Kiwis reach World Cup semi-final after Fiji rout

New Zealand reached the World Cup semi-final with a 78-0 win over Fiji at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast on Saturday, in a match that swung from a dominant opening period to a heated second period. The Kiwis scored 13 tries in total and never allowed Fiji a response, according to NRL.com. Jamayne Isaako converted every try, and the result settled which side advanced from the group to the knockout stage.

The tone was set early. Keano Kini opened the scoring and later finished it, finishing with 260 run metres and seven tackle breaks in a busy display at fullback. Casey McLean scored four tries in the match, taking his tally to 15 tries in Test matches. Jahrome Hughes finished with three try assists, while captain James Fisher-Harris scored his first Test try since 2023 after following up a Hughes kick. Naufahu Whyte also impressed in the middle of the field, where New Zealand repeatedly broke tackles and kept Fiji pinned in its own half.

A fast start leaves Fiji chasing

By the break, New Zealand led 48-0 after scoring eight tries, and Fiji had already lost key players to injury. Captain Api Koroisau left the field with a jaw injury, and Semi Valemei departed after a head knock, leaving the Bati short of leadership and structure at a point when the match was already moving away from them. The Kiwis had arrived on the Gold Coast after an 82-0 win over the Cook Islands, and they carried that same attacking sharpness into the opening minutes against Fiji, scoring through the middle and on the edges while Fiji struggled to complete sets and slow the play.

The numbers behind the margin were stark. New Zealand recorded 1670 run metres against 779 for Fiji, and Fiji missed 46 tackles, according to AAP reporting on the match. Those figures explain why the scoreboard kept moving even when New Zealand changed its shape after the sendings-off. Fiji had given Australia a difficult match the previous week, but on Saturday the Bati could not hold the ball long enough to build pressure, and each error gave New Zealand another chance to attack from good field position.

Sendings-off change the second period

The match turned heated in the 52nd minute. New Zealand winger Ronaldo Mulitalo rushed out of the defensive line and made high contact with Fiji player Ronald Philitoga, who was ruled out for the rest of the game. Fiji halfback Brandon Wakeham then punched Mulitalo, and referee Grant Atkins sent both players from the field, as reported by AAP. Both sides finished with 12 men, and New Zealand still added five more tries after the incident, with McLean moving to the wing once Mulitalo had departed.

Mulitalo now faces a wait for the judiciary charges, which are due on Sunday, and coach Stacey Jones declined to speculate on selection if a ban follows. The timing matters because the knockout match comes next weekend, and a suspension could end Mulitalo's tournament even if New Zealand reaches the final in Brisbane. Wakeham, by contrast, will play no further part in the tournament because Fiji did not advance, so his sending-off closed his World Cup campaign.

What comes next for New Zealand

New Zealand will meet the winner of the Samoa against Tonga match in the knockout round, a fixture that was scheduled for Sunday. The Kiwis are chasing their first World Cup title since 2008, and the size of the win over Fiji will encourage them even though the second period showed how quickly discipline can become an issue at this stage of a tournament. The forward pack made ground on every set. The kicking game repeatedly turned Fiji around, and that combination gave New Zealand control for long stretches.

There is also a possible boost to come. Star fullback Kalyn Ponga has returned to training after breaking his arm in the tournament opener against Australia, and reports from the tournament suggest he could be available for the knockout match. His return would give Jones another option in attack, although Kini's performance against Fiji showed that New Zealand already has a fullback in strong form. For Fiji, the defeat ends a campaign that had promised more after a competitive showing against Australia, and the injuries to Koroisau and Valemei will be a concern beyond the tournament. For more on the tournament, see sports coverage on GenZ NewZ.