PNG 14-6 Ireland: Kumuls snatch late victory
By Ben Proe
Last Updated: 05/11/17 11:07am
A late Watson Boas try broke Irish hearts as PNG eventually won 14-6 to close in on top spot in Group C, and a likely quarter-final date with England.
In a compelling, if scrappy, contest in Port Moresby, the Wolfhounds hit the front inside five minutes through Michael McIlorum but, roared on by a second consecutive 14,800 sell-out crowd, two tries in 10 minutes either side of the 20-minute mark, from Garry Lo and Nene MacDonald, gave the Kumuls an 8-6 lead at the interval.
Playing into the teeth of a biting wind after the break, Mark Aston's men would have conceded again on the hour but for a huge hit on Stanton Albert by Oliver Roberts - and were agonisingly close to going ahead with 10 to go - Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook inches away from grounding a Liam Finn grubber.
Instead, with three minutes left, Boas swooped on a loose dummy-half pass from Tyrone McCarthy to race 30 metres for the decider; Ireland and Wales now go head to head in Perth next Sunday.
