Matty’s On the Five: Kiwis steamroll Kangaroos to win Pacific Championship, Mate Ma’a Tonga winless in English series and Black Ferns lose out on WXVI

The mana of the Kiwis jersey seemed to inspire the side as they crushed the World Champion Kangaroos at the weekend. Mate Ma’a Tonga fall short in their inaugural series against England, and the Black Ferns crumble to a strong Roses side.

1. Kiwis steamroll Kangaroos to win Pacific Championship

An inspired Kiwis side crushed the Kangaroos in Hamilton to win the first ever Pacific Championship Cup, 30 to 0.

The Kiwis bounced back from their huge loss the week prior to the Kangaroos, who seemed likely to cruise through the Kiwis in the final. But, the Kiwis came out firing in the first half, with their world class forward pack leading the charge.

The spine of the Kiwis looked untouchable against the Kangaroos as Jahrome Hughes and Dylan Brown steered the classy attack of the home side. While wingers Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jamayne Isaako were able to finish the charge scoring on both corners of the park.

Charnze-Nicholl Klokstad also had a blinder for the game, with nearly 300 run meters and a try assist to match. Coach Michael McGuire said in a post-match interview that the Warriors star suffered a broken rib, but opted to continue playing in the final.

He said it was a reflection of the pride the group has for the Kiwis jersey, and that showed in the game.

2. Mate Ma’a Tonga winless in English series

A star-studded Mate Ma’a Tonga side were unable to collect a win in their first ever tri-series against England. The side went 0 and 3 in the series against a strong English team.

In the first test, England won 24 to 18, the second test, 14 to 4 and third test 26 to 4. Some key takeaway from the historic series was the potential the Tongan side has moving forward.

Tonga lined up several dynamite players in their squad who weren’t willing to go down in each game. Tolu Koula of the Manly Sea Eagles showed class on the wing, picking up tries in two of the tests.

With the crushing losses, Head Coach Kristian Woolfe said in a press conference he will ‘wait and see’ of his future with the side, who he has coached for the past nine years.

3. Black Ferns crumble to England losing the inaugural Women’s XV competition

The Black Ferns' rocky year ended in a loss against the English Roses, as the World Champions fell in the WXVI final losing 33 to 12.

The English side showed shades of their tactics from the World Cup final last year, powering through the Ferns front row each time they got close to the line.

The Black Ferns showed they still had the fight in them as the silky hands of Ruby Tui put World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Katelyn Vaha'akolo in for a try in the second half.

But, the Ferns were unable to break through the English defence who proved strong throughout the match. It was also the handling errors of the Black Ferns that shot them in the foot each time their explosive attack tried to pierce the defense.

The PNG Kumuls with the Pacific Bowl Championship after their win.

4. PNG Kumuls win a good sign for 18th NRL team?

The PNG Kumuls emerged victorious against the Fiji Bati winning 32 to 12 to win the first Pacific Bowl Championship in front of a packed home crowd.

The Kumuls avenged their crushing loss last week against Fiji, who battered PNG 43 to 16. This week the home side rode the wave of the crowd, showing silky ball-play to push their attack forward.

The home team were creative when on attack allowing them to pile points on Fiji. Papua New Guinea hosted seven games for the Pacific Bowl Championship over four consecutive weeks.

The success of their home side and the packed stadiums each game should strengthen PNG’s case to become the NRL’s 18th team.

5. Roman reigns supreme at WWE’s Crown Jewel

The ‘Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns returned to defend his undisputed title at WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. Reigns beat the popular LA Knight in their match, who has gained traction in Reigns’ absence over the past few months.

But, Reigns’ victory was without interference from the ‘Bloodline’ with Jimmy Uso forcing a distraction allowing Reigns’ to get the upper hand. Solo Sikoa also tried to interfere with the match, following his win against John Cena earlier in the night.

Reigns was able to capitalise on these interferences, giving LA Knight one last finisher to win the match and retain his title.