken on tackle 5 and it will be a turnover. CKI hang on somehow.
Esan kicking early in the count. Turned Bula around but the kick chase was pretty pathetic. Bula takes it up towards halfway.
A front rower kicked the football... Davvy Moale put it on the toe and Fiji recover.
To the shock of no-one. Waqa Blake can't catch the ball... even in Port Moresby. Sivo causing all sorts of problems.
Pride Petterson-Robati puts it down and Fiji recover and are working their way up field.
Ravalawa placed ON REPORT!
PEN CKI: Mikaele Ravalawa caught inside the 10m, he slaughtered Kayal Iro there!
Still surprising Kayal Iro isn't at fullback. We know what can do in the lower grades.
Fiji complete their first set. Breeze favouring the Cook Islands in this one at their backs - we see every game in Port Moresby that breeze favour the side running from right to left.
We are underway - Fiji with first use running from left to right.
Fiji's hymn gets better with every version!
Anthems have concluded now we'll have the respective war-cry and Fiji Hymm!
Ash Klein is in charge today. Liam Kennedy and Todd Smith are on the lines. In the Bunker today on-site in Port Moresby is Grant Atkins.
Fiji and the Cook Islands go head to head in the second round of the Pacific Champs from Port Moresby. On the team card - Fiji: Just one change to the announced side. Concerns the forward pack. Taane Milne moves to the backrow with young Manly product Caleb Navale going to lock. This sees Saukuru going to the bench. Cook Islands: 1-17 - Cooper-Tetevano is the 18th man!
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ashley Klein
Touch Judges: Todd Smith, Liam Kennedy
Video Referee: Grant Atkins
FIJI (M) (22)
Tries: Maika Sivo, Jahream Bula, Waqa Blake, Sunia Turuva
Conversions: Brandon Wakeham (3/4)
COOK ISLANDS (M) (18)
Tries: Esan Marsters, Esom Ioka, Isaiah Cooper-Tetevano
Conversions: Steven Marsters (3/3)