Punch thrown, two players sent off as Kiwis demolish Fiji
New Zealand winger Ronaldo Mulitalo could be facing a tournament-ending ban for an ugly World Cup high shot that infuriated Brandon Wakeham – so much so that Fiji’s halfback punched the Kiwi flyer in the head.
Mulitalo and Wakeham were both sent off in the 52nd minute of a game won by a rampaging New Zealand side 78-0.
Ronaldo Mulitalo is sent off. NRL Imagery
The Kiwis secured their spot in the semi-finals with the 13-tries-to-zero demolition of Fiji on the Gold Coast, in which Penrith and NSW outside back Casey McLean bagged four tries.
In spite of the lopsided scoreline, the game at Cbus Super Stadium was packed with crunching hits, spot fires and all-in melees.
Tempers exploded when Mulitalo, one of the game’s serial antagonists, burst out of the New Zealand defensive line and hit Fijian winger Ronald Philitoga high.
The Cronulla speedster hit Philitoga flush in the head with his shoulder.
He then flopped on top of him.
Wakeham, who witnessed the shoulder charge occur under his nose, took a huge swing and connected with the side of Mulitalo’s neck.
“They want a piece of him!” roared Corey Parker on Seven as a host of Fiji’s players hounded Mulitalo.
Referee Grant Atkins responded by sending off both Mulitalo and Wakeham.
Philitoga left the field for a head injury assessment and didn’t return.
Mulitalo is expected to be charged by the tournament’s match review committee on Sunday morning, placing the fiery winger’s involvement in New Zealand’s finals campaign in major doubt.
In another heated moment in the Gold Coast clash, Fijian forward Jordan Miller was sin-binned in the 78th minute for a headbutt.
Fiji’s captain Api Koroisau suffered a suspected broken jaw in the heavy loss when he clashed heads with New Zealand enforcer Joseph Tapine in the eighth minute.
