Kangaroos survive Tongan onslaught to win Pacific Cup

Australia defeated Tonga in the 2024 Pacific Cup final on Sunday in Sydney, winning 20-14 in a tight clash to claim their second title.

CommBank Stadium was awash in red as Tongan supporters turned up en masse, with their side dominating the early exchanges and scoring first through Sione Katoa to take a 4-0 lead.

Early physicality took its toll on Tonga, however, with Tom Dearden breaking out up the middle to put Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow over for Australia’s first try midway through the opening half.

After Tonga had a try disallowed for obstruction, the Kangaroos enjoyed a period of dominance either side of half-time.

First Xavier Coates scored off a Tabuai-Fidow break, then Tom Trbojevic dotted down twice to give the hosts a 20-4 lead after 42 minutes.

The writing seemed to be on the wall for a one-sided final until Tonga dug their heels in and began to dominate the second half.

Tries to Haumole Olakau’atu and Eliesa Katoa made it a six-point ball game, and if not for several botched opportunities, Tonga could have defied rugby league bookmakers’ odds for the second week in a row.

Australia hung on and closed out the match 20-14, defending well in the dying minutes to confirm their status as the best team in the world.

“It was everything you would want from a final,” Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo said afterwards.

“There were a lot of momentum swings, the crowd — particularly that first half and the last 20 minutes — they made us work for it.

“Really proud of our group, we had to do a lot of defence here.”

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf was full of praise for his side after the match, despite not walking away with the Pacific Cup.

“They never stopped fighting, they never stopped trying,” he said.

“A lot of these players are only going to get better.

“They’re going to get better together.

“They’re still only young, in two years from now they’re going to put themselves in a good position to win the World Cup.”

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