Kiwis v Tonga: New Zealand player ratings from Pacific Championships win

How the Kiwis players rated in their 40-14 Pacific Championships win over Tonga.

The win saw New Zealand qualify for the Pacific Cup final, where they will meet Samoa in Sydney next Sunday.

20. Keano Kini - 9

A late inclusion in the team, but warranted his selection with some big runs and scored the opening try of the game. Finished with a game-high 199m.

2. Jamayne Issako - 4

Didn’t see much ball down his edge, but still finished with 106m from eight carries. Nailed some tough conversions finishing seven of eight for the match.

3. Matt Timoko - 6

Dropped a simple pass when the Kiwis were hot on attack, searching for their fourth try, however, he made amends when he scored just before the break.

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - 7

Shifted to the centres and proved to be reliable as always. Scored a try in the second half. Stacey Jones might be forced to keep him there due to his impact in the position and Kini dominating at fullback.

4. Casey McLean - 8

Made the break down the wing which led to the opening try, and scored one himself off a bomb. That’s now seven tries in three tests. Did make a few errors but has already established himself as one of the most important players for the Kiwis, which is crazy to say early in his career.

6. Dylan Brown - 7

Another strong showing carrying the ball. Scored two tries and set up another two.

7. Kieran Foran - 5

A better showing from the veteran halfback after he was kept very quiet against Samoa a fortnight ago. His kicking was more accurate, which helped his side in the red zone.

8. James Fisher-Harris - 5

A quiet night for the Kiwis skipper but made his impact known when given opportunities.

9. Phoenix Crossland - 6

Was named to start in the absence of Jeremy Marshall-King and did struggle to stamp his mark. Made a team-high 34 tackles but missed four. Scored a try, which bumped his ranking up.

10. Moses Leota - 5

Got through lots of gritty work, mainly in the opening exchanges when the match was a real arm wrestle.

11. Briton Nikora - 6

Another who was much-improved from the Samoa match, with his combination next to Kieran Foran looking more formidable.

12. Isaiah Papali’i - 7

Needed a bounce-back performance and he found it. Was involved in almost everything, finishing with 132m off 19 carries.

13. Joseph Tapine - 7

Gave away a penalty for a dangerous tackle and, if charged by the match review committee, could be in danger of missing the final. Did give the Kiwis lots of second-phase play with five offloads.

Interchange

14. Te Maire Martin - 3

Came on for the final 20 minutes. Played hooker before switching to the halves for the final 12 minutes.

15. Naufahu Whyte - 8

Immense off the bench again. A powerful carrier who bumps defenders off for fun. Finished with 182 run metres - 68 of those post-contact - and 15 tackles.

16. Erin Clark - 5

Was sin-binned right on halftime for a professional foul but bounced back with a strong showing.

17. Xavier Willison - 6

Made his test debut and didn’t take long to make an impact. Finished with 115m. A key player for the Kiwis in the future.

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.