Manusina XV secured a 50–5 win over Lofa XV in Round 2 of the Oceania Rugby Women’s XV Championship in what was a fiercely contested clash in the first 40 minutes at Churchill Park.
Tonga brought physicality and intensity early on, particularly in a competitive first half that tested Samoa across the park.
However, Manusina XV’s patience and structure proved decisive, as they pulled away in the second half to secure the result.
Samoa’s points came through a well-rounded team effort, with tries to M. Nikolao, F. Nonutunu (2), T. Boysen-Auimatagi, I. Talia, H. Va’atau, T. Pati-Ah Cheung and O. Nana-Iafeta, alongside conversions from H. Va’atau and I. Talia .
Tonga’s sole try came through L. Vivili. Despite the final margin, Lofa XV showed resilience building on their experience in the opening round.
Tonga captain Pritney Tuiaki acknowledged the effort and progress of her side following the match.
“It was a tough game but we were able to finish. We went back after our loss last week and tried to reset, restart, and came back a little stronger and a little harder.”
Manusina XV captain Utumalama Atonio praised her team’s composure, particularly after a challenging first half.
“I couldn't be prouder of my girls for taking out the win. Tonga really gave it to us, especially in that first half.
The main message for us was just to be patient, play our game, play Manusina rugby and just be patient. We were rushing in that first half a bit, so that was a big one for our second half.”
Looking ahead, Atonio also turned her attention to the next challenge.
“It’s always exciting to play Fiji in Fiji. It’s always going to be an occasion and yeah, looking forward to it.”
The competition now moves to Round 3, where Manusina XV will face Fijiana XV in Ba on Saturday, 25 April at 3:30pm.
Fans can catch the action live on the Vodafone Play App in Fiji, FBC Sports, or via RugbyPass internationally, as the Oceania Women’s Championship continues to build momentum.
