Kangaroos withstand Tongan fightback to win Pacific Cup
Australia have shown a ruthless edge to rise above the sea of red and hold off Tonga in a 20-14 Pacific Cup final win.
In front of a 28,728-strong pro-Tongan crowd at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, the Kangaroos made amends for last year’s final where they suffered the biggest defeat in their history at the hands of New Zealand.
Led by an impressive showing from five-eighth Tom Dearden and a two-try haul from Tom Trbojevic, Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos showed a calmness and maturity to capitalise off Tonga’s errors and seal victory.
The Tongans, fresh off last week’s upset win over the Kiwis, threatened to cause another boilover when they scored with seven minutes left to close the gap to six points.
But Kristian Woolf’s side had lacked the same level of composure as their Australian rivals after taking an early lead.
Halfback Isaiya Katoa was the architect of his side’s opener, crabbing across field to set up Sione Katoa, who sent the hymn-singing Tongan crowd wild.
The Tongan No.7 couldn’t make the conversion and his errant boot allowed Australia the opportunity to post a response.
A last-tackle bomb was gobbled up by Trbojevic and the Kangaroos raced up field with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow touching down in the corner.
After Tonga winger Daniel Tupou had a try chalked off for an obstruction, the Kangaroos settled and pushed further in front when Lehi Hopoate was dragged into his own in-goal.
On the following set, Australia went to the left through the lively Dearden and found Xavier Coates in the corner.
Dearden was the architect for Australia’s next when the North Queensland Cowboys playmaker pinballed through Taniela Paseka and Soni Luke in centre-field.
Trbojevic was backing up in support and touched down under the posts.
The Manly fullback was held up twice in the final two minutes of the first half by Tonga’s scrambling defence that restricted the Kangaroos’ halftime lead to 14-4.
But any glimmer of hope Tonga could claw their way back into the game quickly dissipated when centre Paul Alamoti reeled out a tackle with a dislocated elbow.
Sensing Alamoti was vulnerable, Dearden showed great awareness to attack the gap where the Tongan centre ought to have been defending to send Trbojevic in for his second.
Australia were on the brink of running away with things until Tui Lolohea sent in a well-weighted in-goal grubber that was dotted down by Haumole Olakau’atu.
Trailing by 10 points by with 20 minutes left, Tonga lacked polish and had to revert to brute strength to try to crack the Australian line.
Eli Katoa crashed over in the 73rd minute to cut the Kangaroos’ lead to six points but Tonga could not land a final blow to send the game to golden point.
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