New Zealand had a great day on the Sunshine coast in Day 4 of the Pacific Cup, both sides getting a win and Kahu earning themselves a place in the Grand Final.
The Falcons, yet to get a win on the board, had a slow start, letting Fiji kick two early goals eventually gaining a 14 point load over the Falcons before Sean Butler kicked their first goal of the game and started building the Falcons momentum. The Falcons had a much stronger second quarter, lifting their standards and kicking three goals in the quarter to get themselves up to a 6 point lead heading into half time.
Desperate to make their mark on the physical contest the Falcons continued to lift, taking control of the game, and not allowing Fiji to find their rhythm, while continuing to rack up points on the board. Lachie McBride was having a brilliant game up front taking strong marks, and kicking three goals for the game. Fiji’s discipline slipped in the fourth letting the Falcons stream through and push out the lead even further, ultimately being too much for Fiji to catch up to, as the Falcons defense continued to hold strong.
The two sides will face off again in the bronze medal match on Saturday, in what is set to be a very physical challenge.
Coming off the back of historic win, the Kahu were back out for more, and needed a win to progress through to the Final. Needing a strong start to get themselves going and take control of the game the early, the Kahu pinned the ball in their forward half, eventually finding Kate Turnbull in the goal square, who kicked the goal. The Kahu ended the quarter with a nine point lead.
A scrappy second quarter saw both sides struggle to make any headway, however Tonga managed to get their first points on the board and reduce the lead down to 8. A big second half required to ensure a their first final berth, The Kahu started the 3rd quarter strong with young gun, Zoe Gullery slotting a goal in the opening minutes. Some loose ball along the ground saw Zoe, soccer in another goal, shifting the momentum and giving the Kahu control over the game.
From there, the game opened up and the Kahu started comfortably working the ball up the ground, just unable to connect on the last kick, allowing Tonga to clear the danger zone. But the Kahu took their opportunities with their set shots in front of the goals when they presented themselves, with both Demi Salton and Latisha Trigwell-Achmad both converting for goals.
With the final siren sounding, scenes erupted form the sidelines, with both the Kahu and the Falcons celebrating as a unit on what was a good result for both sides.
The final games will played on Saturday 23rd November, with the Falcons playing for bronze against Fiji and the Kahu lining up in the Grand Final in a rematch against Nauru.
Falcons vs Fiji 12:00pm AEST | 3:00pm NZDT
Kahu vs Nauru 12:30pm AEST | 3:30pm NZDT
