Kiwis reap rewards of gamble on 'freak of nature' Ponga
Summary
Kalyn Ponga returned from surgery for a broken forearm just 23 days after his injury and helped New Zealand beat Tonga 34-10 in the men’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final. He contributed to four of New Zealand’s six tries as the team reached its first final in 13 years.Key Facts
- Ponga broke his left forearm during New Zealand’s World Cup opener against Australia on October 15.
- Ponga scored two tries against Australia before leaving the match with the injury; New Zealand lost 24-22.
- Ponga made a surprise return to the starting lineup against Tonga, wearing protective bandaging on his forearm.
- He helped set up tries for Briton Nikora, Casey McLean and Xavier Willison, and played a part in Dane Gagai’s try.
- New Zealand scored twice in five minutes in the second half to extend its lead over Tonga.
- Jamayne Isaako kicked five of six conversions and had made 36 of 38 attempts in the tournament.
- New Zealand last won the men’s Rugby League World Cup in 2008.
- Tonga coach Kristian Woolf said his team did not handle the wind and rain as well as New Zealand did.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
