The PNG LNG Kumuls have displayed a masterclass performance in the Pacific Championship opener, blowing the struggling Cook Islands Aitu off the park with a comprehensive 46-10 victory on Sunday, October 15, at Santos National Football Stadium (NFS) in Port Moresby.
In their six previous head-to-head meetings, PNG had defeated the Cook Islands six times. Sunday's victory extended the Kumuls’ winning streak to seven. The Kukis have yet to break the voodoo against the Kumuls. The Papua New Guineans’ dominance over the Cook Islanders is unrivaled.
The game started with an injury toll in the opening minute of play. Dan Russel made a strong carry and knocked off the Cook Islands’ half-back Tevin Arona, who received a knee from the lanky second-rower on his head and lay motionless on the field for a few minutes. Arona was stretchered off the pitch and rushed to the hospital for treatment.
After Arona was stretchered off the field, the game resumed. Through repeated sets and field territory, Zac Laybutt opened up the game with a 4-pointer from Jacob Alick’s sleek offload in the 7th minute. Laybutt failed to nail the conversion, leaving the score 4-0.
A few minutes later, Robert Derby scored the second try for the Kumuls in the 12th minute through a well-executed second-man play. Laybutt successfully added the extras to increase the lead to 10-0.
With more ball possession, the Kumuls capitalized on it to score their third try in the 15th minute.
Epel Kapinias received a quality shot pass from bench utility Liam Horne and barged his way to the try line. Laybutt nailed the conversion, widening the score line to 16-0.
With an inched-perfect 20/20 kick from Lachlan Lam’s left boot, PNG put more pressure on Cook
Islands to defend their line. Horne passed the ball to Valentine Richard and the bulky forward used his brute strength to score under the uprights in the 23rd minute. Laybutt slotted the conversion effortlessly, increasing the lead to 22-0.
In the ensuing set, Kumuls scored their 5th try through a structured set-play. Lachlan Lam caught the ball in the air and stepped the oncoming defender to assist Nene McDonald, who ran to score an untouched try on the corner in the 26th minute. Laybutt did not convert the conversion, leaving the score 24-0.
Right in the shadows of halftime, Rimbu quickly scooped the ball from the ruck and passed it to Liam Horne who made a line break, offloading the ball to Alex Johnston who raced past a couple of defenders in their wake and did a smooth flick pass to Zac Laybutt, who crossed over the line for his second try. Laybutt kicked his own try successfully to give the home side a handy 30-0 lead over the visitors at the break.
The Kumuls wasted no time and continued their try-scoring streak in the 43rd minute of the second stanza. McDonald was the recipient of that try. Lam made a grubber kick but the Cook Islands’ center did not ground the ball properly, which saw McDonald ground the loose ball. Laybutt sliced the conversion beautifully, extending the lead to 36-0.
The Kukis were guessing and down on their haunches. Nixon Putt’s offload to Rimbu in the 44th minute saw the explosive rake run past a couple of defenders to assist McDonald who sprinted to
the try line. Laybutt’s left boot nailed the conversion to increase the lead to 42-0.
The Cook Islands were starved of ball possession and field territory. However, in the remaining 20 minutes of the contest, the Kukis finally managed to score their first try in the 47th minute. Captain Brad Takairangi did a perfect 5th last cross-field cheap-kick that landed nicely on his full-back's hands Esom Ioka, who grounded the ball in the corner to break the egg. The conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the score 42-4.
With a little bit of ascendency, the Kukis scored their second try in the following set through Steven Masters, who made a cheap-kick that ricocheted off Johnston’s hand and he regathered the ball to score in the 59th minute, reducing the deficit to 42-10. They tried to shift the momentum and make a comeback, but it was all in vain. Time was not on their side. It was too late for the Kukis to stop the Kumuls’ onslaught.
The home side responded with a try in the 75th minute. McDonald crossed over for his fourth try in the afternoon and sealed off the deal for the hosts, thrashing the visitors 46-10 to open their
campaign in style.
It was a one-way traffic contest. The Kumuls were playing with ease and confidence, while the Kukis went to sleep. PNG would have annihilated Cook Islands if they were not complacent, particularly in the last quarter of the match. Nonetheless, all the Kumuls’ players stood up to the challenge and stamped their authority with a dominant win over the Kukis.
Cook Islands Aitu will play Fiji Bati on Sunday, October 22, while PNG Kumuls will have a week’s rest and meet Fiji the following Sunday, October 29, at NFS.
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