Kiwis show promise despite loss to Kangaroos ahead of crucial match against Tonga

The Kiwis will have to defend their Pacific Championship title the hard way. After a hard-fought 22-10 loss to the Kangaroos on Sunday, a win against Tonga next weekend is imperative to make the final in Sydney. But there are plenty of reasons for confidence, given this performance against Australia, in front of a sellout crowd in Christchurch .

The Kiwis were considerable underdogs – missing 10 players from last year’s epic 30-0 triumph in Hamilton – but it didn’t really show..