Kangaroos 34 - Tonga 16 [1]
Saturday, October 20, 2018 - 22:47. Updated on Saturday, October 20, 2018 - 23:10.
Australia’s Kangaroos defeated Mate Ma’a Tonga 34 – 16 in a hard earned victory at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, tonight.
The Kangaroos scored five converted tries in the first half to lead Tonga 30 – 10. Mate Ma’a Tonga’s two tries were scored by Tevita Pangai in the 15th minute and Daniel Tupou in 33rd minute.
The second-half was a different story with Mate Ma’a Tonga dominating possession and territory. Solomone Kata scored a try in the 50th minute in what appeared to be the beginning of a familiar comeback by Mate Ma’a Tonga.
However, the Kangaroos held out, scoring a try in the 63rd minute and staunchly defending their territory to holdout Tonga to a 34 -16 victory.
Tonga Try Scorers: Tevita Pangai Jnr, Daniel Tupou, Solomone Kata
Timeline
5th minute – Tonga 0 – 6 Australia
10th minute – Tonga 0 - 12 Australia
15th min – Tonga 6 - 12 Australia (Tevita Pangai Jnr)
25th min – Tonga 6 – 18 Australia
28th min – Tonga 6 – 24 Australia
33rd min – Tonga 10 - 24 Australia ( Daniel Tupou)
40th min – Tonga 10 - 30 Australia
HT: Australia 30 – 10 Tonga
50th min – Aus 30 – 16 (Solomone Kata)
63rd min – Aus 34 – 16
Fulltime: Australia 34 - 16 Tonga