Papua New Guinea have taken the next step towards a quarter-finals berth with an eight-point win over Ireland in the second week of the Rugby League World Cup.
The home crowd in Port Moresby turned up to cheer on their heroes, expecting a comfortable victory that would see their team through to the quarter-finals.
What they ended up seeing was a mistake-ridden match with little composure shown by either team and a disappointing spectacle all-round.
Ireland were impressive early, grabbing the first try and the conversion with a strong wind at their back. Scott Grix was again the inspiration and the early cracks in the Kumul’s composure were evident.
Looking fragile due to countless errors and unstructured attack, Papua New Guinea found the line twice and managed to head to the break with a slender lead despite not being able to convert either try.
The second half was a continuation of the error-ridden first with neither team seemingly able to take control, grind out sets and put their stamp on the game.
Looking like scoreless second period, it was somewhat fitting that a dropped ball at the death led to a Watson Boas toeing through and a try in the 79th minute.
While an exciting contest, PNG would have been hoping for a little more quality in their performance.
With almost forty errors from both teams and twenty from the Kumuls, there is much to work on as they march toward a quarter-final against a much stronger opponent than the Irish.
Final score
Papua New Guinea 14
Ireland 6
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