The New Zealand Kiwis have booked their spot in the Pacific Championships final against Toa Samoa with a dominant 40-14 win over Mate Ma'a Tonga at Eden Park.
After losing to the Pacific Islanders by one point last year, the home side turned on a powerful display to score seven tries, including a double for five-eighth Dylan Brown, with five of them converted by winger Jamayne Isaako.
Needing to win by 18 points to reach the championship final, the star-studded Tonga brought their physicality to the initial exchanges.
The Kiwis were forced to shuffle their backline after winger Sebastian Kris was ruled out with injury before kick-off. Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad moved to centre, replaced by Keano Kini at the back, with Casey McLean shifted out wide.
They had the first real chance to score, when Isaako broke up field and sent veteran halfback Kieran Foran racing clear, but the pass was ruled forward.
With their next possession, McLean dashed down the left sideline and found Kini with an inside pass to score from near their own goal-line.
From the kick-off, Tonga began standing off tackles and then couldn't secure Foran's chip near their line, as second-rower Isaiah Papali'i plunged over, but referee Ashley Klein ruled a knock-on in the kick contest.
The Kiwis began to dominate possession and Brown sliced through the defence to score their second try from close range.
Isaako set up the next, when he charged down the right again, and Brown kicked left for McLean to gather and reach out for the tryline.
The Tongans were struggling to get their hands on the ball, but they needed to score next to stay in the contest.
When Isaiya Katoa put a goal-line dropout over the sideline, the Kiwis had another chance to add to their advantage and centre Matthew Timoko obliged.
With halftime looming, Tonga found the scoreboard after Kiwis second-rower Erin Clark was sin-binned for lying on the ruck too long. Katoa slotted the penalty and the Kiwis faced 10 minutes short-handed to start the second half.
Ahead 24-2, the home side burnt off some valuable seconds, after Naufahu Whyte burst to within a few metres of the tryline and Tonga were penalised for offside. Isaako found the posts to restore the four-converted-tries margin and edge closer to Clark's return.
Tonga finally broke through for a try, when their rivals knocked on in midfield and NZ Warriors second-rower Demitric Vaimauga rumbled over next to the uprights.
Their new-found momentum was handed straight back, when they allowed the kickoff to bounce dead. Camped on the line, the Kiwis enjoyed repeat sets, before Nicoll-Klokstad barged over for the try.
Papali'i was again denied, when he was held up over the line, but then laid on a second try for Brown, who chased a deflected pass to score.
Utility Te Maire Martin entered the contest and put hooker Phoenix Crossland across, but the Tonga fans that packed the stadium had something more to celebrate when winger Daniel Tupou dived over in the corner.
New Zealand will now face Toa Samoa in the championship final at Sydney next Sunday.
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