By Rich Cowley, Date: 28/10/17 (Photo Credit NRLPhotos)
Game two of the Rugby League World Cup kicked off in Port Moresby In front of a sell-out crowd. The Kumuls started the game by monstering the Welsh in both defence and attack. With big hits and driving tackles the Welsh had no answers for the early Kumuls onslaught. With the tropical heat and humidity coming into play quickly it wasn’t long before the Welsh big men started to tire.
Five minutes into the match David Mead splits open the Welsh defence to score in the right corner and put the Kumuls 4 – 0 in front. Ase Boas missed the conversion from the sideline.
After a few quick play the balls and in the ninth minute David Mead crosses again for a double scoring right under the post leaving the Welsh shell-shocked. Ase Boas missed the conversion from right in front leaving the Kumuls with an 8 – 0 lead.
For the next ten minutes the game flowed from end to end. Around the 19th minute there was a bit of argy bargy between the Kumuls and the Dragons after Wales gave a penalty around the ruck.
On the back of continued pressure Nene McDonald crossed over in the right hand corner in the 22nd minute. With the video ref reviewing the put down eventually the try was awarded with Rhyse Martin converting from the side line putting the Kumuls further in front 14 – 0.
After continued pressure James Segeyaro put a grubber into the in goal forcing a line dropout from the Welsh in the 26th minute. The clock was paused after a biting allegation was raised by the Ben Evans against Wellington Albert who was put on report.
In the 33rd minute Katto Ottio crossed down the left hand side on the back of a grubber. Rhyse Martin converted pushing the score out to 20 – 0
In the 36th minute PNG were awarded another penalty after a third man into the tackle. On the back of the penalty PNG made a break and Wellington Albert crossed over just right of the posts. Rhyse Martin converted pushing their lead further ahead 26 – 0 just before half time.
The Kumuls picked up where they left off with Rhyse Martin crossing over on the right hand side just short of 3 minutes into the 2nd half. Martin converted his own try to take the Kumuls to 32 – 0.
After a brief period were the Welsh mounted some pressure and were held up over the line. The Kumuls worked the ball back down to the Welsh half. In the 52nd minute Rhyse Martin crossed again and missed the conversion to put the Kumuls further ahead 36 – 0.
A short time later in the 55th minute Justin Olam scored in the right corner from a Rhyse Martin grubber. Rhyse Martin missed the conversion from the sideline the score 40 – 0.
The Welsh with nothing left in the tank and giving away too many penalties let David Mead cross over for his 3rd try in the 59th minute. The conversion was missed by Martin 44 – 0. Then in the 70th minute PNG veteran Paul Aiton went over right under the posts with Martin converting 50 – 0.
In the 80th minute with the full time hooter blowing the Welsh finally scored from a cross field kick from Seamark with Grace going over in the right corner and Davis converting.
The final score of 50 – 6 also broke a record for the most points the Kumuls have scored during a World Cup.
Crowd: TBA
Papua New Guinea (26) 50
Tries: Mead 3, McDonald, Ottio, W Albert, Martin 2, Olam, Aiton Goals: Martin
Wales
(0) 6 Try: Grace Goal: Davies
