{"id":956224,"date":"2026-11-07T18:58:13","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T18:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/956224\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T18:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T18:58:13","slug":"world-cup-2026-ponga-stars-as-nz-beat-tonga-in-semi-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/956224\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup 2026: Ponga stars as NZ beat Tonga in semi-final"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tonga won the epic pre-game standoff with a defiant stare down for the ages, but New Zealand won on the scoreboard and booked their spot in the World Cup final after handling the wild conditions in Newcastle.<\/p>\n

The Kiwis are through to the decider where they\u2019ll face either Australia or Samoa after Knights heroes Kalyn Ponga and Phoenix Crossland returned to lead them to a 34-10 victory.<\/p>\n

A raucous crowd of 29,712 braved appalling conditions as the teams produced one of the most iconic moments of the year before a ball was kicked.<\/p>\n

After New Zealand finished their Haka, Tongan players stood in a line and refused to move as both sets of players stared each other down for 65 seconds.<\/p>\n

It was unrivalled intensity between the two fierce rivals, with the tension finally broken by the Kiwis and skipper James Fisher-Harris who looked like the Undertaker with his eyes rolled back. <\/p>\n

DOUBLE TROUBLE<\/p>\n

Ponga broke his left arm less than four weeks ago in the tournament opener but now looms as the most dangerous player in next week\u2019s final.<\/p>\n

After leading Newcastle on a fairy tale run to the NRL decider, Ponga was brilliant for the Kiwis with three try assists and a number of extraordinary try-saving tackles at the back.<\/p>\n

He got the ball rolling with a short pass for Briton Nikora to score the opener and then produced a similar moment of magic to set up Xavier Willison for the sealer.<\/p>\n

The flashy fullback was a ball of energy on either side of the field, with his tackle on Demitric Vaimauga a sign that his arm is just fine even though Ponga copped a couple of stinging shots from the Tongan forwards.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t the only big inclusion with Crossland playing his first game since he was sent off and banned for four matches after an ugly hip-drop on Nathan Cleary in the preliminary final that resulted in a sickening leg injury. <\/p>\n

Crossland is the perfect bench option for the Kiwis and will do all the hard stuff next week. <\/p>\n

THE WINDY CITY<\/p>\n

Move over Chicago because Newcastle has taken your mantle for one night only. <\/p>\n

A sparkling Saturday afternoon copped a super southerly in the evening which wreaked havoc in the second half.<\/p>\n

Ponchos and hats went flying at the break as the rain came in sideways.<\/p>\n

The kick-off caused all sorts of problems for Kodi Nikorima who couldn\u2019t keep it in, but teammate Jamayne Isaako had no such issues with a stunning conversion that curled in gloriously with the wind. <\/p>\n

The conditions continued to torment Tonga who couldn\u2019t contend with a Jahrome Hughes bomb, with the crafty halfback punishing them a few plays later with a superb solo try. <\/p>\n

TOIA STORY<\/p>\n

Tonga desperately missed premiership star Robert Toia who was ruled out of the semi-final with a knee injury.<\/p>\n

Toia has been in slashing form with the ball but is also a rock in defence, with Kiwis centre Casey McLean making them pay with a try and two big breaks down the left edge.<\/p>\n

The big red machine had some incredible moments with Jojo Fifita and Tolu Koula combining for a length-of-the-field kick return that had the Tongan flags flying around the world. <\/p>\n

But their kicking game crumbled in the conditions with a number going dead or backwards, while Lehi Hopoate made five of their 14 errors.<\/p>\n

WHYTE FRIGHT<\/p>\n

The Kiwis do have a major concern next week with Naufahu Whyte failing to finish the game with an ankle injury. <\/p>\n

The Roosters star has been the best prop forward in the world this year and would be a huge loss if he\u2019s unable to play.<\/p>\n

Fellow forward Xavier Willison passes a head injury assessment in the second half, and New Zealand will get fiery winger Ronaldo Mulitalo back from suspension.<\/p>\n

Originally published as Kiwis book World Cup final berth after tense pre-game standoff against Tonga<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tonga won the epic pre-game standoff with a defiant stare down for the ages, but New Zealand won…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":956225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[523507,37610,523471,523464,523499,382319,377373,523472,523467,523506,420188,523454,523511,523518,523505,383753,450500,376490,398873,523491,523517,394681,523500,523509,523466,465524,523470,412501,398846,392383,523481,417749,523460,523457,523490,64,63,523455,245827,5127,475321,3403,523474,523482,379391,523495,439392,2572,523512,523458,450520,13148,317248,338081,51086,405681,385801,450511,523468,461498,3899,216562,523492,3762,523501,523462,523502,69442,35446,523483,25901,11471,1203,761,762,45626,1736,10668,51485,35062,523508,158,421891,7820,402322,523469,191245,523494,523477,144409,523488,85,523480,26605,523510,523514,384566,523465,377205,523475,399808,379168,523493,402470,523504,398510,377453,74713,489817,523487,523473,523519,523503,523485,508884,523459,460256,380288,495177,424065,523496,380344,523461,466972,394546,482721,523513,523489,498260,523516,435701,523478,385355,523479,54798,385415,378969,523484,523515,523476,394378,364611,380494,523497,340526,18559,523498,523486,523456,21418,22313,523463],"class_list":["post-956224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-s-final-after","tag-37610","tag-65-seconds-it","tag-523464","tag-a-34-10-victory-a-raucous-crowd","tag-a-ball","tag-a-couple","tag-a-defiant-stare","tag-a-fairy-tale-run","tag-a-few-plays","tag-a-head-injury-assessment","tag-a-huge-loss","tag-a-jahrome-hughes-bomb","tag-a-knee-injury-toia","tag-a-length-of-the-field-kick-return","tag-a-line","tag-a-major-concern","tag-a-number","tag-a-rock","tag-a-short-pass","tag-a-sickening-leg-injury","tag-a-sign","tag-a-similar-moment","tag-a-sparkling-saturday-afternoon","tag-a-stunning-conversion","tag-a-stunning-return","tag-a-super-southerly","tag-a-superb-solo-try","tag-a-try","tag-all-sorts","tag-all-the-hard-stuff","tag-an-ankle-injury","tag-an-epic-moment","tag-an-ugly-hip-drop","tag-appalling-conditions","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-both-sets","tag-briton-nikora","tag-chicago","tag-crossland","tag-defence","tag-demitric-vaimauga","tag-double-troubleponga","tag-each-other","tag-either-australia-or-samoa","tag-either-side","tag-energy","tag-epic-moment","tag-extraordinary-try-saving-tackles","tag-fiery-winger-ronaldo-mulitalo","tag-form","tag-four-matches","tag-hats","tag-havoc","tag-his-arm","tag-his-eyes","tag-his-first-game","tag-his-left-arm","tag-his-tackle","tag-injury","tag-isaiya-katoa","tag-jojo-fifita-and","tag-kalyn-ponga","tag-kiwis-book-world-cup-final-berth","tag-kiwis-centre-casey-mclean","tag-knights-heroes-kalyn-ponga-and","tag-kodi-nikorima","tag-lehi-hopoate","tag-less-than-four-weeks","tag-magic","tag-match-report","tag-nathan-cleary","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-naufahu-whyte","tag-new-zealand","tag-newcastle","tag-next-week","tag-night","tag-no-such-issues","tag-nrl","tag-phoenix-crossland","tag-players","tag-ponga","tag-premiership-star-robert-toia","tag-problems","tag-sideways-the-kick-off","tag-skipper-james-fisher-harris","tag-slashing","tag-some-incredible-moments","tag-sports","tag-stinging-shots","tag-suspension","tag-teammate-jamayne-isaako","tag-tense-pre-game-standoff","tag-the-ages","tag-the-back-he","tag-the-ball","tag-the-best-prop","tag-the-break","tag-the-conditions","tag-the-crafty-halfback","tag-the-decider","tag-the-epic-pre-game-standoff","tag-the-evening","tag-the-field","tag-the-game","tag-the-kiwis","tag-the-left-edge-the-big-red-machine","tag-the-most-dangerous-player","tag-the-most-iconic-moments","tag-the-nrl-decider","tag-the-only-big-inclusion","tag-the-opener","tag-the-perfect-bench-option","tag-the-preliminary-final","tag-the-rain","tag-the-roosters-star","tag-the-scoreboard","tag-the-sealer-the-flashy-fullback","tag-the-second-half","tag-the-second-half-ponchos","tag-the-semi-final","tag-the-teams","tag-the-tension","tag-the-tongan-flags","tag-the-tongan-forwards-he","tag-the-tournament-opener","tag-the-two-fierce-rivals","tag-the-undertaker","tag-the-wild-conditions","tag-the-wind","tag-the-windy-citymove","tag-the-world","tag-the-world-cup-final","tag-the-year","tag-their-14-errors-whyte-frightthe-kiwis","tag-their-haka","tag-their-kicking-game","tag-their-spot","tag-this-year","tag-three-try-assists","tag-toia-storytonga","tag-tolu-koula","tag-tonga","tag-tongan-players","tag-two-big-breaks","tag-unrivalled-intensity","tag-world-cup","tag-xavier-willison","tag-your-mantle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embedd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