'Chasing improvement' Kiwis coach Stacey Jones promises team will lift for semi-final, after Fiji rout

Kiwis coach Stacey Jones has lauded his team’s physical intensity and mentality after their stunning 78-0 win over Fiji on Saturday.

Their final group match was expected to be a tighter contest, after the Bati had pushed the Kangaroos a week earlier, with Australia eventually emerging 36-22 winners after a tense battle. But the match on the Gold Coast turned into a demolition job, with the Kiwis on song from the first whistle in a magic opening quarter. They scored five converted tries in that period, with a breathtaking mix of power, pace and intimidation.

“I’m really proud of how they went about it,” said Jones. “Against a good team, we knew the challenge that was in front of us and the physical battle was spot on, right from the start.”

The key was the approach from the starting pack, with the middle forwards outstanding, before the interchange men continued the carnage. The Kiwis had 12-line breaks – seven in the first half alone –, but it was the constant pressure through the ruck that left Fiji all at sea.

“We came up with the right mindset,” Jones said. “In particular, our starting middles were on top of their game, and they laid a really good platform for the guys out wide.”

Fiji coach Mick Potter agreed, saying that his team had no answer to the constant waves of attack.

“I thought they were red hot, in the first half especially,” Potter said. “They were uncompromising. We weren’t in the contest.”

Naufahu Whyte. Photo / Photosport

Aside from the 13 tries, including four to Casey McLean amid some sparkling offensive play, Jones was particularly pleased with the defensive effort, holding the Fijians scoreless and restricting their opportunities.

“Our line held tight right from the start,” Jones said. “The line speed was outstanding, and they put pressure back in Fiji and forced them into errors.”

To top off an impressive evening, the Kiwis also seemed to come through unscathed. Both Jahrome Hughes and Jeremy Marshall-King departed early, but Jones explained it was just to give the key spine duo a rest, and there were no other injury concerns.

However, wing Ronaldo Mulitalo will face a nervous wait over a possible suspension, after being sent off for a high tackle in the 51st minute, which saw Fiji winger Ronald Philitoga ruled out for the rest of the match.

“We’ll wait and see what it looks like and we’ll go from there,” Jones said when asked about contingency plans. Jones gave a similar answer about the possible availability of star fullback Kalyn Ponga for next Saturday’s semi-final, as he works his way back from a broken forearm sustained in the opening match on October 16. Jones confirmed Ponga trained last week but avoided contact drills.

Current custodian Keano Kini was outstanding on Saturday too, to add another layer to the puzzle. The Kiwis now look forward to a blockbuster semi-final against the winner of the Samoa versus Tonga game on Sunday night. The last four match will be a very different clash and a much closer affair, but Jones said there will be no problem recalibrating.

“Obviously we’ll review this game, and then it’s semi-final footy, so it changes,” Jones said. “The mindset changes. The good thing about this group, the players they are always chasing improvement, so we won’t rest on any laurels or anything like that. We’ll go back and look at where we can get better.”

Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.