New Zealand beat Tonga 34-10 and reach World Cup final — The Guardian

New Zealand defeated Tonga 34-10 in Newcastle in the Rugby League World Cup semi-final and secured a place in the tournament’s decisive match. In the final, the New Zealanders will face the winner of the second semi-final between Australia and Samoa, The Guardian reports.

Advantage after the break

New Zealand opened the scoring in the fifth minute: Kalyn Ponga, who returned to the squad 23 days after fracturing his forearm in the tournament’s opening match, helped Briton Nikora score. However, Tonga responded with two tries from Jojo Fifita: he finished a long-distance break and later grounded the ball near the try line.

Before the break, the New Zealanders regained the lead. After a kick by Ponga, Dane Gagai grounded the ball in the in-goal area, while Jamayne Isaako converted the try to make it 12-10. According to the publication, in the second half, amid strong wind and rain, the kicking game of Ponga and Jerome Hughes proved crucial.

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Six tries by New Zealand

After the break, New Zealand scored 22 unanswered points. Casey McLean scored his team’s third try, his 18th in eight Test matches. Later, Hughes took advantage of an error by Tonga’s players after a New Zealand kick, while Xavier Willison and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad extended the score to 34-10.

New Zealand will play in the Rugby League World Cup final for the first time since 2013. The team has a chance to win the title for the first time since 2008.