2025 Pacific Championships: Round 3 Recap

Check out what happened in round 3 of the Pacific Championships competition.

Review

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The Kiwis and Jillaroos warmed up for their Pacific Cup Finals with wins at Eden Park. New Zealand will play Toa Samoa in the men’s Cup Final and Australia have a rematch with the Kiwi Ferns in the women’s Cup Final at CommBank Stadium next Sunday.

While Tonga needed to win by 18 points to make the Cup Final, the Kiwis blew those hopes away, leading 24-2 at the break (tries to Keano Kini, Dylan Brown, Casey McLean, and Matthew Timoko). Brown added a second try in the second half while Tonga missed 63 tackles in 80 minutes. It was a disappointing Pacific Championships for Tonga after making last year’s Cup Final, losing both games to Samoa and New Zealand (and with a -54 differential).

After a scoreless opening 30 minutes, Jessica Sergis gave the Jillaroos a 6-0 half-time lead against the Kiwi Ferns. Abbi Church extended it to 10 early in the second half, which was enough despite Annessa Biddle scoring for the Kiwi Ferns (with an 80-metre run) in the 50th minute.

The PNG Kumuls and the Tonga XIII both won their Pacific Bowl games at Santos National Football Stadium (Port Moresby).

The Kumuls secured their third straight Bowl title (also winning in 2023 and 2024) after beating Fiji Bati. Rhyse Martin finished with 22 points (a try and nine goals from nine). PNG led 30-0 after 28 minutes before Kitione Kautoga scored a double for Fiji either side of half-time. Though three more second half tries ensured the Kumuls won comfortably.

While the Cook Islands secured the women’s Pacific Bowl last weekend, Tonga still enjoyed a “dead rubber” win over the PNG Orchids. Martha Mataele scored a hat-trick as Tonga built on a 10-6 lead midway through the first half.

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Results

Papua New Guinea Kumuls 50 Fiji Bati 18

Player Stats Table

Club	Position	Player Name	Tries	Conversions	1-Pt FG	2-Pt FG	Points	First Try Scorer	Last Try Scorer
PNG Kumuls	Fullback	Morea Morea	1	0	0	0	4	✅
PNG Kumuls	Winger	Dudley Dotoi	1	0	0	0	4
PNG Kumuls	Centre	Zac Laybutt	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Centre	Nene Macdonald	1	0	0	0	4
PNG Kumuls	Winger	Alex Johnston	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Five-Eighth	Gairo Voro	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Halfback	Finley Glare	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Prop	Epel Kapinias	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Hooker	Edwin Ipape	1	0	0	0	4
PNG Kumuls	Prop	Valentine Richard	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	2nd Row	Rhyse Martin	1	9	0	0	22
PNG Kumuls	2nd Row	Nixon Putt	1	0	0	0	4
PNG Kumuls	Lock	Jack De Belin	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Interchange	Lachlan Lam	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Interchange	Robert Mathias	1	0	0	0	4
PNG Kumuls	Interchange	Cooper Bai	1	0	0	0	4
PNG Kumuls	Interchange	Sylvester Namo	0	0	0	0	0
PNG Kumuls	Replacement	Liam Horne	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Fullback	Jahream Bula	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Winger	Sunia Turuva	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Centre	Jope Rauqe	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Centre	Semi Valemei	1	0	0	0	4		✅
Fiji Bati	Winger	Ronald Philitoga	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Five-Eighth	Kurt Donoghoe	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Halfback	Brandon Wakeham	0	1	0	0	2
Fiji Bati	Prop	Tui Kamikamica	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Hooker	Penioni Tagituimua	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Prop	Kylan Mafoa	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	2nd Row	Taane Milne	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	2nd Row	Kitione Kautoga	2	0	0	0	8
Fiji Bati	Lock	Caleb Navale	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Interchange	Terrell Kalo Kalo	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Interchange	Solomone Saukuru	1	0	0	0	4
Fiji Bati	Interchange	Ben Nakubuwai	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Interchange	Keresi Maya	0	0	0	0	0
Fiji Bati	Replacement	Akuila Qoro	0	0	0	0	0

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10-Minute Try Breakdown – By Team

Time Period	PNG Kumuls Tries	PNG Kumuls Scorers	Fiji Bati Tries	Fiji Bati Scorers
0–10	1	Morea Morea	0	–
11–20	3	Edwin Ipape, Nene Macdonald, Rhyse Martin	0	–
21–30	1	Cooper Bai	0	–
31–40	0	–	1	Kitione Kautoga
41–50	1	–	1	Kitione Kautoga
51–60	1	Nixon Putt	1	Solomone Saukuru
61–70	2	Dudley Dotoi, Robert Mathias	0	–
71–80	0	–	1	Semi Valemei

Score Timeline

Minute	Team	Player	Event Type	PNG Kumuls	Fiji Bati	Biggest Lead (Updated)
0	–	–	Kick-off	0	0	0 (Even)
10	PNG	Morea Morea	Try	4	0	4 (PNG Kumuls)
12	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	6	0	6 (PNG Kumuls)
14	PNG	Edwin Ipape	Try	10	0	10 (PNG Kumuls)
15	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	12	0	12 (PNG Kumuls)
16	PNG	Nene Macdonald	Try	16	0	16 (PNG Kumuls)
17	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	18	0	18 (PNG Kumuls)
20	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Try	22	0	22 (PNG Kumuls)
21	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	24	0	24 (PNG Kumuls)
26	PNG	Cooper Bai	Try	28	0	28 (PNG Kumuls)
28	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	30	0	30 (PNG Kumuls)
36	Fiji	Kitione Kautoga	Try	30	4	26 (PNG Kumuls)
37	Fiji	Brandon Wakeham	Conv	30	6	24 (PNG Kumuls)
40	HT	–	Half-Time	30	6	24 (PNG Kumuls)
46	Fiji	Kitione Kautoga	Try	30	10	20 (PNG Kumuls)
50	PNG	Nixon Putt	Try	34	10	24 (PNG Kumuls)
52	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	36	10	26 (PNG Kumuls)
58	Fiji	Solomone Saukuru	Try	36	14	22 (PNG Kumuls)
61	PNG	Dudley Dotoi	Try	40	14	26 (PNG Kumuls)
62	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	42	14	28 (PNG Kumuls)
66	PNG	Robert Mathias	Try	46	14	32 (PNG Kumuls)
67	PNG	Rhyse Martin	Conv	48	14	34 (PNG Kumuls)
76	Fiji	Semi Valemei	Try	48	18	30 (PNG Kumuls)
79	PNG	Rhyse Martin	1-Pt FG (Pen)	49	18	31 (PNG Kumuls)
80	FT	–	Full-Time	50	18	32 (PNG Kumuls)

New Zealand 40 Tonga XIII 14

Player Stats Table

Club	Position	Player Name	Tries	Goals	1-Pt FG	2-Pt FG	Points	First Try Scorer	Last Try Scorer
Kiwis	Fullback	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	1	0	0	0	4
Kiwis	Winger	Jamayne Isaako	0	6	1	0	12
Kiwis	Centre	Matthew Timoko	1	0	0	0	4
Kiwis	Centre	Casey McLean	1	0	0	0	4
Kiwis	Winger	Keano Kini	1	0	0	0	4	✅
Kiwis	Five-Eighth	Dylan Brown	2	0	0	0	8
Kiwis	Halfback	Kieran Foran	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Prop	James Fisher-Harris	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Hooker	Phoenix Crossland	1	0	0	0	4
Kiwis	Prop	Moses Leota	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	2nd Row	Briton Nikora	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	2nd Row	Isaiah Papali’i	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Lock	Joseph Tapine	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Interchange	Te Maire Martin	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Interchange	Naufahu Whyte	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Interchange	Erin Clark	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Interchange	Xavier Willison	0	0	0	0	0
Kiwis	Replacement	Scott Sorensen	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Fullback	Lehi Hopoate	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Winger	Daniel Tupou	1	0	0	0	4		✅
Tonga XIII	Centre	Paul Alamoti	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Centre	Will Penisini	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Winger	Sione Katoa	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Five-Eighth	Isaiah Iongi	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Halfback	Isaiya Katoa	0	3	1	0	6
Tonga XIII	Prop	Addin Fonua-Blake	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Hooker	Siliva Havili	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Prop	Moeaki Fotuaika	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	2nd Row	Eliesa Katoa	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	2nd Row	Kulikefu Finefeuiaki	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Lock	Jason Taumalolo	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Interchange	Felise Kaufusi	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Interchange	Siua Wong	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Interchange	Soni Luke	0	0	0	0	0
Tonga XIII	Interchange	Demitric Vaimauga	1	0	0	0	4
Tonga XIII	Replacement	Leka Halasima	0	0	0	0	0

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10-Minute Try Breakdown – By Team

Time Period	Kiwis Tries	Kiwis Scorers	Tonga XIII Tries	Tonga XIII Scorers
0–10	0	–	0	–
11–20	1	Keano Kini	0	–
21–30	2	Dylan Brown, Casey McLean	0	–
31–40	1	Matthew Timoko	0	–
41–50	1	–	1	Demitric Vaimauga
51–60	1	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	0	–
61–70	1	Dylan Brown	0	–
71–80	0	–	1	Daniel Tupou

Score Timeline

Minute	Team	Player	Event Type	Kiwis	Tonga XIII	Biggest Lead
0	–	–	Kick-off	0	0	0 (Even)
18	NZ	Keano Kini	Try	4	0	4 (Kiwis)
19	NZ	Jamayne Isaako	Goal (Conv)	6	0	6 (Kiwis)
23	NZ	Dylan Brown	Try	10	0	10 (Kiwis)
25	NZ	Jamayne Isaako	Goal (Conv)	12	0	12 (Kiwis)
28	NZ	Casey McLean	Try	16	0	16 (Kiwis)
29	NZ	Jamayne Isaako	Goal (Conv)	18	0	18 (Kiwis)
36	NZ	Matthew Timoko	Try	22	0	22 (Kiwis)
37	NZ	Jamayne Isaako	Goal (Conv)	24	0	24 (Kiwis)
39	TON	Isaiya Katoa	Goal (Pen)	24	2	22 (Kiwis)
40	HT	–	Half-Time	24	2	22 (Kiwis)
43	NZ	Jamayne Isaako	Goal (Pen)	26	2	24 (Kiwis)
48	TON	Demitric Vaimauga	Try	26	6	20 (Kiwis)
49	TON	Isaiya Katoa	Goal (Conv)	26	8	18 (Kiwis)
51	NZ	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	Try	30	8	22 (Kiwis)
64	NZ	Dylan Brown	Try	34	8	26 (Kiwis) ← Peak
66	NZ	Jamayne Isaako	Goal (Conv)	36	8	28 (Kiwis)
70	NZ	Phoenix Crossland	Try	40	8	32 (Kiwis)
75	TON	Daniel Tupou	Try	40	12	28 (Kiwis)
75	TON	Isaiya Katoa	Goal (Conv)	40	14	26 (Kiwis)
80	FT	–	Full-Time	40	14	26 (Kiwis)