Kiwis thump Fiji in George final

Fiji Times - Sunday, December 09, 2007 5:02 AM

AN error ridden performance by Fiji saw the side thumped 34-7 by New Zealand in the George tournament final this morning.

Early from the kick off both teams let poor handling dictate terms.

Tough defence laid the platform of what was to come for the next 20 minutes as both teams tried to stamp authority in the game.

Two minutes in Steven Yates made a break and fed the ball to Fijian Lote Raikabula to dot under the posts.

Raikabula converted his own try as NZ took a 7-0 lead.

From the kick off Emosi Vucago knocked on and this saw a NZ scrum.

A few phases later the man dubbed as the next "big shot" in NZ rugby, young Victor Vito shrugged off a Setafano Cakau tackle to score. Raikabula missed the conversion, NZ 12 Fiji 0.

Fiji committed basic errors and which gave the Kiwis the third try in the fifth minute through skipper DJ Forbes. Raikabula added the extras to take the scores to 19-0.

All signs started to point towards the one way traffic which happened in Dubai last week.

Vito got his second try in the eighth minute after the Fijians just didn't do right with ball in hand and the turnover was utilised by NZ. The kick missed. NZ 24 Fiji 0.

A minute from half-time Vucago was sent to the bin for slowing the ball down at ruck time.

NZ led 24-0 at the break.

After the retsart, nothing much changed as the Fijian players hesitated in putting in the first time tackles while Etonia Naba had a day to forget.

Two minutes in Vito set up James Kamana for the first try in the half. Raikabula missed the kick as NZ went up to 29-0.

A timely reminder at this stage would have been that NZ coach Gordon Tietjens was missing Tafai Ioasa, Tomasi Cama Junior, Nigel Hunt and Afeleki Pelenise.

There was no evidence that this was the same Fijian side which had beaten South Africa in the semi-finals earlier on.

Four minnutes from time, Neumi Nanuku scored a try after he pounced on a knock on by NZ. He converted. NZ 29 Fiji 7.

Cakau was yellow carded afetr he got invovled in a scuffle.

Another new find Isarel Dagg added another try as he ran around the cover defence. The conversion went wide. 34-7 to NZ.

Tietjens gave a run to all his players in the final few minutes and there was no come back like last weekend.