New Zealand rout Fiji 78-0 to secure Rugby League World Cup semi-final
Kiwis Rout Fiji 78-0 to Secure Semi-Final Berth
New Zealand crushed Fiji 78-0 on the Gold Coast in a Rugby League World Cup match, securing a spot in the semi-finals. Fiji coach Mick Potter stated that his team had no answer to the opposition’s relentless pressure, noting that the Bati were simply not in the contest. I thought they were red hot, in the first half especially,
Potter said. They were uncompromising. We weren’t in the contest.
Centre Casey McLean scored four of New Zealand’s 13 tries during the dominant performance. Coach Stacey Jones praised the defensive effort that shut out the Fijians entirely. Line speed created consistent pressure and forced handling errors from the opposition. Our line held tight right from the start,
Jones said. The line speed was outstanding, and they put pressure back in Fiji and forced them into errors.
Discipline Issues Force Red Cards and Suspension Anxieties
New Zealand winger Ronaldo Mulitalo was sent off in the 51st minute for a high tackle that injured Fiji winger Ronald Philitoga. Fiji halfback Brandon Wakeham was also dismissed for throwing a punch in the ensuing melee. Jones stated that the team would wait to see the outcome of the match review regarding Mulitalo’s potential suspension for the upcoming fixture. We’ll wait and see what it looks like and we’ll go from there,
Jones said.
New Zealand winger Ronaldo Mulitalo and Fiji halfback Brandon Wakeham were sent from the field at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday as the Kiwis tuned up for the semi-finals with a 78-0 smashing of Fiji.📖 MATCH REPORT | https://t.co/gHLzTUI89w pic.twitter.com/FIz6NXsaNv
Fiji struggled to contain New Zealand’s aggressive forward play throughout the match. The Bati completed only six sets in the opening 40 minutes as the scoreline blew out to 48-0 at halftime. Fiji captain and hooker Apisai Koroisau departed the field during the first half with a suspected broken jaw, while Fijian prop Jordan Miller received a sin-binning late in the game for another high shot.
Squad Management Ahead of the Semi-Final Clash
Key playmakers Jahrome Hughes and Jeremy Marshall-King left the field early in the second half. Jones clarified that their early departures were precautionary measures to rest the spine combination, confirming no ongoing injury concerns for those players. Meanwhile, star fullback Kalyn Ponga continues his recovery from a broken forearm sustained on October 16 against Australia. Ponga completed training sessions last week while avoiding contact work, leaving his availability for the semi-final uncertain alongside the current strong form of stand-in fullback Keano Kini.
New Zealand now advances to face the winner of the Sunday night pool fixture between Samoa and Tonga. Jones emphasized that the team will review the tape and immediately recalibrate for the knockout stage, maintaining a focus on continuous improvement. Obviously we’ll review this game, and then it’s semi-final footy, so it changes,
Jones said. The mindset changes. The good thing about this group, the players they are always chasing improvement, so we won’t rest on any laurels or anything like that. We’ll go back and look at where we can get better.
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