NRL Premiership winner and Penrith Panthers’ winger Sunia Turuva scored a late try in the dying stages of the game to help the Vodafone Fiji Bati beat the Cook Islands 22-18 in their Pacific Championships clash in Port Moresby.
Down 18-16 with six minutes to play, Turuva took on the defence by himself scoring a solo try to help his side as an upset was looming.
Fiji scored four tries through Maika Sivo, Jahream Bula, Waqa Blake and Turuva while Brayden Wakeham converted 3 of them.
The Cook Islands led 6-4 at halftime after a tightly contested first half.
Coach Wise Kativerata says it is a great win for him especially heading to Papua New Guinea with the team for the first time as a coach.
Kativerata says they now need to try and bring the energy this weekend when they play the PNG Kumuls.
He says they have got a young squad and this game will help them a lot.
The Fiji Bati will take on the PNG Kumuls at 5pm Sunday to fight for a place in the Pacific Bowl Final next month.
