Pacific Tournament: Australia, Samoa, NZ

[Exiled Wiganer]

I appreciate there is a doom scrollers’ thread already on this, but I thought it would be worth starting one about the games. 

Seeing the style and flair with which the Kiwis set about their job today, we are set up for a spell binding couple of weeks in this tournament. With the Warriors taking pride of place as every discerning Kiwis’ favourite club side, and with a World Cup likely down there.next door in 2026, these are great times for our game in those parts. Ours is a hard game, and their display today showed all the hallmarks of toughness and flair we look for from their best teams.

These next 2 weeks should be spell binding. 

[17 stone giant]

I know the Kiwis were at home, but that's a very poor result for Samoa. Were they missing some first choice players?

[Eddie]

I know we keep getting told not to talk about Union, and I’m not a fan of it whatsoever, but it’s a shame they’re apparently having a good World Cup. 

[Gomersall]

41 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

I know the Kiwis were at home, but that's a very poor result for Samoa. Were they missing some first choice players?

A few missing apparently. The tactics of continually kicking off short did them no favours as more often than not the Kiwis won the ball. The Kiwis didn’t need asking twice to pour the pressure on Samoa.

[DavidM]

The Kiwi middles and their rotation were really great , they build so much around that 

[17 stone giant]

5 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

A few missing apparently. The tactics of continually kicking off short did them no favours as more often than not the Kiwis won the ball. The Kiwis didn’t need asking twice to pour the pressure on Samoa.

It certainly sets up nicely the Kiwis v Kangaroos matches that are to come. I will be very interested to see how they go.

Do you think the Melbourne game will be played at full intensity with the best 13's starting, or do you think both teams might rest players and try out other players, given that it's now effectively a dress rehearsal for the final a week later?

 

 

 

[Futtocks]

Samoa had a few players missing and the halves were certainly not a first-choice combination. Stephen Crichton out of position at 6, partnering Parramatta's occasional first-grader Daejarn Asi.

[17 stone giant]

20 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I know we keep getting told not to talk about Union, and I’m not a fan of it whatsoever, but it’s a shame they’re apparently having a good World Cup. 

Does Barry Venison prefer league or union?

[DavidM]

7 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Samoa had a few players missing and the halves were certainly not a first-choice combination. Stephen Crichton out of position at 6, partnering Parramatta's occasional first-grader Daejarn Asi.

Stephen Crichton looking very very out of position unfortunately 

[Dave T]

32 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I know we keep getting told not to talk about Union, and I’m not a fan of it whatsoever, but it’s a shame they’re apparently having a good World Cup. 

Eddie, what on earth does that have to do with this topic??? 

[Big Picture]

37 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

A few missing apparently. The tactics of continually kicking off short did them no favours as more often than not the Kiwis won the ball. The Kiwis didn’t need asking twice to pour the pressure on Samoa.

That's an odd tactic to use any more often than once in a while.  One of the first things I noticed about RL years ago was that instead of kicking off short like in RU they kicked off long like in gridiron and that fits this game much better.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Big Picture

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Eddie, what on earth does that have to do with this topic??? 

NZ‘S Yawnion side having a good World Cup will draw attention away from their league side, which is a shame as they’re doing well and deserve attention. 

[Exiled Wiganer]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

NZ‘S Yawnion side having a good World Cup will draw attention away from their league side, which is a shame as they’re doing well and deserve attention. 

There is a cross code forum. 

The Kiwis and the Warriors are having a great year. They have their own style of play, seen to perfection at times this morning. Last year’s Roos Kiwis game was the finest game of rugby played last year. I have an inkling the Kiwis could win this tournament. Samoa have a lot of very fine players and went toe for toe with the Kangaroos for much of last week. From where I was sitting, they are some side. 

[Gomersall]

2 hours ago, Big Picture said:

That's an odd tactic to use any more often than once in a while.  One of the first things I noticed about RL years ago was that instead of kicking off short like in RU they kicked off long like in gridiron and that fits this game much better.

I understand it if the scores are close and a team might be chasing the game or as a surprise tactic but to regularly concede possession, position and points and still persevere with it is just naive at best and stupid at worst IMO.

[Archie Gordon]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

Eddie, what on earth does that have to do with this topic??? 

I read that and heard Stevo's voice. 

[Dunbar]

3 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

It certainly sets up nicely the Kiwis v Kangaroos matches that are to come. I will be very interested to see how they go.

Do you think the Melbourne game will be played at full intensity with the best 13's starting, or do you think both teams might rest players and try out other players, given that it's now effectively a dress rehearsal for the final a week later?

 

 

 

Both sides may give the wider squad a go before choosing their best 17 for the final.

But it will be a good game next week as they are top quality squads and these players want to win.

[17 stone giant]

37 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Both sides may give the wider squad a go before choosing their best 17 for the final.

But it will be a good game next week as they are top quality squads and these players want to win.

Yes, I'm looking forward to it. I love the NZ v Australia rivalry in sport.

Have added it to my calendar for 1010am on Saturday morning. Hope the people of Melbourne turn out to watch it. I'm sure they will the following week in Hamilton (that one is a trickier 0400am kick off!).

[Futtocks]

3 hours ago, Eddie said:

NZ‘S Yawnion side having a good World Cup will draw attention away from their league side, which is a shame as they’re doing well and deserve attention. 

The All Blacks have been bumping their heads against a ceiling of public attention back home for a while now. After this, anything but a routine hammering of the usual opposition (now the Saffers have abandoned Super Rugby) is very bad news indeed.

The Warriors and Kiwis are (belatedly) growing their brand and aren't anywhere near as big as they can be, with or without a good NZ showing in the RUWC.

[Futtocks]

Catching up on some of the early morning action via WatchNRL. A great effort by the Cook Islands men against a Fiji side that had to work harder than expected for their narrow win.

Now watching the PNG v Cook Islands women's match.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I know this thread was restricted to the 3 teams, and the men’s tournament, but I would like to highlight how important the Orchids are to the game over in PNG. They are fantastic national role models. 

[Damien]

I could watch matches in PNG all day long. They are just always great to watch.

[Exiled Wiganer]

NZ now have the chance to stake their claim yet again to be the team to beat Australia in a tournament, and they look good enough to do it. Bearing in mind how close they got in that glorious World Cup semi last year, and that they will play the final in their home nation, these next 2 games will be huge. They have made it clear they want to host future World Cups - with the Warriors going from strength to strength, this feels like their time. 

[Gomersall]

11 minutes ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

this feels like their time. 

So expect RL to stuff it up, AGAIN.

[Exiled Wiganer]

36 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

So expect RL to stuff it up, AGAIN.

I don’t. There is an air of reality, and understanding of the potential, across the major international nations, that has been hard earned. After the last World Cup, we had a range of options as a game, and the strategy - if it can be called that - is unapologetically to engineer opportunities for the best international teams to focus on playing each other, year in and year out. This has coincided with a world in which we have 11/12 nations who either have pro clubs or competitive teams. That we have a mouth watering series in the NH while the 2 strongest international rugby sides prepare to play each other back to back over the next 2 weekends. 

The SH market is different from ours - we love RL and embrace it internationally over and over again, whereas Down Under they understand the game so well they won’t be enthusiastic about exile teams like Italy (with respect to the amateurs who fly the flag locally). But they know quality when they see it - and this Kiwi team is quality. 

Meanwhile, back to Tonga v England!

[Futtocks]

This coming Saturday looks epic - Jillaroos v Silver Ferns, Kangaroos v Kiwis and England v Tonga.

This calls for a stock-up of top-notch snacks and booze!