Picture: stock
Australia has won both the men’s and women’s Pacific Cup final in Sydney on Sunday.
In the men’s game, the Kangaroos won the Pacific Cup for the first time after a late scare from Tonga side to claim a 20-14 victory, NRL website NRL.com.au said.
Up by 16 points with 23 minutes to go, Australia were forced to come up with try-saving plays out wide as their opponents ran in two tries.
Backed by most of a 28,728-strong crowd and having beaten the Kiwis the week before, a fired-up Tonga scored first with a Sione Katoa try.
After that, Australia took control to score the next three tries without reply: try-scorers were Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Xavier Coates and Tom Trbojevic in the first half.
Trbojevic had his second early in the second half but was denied a hat-trick minutes later.
Haumole Olakau’atu scored for Tonga before a determined charge from Eliesa Katoa put the kingdom to within six points with as many minutes to play as the Kangaroos held on.
WOMEN
Brutal defence helped the Jillaroos to a 24-4 win over the Kiwi Ferns in their earlier clash at Parramatta.
The victory avenged a 12-6 loss to the Kiwi Ferns in last year’s final and rounded out a dominant month in which the Jillaroos outscored their Pacific Championships rivals to the tune of 122-4.
The Jillaroos struck first when Julia Robinson scored. 4-0.
They extended their lead in the 16th minute when Isabelle Kelly produced a huge fend on a Kiwi defender to cross for an unconverted try. 8-0.
The Kiwi Ferns lifted their intensity late in the half and came close to scoring before Tiana Penitani powered over for the Jillaroos to make it 12-0 at halftime.
Eight minutes into the second half, the Jillaroos were up 18-0 when Tamika Upton scored after a fumble by Kiwi Ferns.
Player of the match Aiken then scored to make it 24-0 with 21 minutes to play.
A try to Leianne Tufuga with 90 seconds to play ensured New Zealand would avoid another whitewash against the Aussies in the tournament.
