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 PACIFIC RUGBY NEWS
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Friday, 25 June, 2004
Island romp spoils Burke's finale
By Jeremy Duxbury
The Punjas Pacific Islanders romped past a depleted NSW Waratahs outfit 68-21 on Friday at Aussie Stadium to hand Matthew Burke a less-than-glorious send-off before he moves to England.
Missing seven of their usual forwards because of national duty with the Wallabies, the Waratahs struggled right from the kick-off as the Islanders strung together a dozen phases before No.8 Sisa Koyamaibole charged over for the first try.
Another five converted tries in the space of 10 minutes destroyed any hope the hosts had of competing in this match as the Islanders took full advantage of their weight, skill and speed to run in scores left, right and centre.
However, the Islanders need to retain focus and remember that they have yet to face as much as a proper Super 12 side, let alone a Test team. The Wallabies will form a very different proposition next Saturday in Adelaide and the Islanders’ set pieces in particular need urgent improvement.
The line-out co-ordination should have been more fluent as several straight throws went over their intended jumpers; the Islanders also lost two scrums from their own put-ins and were marched backwards in the maul on several occasions.
The flair and ball-handling, as ever, was a joy to watch and some incredible skills from the forwards as well as backs led to some beautiful tries. But those fancy moves play a reduced role in Test rugby, and the Pacific boys will need to tighten their defensive lines and cut out the unnecessary turnovers from the set pieces.
With the score at 7-0 in the 15th minute, Koyamaibole made another telling charge down the flank and flicked a pass inside to Lome Fa’atau who had a clear run to the line, but the Samoan wing was unable to gather cleanly and spilled the ball.
A minute later, Seleila Mapusua scored the Islanders’ second try after hooker Aleki Lutui was felled just short of the try-line. Quick recycling from Moses Rauluni and an inside pass from Tanner Vili put the Highlanders centre through the gap to score.
In the 18th minute, Sitiveni Sivivatu grabbed the first of his two tries when he latched on to a kick ahead from Fa’atau. The Chiefs wing, who still has hopes of being an All Black, was later named man of the match.
And the one-way traffic continued three minutes later when Fa’atau kicked through again, skipper Inoke Afeaki regathered, Koyamaibole took it up further and burly prop Soane Tonga’uiha finished off the job. Seremaia Bai converted for a 28-0 lead.
After another five minutes, the Islanders had scored another 14 points. Sivivatu dotted down his second try that was set up by Mapusua, then quick hands from Filipo Levi and Ifereimi Rawaqa saw prop Taufa’ao Filise round off another delightful move.
At 42-0 and only 26 minutes gone, Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie took off wing Elia Tuqiri for experienced centre Nathan Grey to give the Tahs backline more solidity.
Afeaki also trooped off for Leo Lafaiali’i and Vili was replaced in the Islanders’ backline by Tane Tu’ipulotu.
Playing an excellent game at fullback was Seru Rabeni, filling in for his injured Fiji team-mate Norman Ligairi. Defensively, Rabeni looked safe, and going forward he was able to make good ground before setting up the next runner.
With just more than half an hour gone, the Waratahs got their first score when Morgan Turinui skipped out of a weak tackle and scored under the posts. A few moments later, flanker Tim McGann came back on the angle to break the Islanders’ defence for the second time. Burke converted to trail 14-42 but with the Tahs’ patient and progressive mauling, they held possession well.
The hosts could have scored a third on the half-time hooter, but a turnover went to Rauluni, whose clearing kick bobbled next to the touchline on halfway. Sivivatu darted downfield to collect, offloaded to Tonga’uiha, who gave it back to Sivivatu before Mapusua came running through to score.
So, at 49-14 at the break, the Islanders could use up their reserves and save something for next week’s Test.
The Waratahs scored first in the second half when Milton Thaiday finished off a sustained period of pressure on the Islanders’ line. Burke converted for a 21-49 scoreline and maybe some in the 8,000-strong crowd sensed some sort of miracle recovery.
Another 20 minutes passed without further points to either side, though the Islanders began to enjoy more possession again with replacement hooker Joeli Lotawa having fun out wide.
The visitors’ eighth try was their best. Sione Lauaki, playing at blindside flanker, jinked his way forward and some quick and clever hands from Alifereti Doviverata found Tonga’uiha with enough pace and power to charge the final 20 metres to the line. Instead of touching down himself, the massive Tongan handed the ball to Bai, whose subsequent conversion attempt was his only missed kick of the match.
The Islanders’ forwards continued to show their skills in the loose, and produced two more scores before Burke, the highest capped Waratah of all-time, could make his final exit.
Filise earned his second try after some sterling work from Koyamaibole and Tonga’uiha. And on full-time, Fa’atau finished off a move than involved Sireli Bobo and Tu’ipulotu.
NSW Waratahs 21 Pacific Islanders 68
Aussie Stadium, Sydney
Half-time: 14-49
Crowd: 8,005
Referee: Greg Hinton (Aus)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Aus), George Ayoub (Aus)
NSW: 15 Peter Hewat, 14 Milton Thaiday, 13 Matthew Burke (capt), 12 Morgan Turinui (Lachie Mackay 38), 11 Elia Tuqiri (Nathan Grey 27), 10 Tim Donnelly, 9 Tim Clark (Patrick Phibbs 48), 8 Stephen Hoiles, 7 Tim McGann, 6 Simon Kasprowicz (Chris Sproats 45), 5 Will Caldwell, 4 Alister Campbell (Marty Wilson 57), 3 Aaron Broughton-Rouse (James Lakepa 66), 2 Huia Edmonds (Al Manning 76), 1 Gareth Hardy
Coach: Ewen McKenzie
Tries: Turiniu, McGann, Thaiday; Conversions: Burke (3)
PACIFIC ISLANDERS: 15 Seru Rabeni, 14 Lome Fa'atau, 13 Seilala Mapusua, 12 Seremaia Bai, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu (Sireli Bobo 66), 10 Tanner Vili (Tane Tu'ipulotu 28), 9 Mosese Rauluni (Steven So'oialo 70), 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, 7 Alifereti Doviverata, 6 Filipo Levi (Sione Lauaki 54), 5 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 4 Inoke Afeaki (capt) (Leo Lafaiali'i 26), 3 Taufa'ao Filise (Tevita Taumoepeau 70), 2 Aleki Lutui (Joeli Lotawa 40), 1 Soane Tonga'uiha
Coach: John Boe
Tries: Sivivatu (2), Filise (2), Mapusua (2), Bai, Koyamaibole, Tonga'uiha, Fa'atau; Conversions: Bai (9).
Scoring sequence (Waratahs score first)
4min – TRY ISLANDERS, Koyamaibole, conversion Bai – 0-7
16min – TRY ISLANDERS, Mapusua, conversion Bai – 0-14
18min – TRY ISLANDERS, Sivivatu, conversion Bai – 0-21
21min – TRY ISLANDERS, Tonga'uiha, conversion Bai – 0-28
24min – TRY ISLANDERS, Sivivatu, conversion Bai – 0-35
26min – TRY ISLANDERS, Filise, conversion Bai – 0-42
33min – TRY WARATAHS, Turinui, conversion Burke – 7-42
39min – TRY WARATAHS, McGann, conversion Burke – 14-42
46min – TRY ISLANDERS, Mapusua, conversion Bai – 14-49
Half-time
43min – TRY WARATAHS, Thaiday, conversion Burke – 21-49
58min – TRY ISLANDERS, Bai – 21-54
71min – TRY ISLANDERS, Filise, conversion Bai – 21-61
80min – TRY ISLANDERS, Fa'atau, conversion Bai – 21-68
Full-time
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