The Papua New Guinea Kumuls delivered a strong performance, defeating the Vodafone Fiji Bati 22-10 in their Pacific Bowl opener at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
Fiji Bati began the match with momentum, but PNG winger Robert Derby stole the spotlight by intercepting the ball deep in his territory and sprinting 70 meters to score, quieting the home crowd.
Veteran player Michael Jennings, making his debut for Fiji, had a try disallowed in the 22nd minute due to obstruction. PNG’s fullback Nene McDonald then assisted hooker Judah Rimbu for the second try of the match with an excellent offload in the 25th minute.
Slyvester Namo added another try just before halftime, giving PNG a commanding 16-0 lead. Fiji Bati finally got on the scoreboard early in the second half with a try from Cowboys winger Semi Valemei. However, moments later, Derby intercepted a pass from Viliame Kikau near his 10-meter line and ran nearly the length of the field, offloading to McDonald for another PNG score after being pursued by Caleb Navale.
The home team managed to add a late try through Eels winger Maika Sivo, but it was not enough to spark a comeback.
Vodafone Fiji Bati will have a week to regroup and develop a new strategy for their upcoming Round 2 match against the Cook Islands, scheduled to take place in Suva next Saturday.