The Papua New Guinea Kumuls delivered a commanding performance against the Fiji Bati, securing a 22-10 victory in their Pacific Bowl campaign opener. This win represents a promising start for PNG as they aim for promotion to the top tier of the Pacific Championships set for 2025.
Despite the Fijian crowd’s fervent support, as they hosted their team at home for the first time in 24 years, the Kumuls took control early in the match, leading 16-0 at halftime in Suva. The Bati seemed overwhelmed by PNG’s aggressive gameplay.
Robert Derby, a prospect from the Cowboys, capitalized on two inaccurate passes from Viliame Kikau, scoring the first try and assisting Nene Macdonald for another score early in the second half. Macdonald had an impressive night, accumulating 227 run meters, two line breaks, and ten tackle breaks.
This victory marks the second consecutive test win for the Kumuls over Fiji. They have positioned themselves to secure a spot in the final and potentially earn promotion if they win against the Cook Islands in Week 3.
Fiji now finds themselves in a critical situation, needing to win their next match against the Cook Islands to keep their promotion hopes alive. They must also rely on the Cook Islands to beat PNG to maintain a chance at competing for a promotion-relegation match on November 10.
The match started with both teams making several errors, but a decisive tackle from Taane Milne kept PNG from scoring in the early minutes. A pivotal 40/20 kick from Kurt Donoghoe shifted momentum after PNG weathered an initial storm from the Bati. However, an error 80 meters from their line allowed PNG to take the lead.
Kikau’s mishandled offload was intercepted by Derby, who outran Kevin Naiqama for the first try. Fiji narrowly avoided further misfortune after Maika Sivo failed to secure a catch in-goal. When Fiji finally broke through with a would-be try from Michael Jennings in the 24th minute, a Bunker ruling for obstruction thwarted their effort. PNG quickly countered, with Macdonald’s strong run leading to Judah Rimbu’s try.
Sylvester Namo extended the Kumuls’ lead to 16 just before halftime. Although Semi Valemei scored for Fiji early in the second half, Derby’s intercept and subsequent try by Macdonald sealed Fiji’s fate.
With the score at 22-4 with 18 minutes remaining, Fiji needed a miracle; they nearly had it with a chip and chase from Donoghoe, but the play was ruled out for a dead-ball line infringement. Sivo scored a late consolation try with just seconds left but could not turn around what had become a difficult evening for the Bati, who now face a must-win scenario against the Cook Islands in their next match.