Islanders push New Zealand all the way

By Jeremy Duxbury

A very competitive Punjas Pacific Islanders team pushed the mighty All Blacks all the way to the wire on Saturday night in Albany but eventually went down 41-26.

Though the game was marginally closer than the one against the Wallabies a week ago, it didn’t quite have the same intensity. Neither side really enjoyed sustained periods of fluidity, with several of the 10 tries scored coming from untidy defences.

And although New Zealand struggled to find any rhythm, the Islanders appeared to hold back slightly in the tackle compared to last week.

Fielding five players that still hold hopes of one day becoming All Blacks, however, the Islanders certainly asked more questions of New Zealand than England, Scotland or Argentina had done. With two tries in each half and a couple of other excellent chances that could have resulted in more points, the Islanders showed what a force they could be in world rugby.

Two of the Islanders tries came from far out with poor cover defence from New Zealand, while the other two resulted from well-worked moves and sustained pressure.

Fiji-born Joe Rokocoko was the first on the scoresheet in the very first minute when Carlos Spencer’s high kick took a cruel bounce away from Samoa wing Lome Fa’atau to allow the poaching Rokocoko to pounce.

But the Islanders quickly put that behind them and some excellent forward drives and recycling up the other end resulted in a try to Seru Rabeni. Big prop forward Taufa'ao Filise made the initial break that put the Kiwis on the back foot, then some fast passes from Moses Rauluni and Tanner Vili allowed Rabeni the opportunity to twist and turn his way to the line.

Seremai Bai converted and the Islanders led 7-5. Though Bai converted three of his side’s four tries, he also badly missed two relatively simple penalty goals that would have narrowed the scores even further.

Justin Marshall made the most of an overlap on the right to touch down and return the lead to New Zealand. But in the 18th minute All Black hopefuls Sitiveni Sivivatu and Sione Lauaki combined for an all-too-easy try from their own 22 as the lack of cover again let the Kiwis down.

Rico Gear and Kees Meeuws added five-pointers before the break and a penalty goal from Carter gave New Zealand a 27-14 lead. The Islanders had a couple more half-breaks but Brian Lima was slow to off-load to Fa’atau on one occasion, and Fa’atau himself appeared hesitant to take on Rokocoko on another.

Far from being deterred by the half-time deficit, the Islanders came out strongly and picked up one of the best tries of the match in the 42nd minute. A move along the backline left lock forward Ifereimi Rawaqa facing Gear out wide so he decided on a chip-kick with the outside of his boot which came off perfectly for the charging Sivivatu to collect and score.

Rokocoko touched down for his second try a few minutes later when the Islanders backline failed to move across properly, and Carter converted for a 34-19 advantage.

Confusion then reigned supreme with Lauaki’s try from halfway as Marshall stopped to wait for a penalty call at the ruck. Bai split the sticks with the conversion, so the Islanders trailed by just eight points with 25 minutes to play.

Ten minutes later, the margin could so easily have been reduced to one point when Sivivatu was handed the ball out wide with a clear run to the line, even though he was 80 metres out. With hooker Keven Mealamu trying to get across, Sivivatu decided to kick ahead rather than use his speed, and the ball failed to bounce kindly for him.

The Islanders pressed forward towards the end but couldn’t quite string a move together that could breach the All Blacks defence. And after the hooter, skipper Tana Umaga sealed the match with a try from a set piece to wrap the match up at 41-26.

Overall, the fitness and competitiveness of the Islanders against a team that ran up two large victories over world champions England last month will have surprised most observers.

It will certainly prompt a great deal more discussion on the future of this team.

Saturday, 10 July, 2004
New Zealand 41 Pacific Islanders 26
North Harbour Stadium, Albany
Half-time: 27-14
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Aus)

NEW ZEALAND: 15 Mils Muliaina (Nick Evans 50), 14 Rico Gear, 13 Tana Umaga (capt), 12 Daniel Carter, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Carlos Spencer, 9 Justin Marshall (Byron Kelleher 62), 8 Xavier Rush, 7 Marty Holah, 6 Jono Gibbes, 5 Keith Robinson, 4 Chris Jack (Jerry Collins 63), 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Kees Meeuws.
Not used: Andrew Hore, Greg Somerville, Mose Tuiali'i, Sam Tuitupou
Coach: Graham Henry
Tries: Rokocoko (2), Marshall, Gear, Meeuws, Umaga; Conversions: Carter (4); Penalty goal: Carter.

PACIFIC ISLANDERS: 15 Seru Rabeni, 14 Lome Fa'atau (Sireli Bobo 50, Tane Tu'ipulotu 58-63), 13 Brian Lima (Tane Tu'ipulotu 72), 12 Seremaia Bai, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Tanner Vili, 9 Mosese Rauluni, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, 7 Alivereti Doviverata (Semo Sititi 70), 6 Sione Lauaki, 5 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 4 Inoke Afeaki (capt) (Felipo Levi 40), 3 Soane Tonga'uiha, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Taufa'ao Filise (Tevita Taumoepeau 70).
Not used: Joeli Lotawa, Steven So'oialo
Coach: John Boe
Tries: Sivivatu (2), Rabeni, Lauaki; Conversions: Bai (3)

Scoring sequence (NZ score first)
1min TRY NZ, Rokocoko – 5-0
6min TRY PAC ISLES, Rabeni, conversion Bai – 5-7
12min TRY NZ, Marshall – 10-7
18min TRY PAC ISLES, Sivivatu, conversion Bai – 10-14
29min TRY NZ, Gear, conversion Carter – 17-14
33min PENALTY GOAL NZ, Carter – 20-14
36min TRY NZ, MEEUWS, conversion Carter – 27-14
Half-time
42min TRY PAC ISLES, Sivivatu – 27-19
48min TRY NZ, Rokocoko, conversion Carter – 34-19
54min TRY PAC ISLES, Lauaki, conversion Bai – 34-26
82min TRY NZ, Umaga, conversion Carter – 41-26
Full-time