Kiwis win big against Cook Islands

A rousing Test debut by Tanner Stowers-Smith and a record 38-point haul from Jamayne Isaako has powered the Kiwis to a 82-16 victory over Cook Islands in Christchurch.

Coming off a narrow loss to Australia in their tournament opener the Kiwis were keen to get their campaign back on track and they did that with a 14-tries-to-three romp.

Stowers-Smith entered the field around the half-hour mark and needed just five minutes to make his mark when he powered over from close range after taking a pass from crafty No.9 Jeremy Marshall-King.

The 22-year-old Warrior was in again in the 50th minute when he proved too strong for the tiring Aitu defence.

Player of the match Casey McLean also helped himself to a double, taking his career tally to 11 tries in just six Tests, while Ronaldo Mulitalo also crossed twice and Isaako snared a hat-trick.

The Kiwis didn't have it all their own way in the first half as an Esom Ioka hat-trick had Cook Islands daring to dream.

After Isaako and Mulitalo had scored early, Ioka picked off an intercept on his own 10m line and went the distance to put the Aitu on the board.

Five minutes later he had a second courtesy of a pinpoint crossfield kick from veteran playmaker Brad Takairangi before another intercept try had Cook Islands ahead 16-12 after 20 minutes.

Isaako made it a double in the 24th minute when he got around the outside of Cameron Brown and crawled over in the corner before converting from wide out to give the Kiwis the lead at 18-16.

Some sweet ball-play from Kodi Nikorima to put Scott Sorensen over on the left edge saw the Kiwis extend their lead to 24-16 before Stowers-Smith got his first.

With half-time approaching McLean finished off a brilliant move started by Erin Clark with a deft offload for Keano Kini before Kodi Nikorima also played his part.

The Kiwis made the ideal start to the second term when Kini burst through a poor attempted tackle by Maui Winitana-Patelesio and dotted down to make it 42-16 after Isaako's seventh successful conversion.

Stowers-Smith completed his double in the 50th minute before Nikorima outpointed Val Holmes in the air and scooted away for the Kiwis' ninth try.

Next to hit the scoreboard were McLean in the 59th minute and Mulitalo in the 65th minute before Isaako completed his hat-trick five minutes from full-time and banged over the conversion to give him 38 points, eclipsing the previous Kiwis record of 32 points set by Tasesa Lavea against Cook Islands in 2000.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad rounded out the scoring in the 79th minute as the Kiwis fine-tuned their game ahead of a Round 3 clash with Fiji on the Gold Coast.

Cook Islands will head to Townsville to take on defending champions Australia as they look to finish their tournament on a high.