The Papua New Guinea Kumuls triumphed over the Fiji Bati with a score of 22-10 last night, marking an impressive start to their Pacific Bowl journey and their quest for promotion to the top tier of the Pacific Championships in 2025.
Despite the emotional atmosphere created by the Fijian crowd witnessing their team play at home for the first time in 24 years, PNG dominated the early stages of the match, leading 16-0 at halftime in Suva.
Robert Derby, a prospect for the Cowboys, intercepted two errant passes from Viliame Kikau, which led to significant scoring opportunities. He scored the first try, and his second interception set up Nene Macdonald, who had an outstanding game capped off with a try early in the second half.
Macdonald finished the night with impressive stats, including 227 run meters, two line breaks, and 10 tackle breaks.
This victory is the Kumuls’ second consecutive Test win over Fiji, putting them in a strong position to secure a spot in the final and a shot at promotion if they defeat the Cook Islands in Week 3.
Fiji, on the other hand, faces a critical situation and must win against the Cook Islands in Week 2 if they wish to advance to the promotion-relegation match against the third-ranked Pacific Cup team on November 10. They also need to rely on the Cook Islands to defeat PNG in Week 3 and hope to have a better points differential.
The match started frantically, with both teams making several errors. A key goal-line tackle by Taane Milne prevented PNG from scoring early. A booming 40/20 kick from Kurt Donoghoe momentarily changed the momentum, but Fiji fell behind in the 18th minute due to a mistake near their own try line.
After a missed opportunity where Kikau’s errant offload led to Derby’s opening try, Fiji had a chance to score, but a potential try by Michael Jennings was ruled out for obstruction. Papua New Guinea took advantage, scoring their second try shortly thereafter when Macdonald broke free and set up Judah Rimbu.
Sylvester Namo added a try just before halftime, extending the lead to 16. Although Semi Valemei scored for Fiji early in the second half, Derby’s second intercept of Kikau, finished by Macdonald, quickly restored the Kumuls’ advantage.
With Fiji trailing 22-4 and only 18 minutes left, they nearly had a miraculous comeback when Kurt Donoghoe’s chip and chase ended with him grounding the ball just out of bounds. Sivo’s late try, scored with 11 seconds remaining, provided little consolation for the Bati, who find themselves needing to secure a win against the Cook Islands in their next match.