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Kiwi vs Samoa, Pacific Cup Final 2025

I

Izz

First Grade
Messages
5,071
Should be a cracker. Samoa well up for it and will have majority support in the stands
 
Matua

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,174
Philip_Smith007 said:
Teams to come out today.

Looked at tickets and not a whole lot left if all areas are actually release.
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My mates and I had a choice between $95 gold between the 30m and the goal line, or $45 on the angle. Went for the $45 on the angle as that's where we sat for the Maori game and you get a pretty good view. Now I have $40 to spend on food.

Now I just hope Commbank enforces their no vaping rules.
 
Thatwasnthighref

Thatwasnthighref

Juniors
Messages
1,770
Matua said:
My mates and I had a choice between $95 gold between the 30m and the goal line, or $45 on the angle. Went for the $45 on the angle as that's where we sat for the Maori game and you get a pretty good view. Now I have $40 to spend on food.

Now I just hope Commbank enforces their no vaping rules.
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Enjoy bro! I hear CommBank is a great stadium to catch a game and hopefully all the boys put on a good show to match the occasion…
 
Thatwasnthighref

Thatwasnthighref

Juniors
Messages
1,770
Team lists in…

Kiwis unchanged from last week with Kini at fullback and CNK at centre.

Nanai out for Samoa due to a shoulder injury but Sua slots back in. Jazz named at 9 but will likely drop back to the bench with Ioelu starting.

IMG_6532.jpeg
 
Matua

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,174
Thatwasnthighref said:
Enjoy bro! I hear CommBank is a great stadium to catch a game and hopefully all the boys put on a good show to match the occasion…
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Cheers. Yeah it's a great stadium to watch games at.

Thatwasnthighref said:
Just noticed Karipani named amongst Kiwi reserves as well.

With respect to CNK, I think the team would’ve been stronger with McLean at centre where he troubled Tago a few weeks ago, and Karipani brought on to the wing.
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TBF, I think the trade off is if McLean is at centre and a wing comes in then that means CNK is at fullback, and we're better off with Kini there even if it means CNK is at centre.
 
Manu Vatuvei

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
17,942
I actually like CNK and think he's had a much better year than people make out (AT FULLBACK), but he tends to go missing when playing centre and athletically he's a handbrake compare to McLean.
 
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Manu Vatuvei

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
17,942
The teams on paper are very evenly matched, although I said the same about Tonga...

We have the edge in the forwards but not by much...both packs are almost a mirror image, each effectively starting with 3 props and each with 2 outstanding middles on the bench. Theirs are very good but I wouldn't take any middle rotation on the planet over ours. They do have Haas though.

Halves pretty even, Luai/Brown are well matched and then it's a guy a bit past his best and a guy not quite at his in Foran/Talagi.

On name value they have the better back 5 imo...but our guys have done the job so far and Kini and McLean are major youth and X-Factor. Both sets of centres potentially have issues on defence, if McLean plays centre then we can certainly make inroads via him and Timoko while maybe letting a few in too.
 
Thatwasnthighref

Thatwasnthighref

Juniors
Messages
1,770
Manu Vatuvei said:
The teams on paper are very evenly matched, although I said the same about Tonga...

We have the edge in the forwards but not by much...both packs are almost a mirror image, each effectively starting with 3 props and each with 2 outstanding middles on the bench. Theirs are very good but I wouldn't take any middle rotation on the planet over ours. They do have Haas though.

Halves pretty even, Luai/Brown are well matched and then it's a guy a bit past his best and a guy not quite at his in Foran/Talagi.

On name value they have the better back 5 imo...but our guys have done the job so far and Kini and McLean are major youth and X-Factor. Both sets of centres potentially have issues on defence, if McLean plays centre then we can certainly make inroads via him and Timoko while maybe letting a few in too.
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Yea agree starting middles line up well match up pretty well, especially with the T-1000 balancing the scales.

But IMO the Kiwi bench middles are comfortably better. Best in the world right now, and by some margin I reckon.

All 3 were ridiculously good v Tonga, not just impressive numbers but aggressive, fast, high impact stuff. Facing that pack must've been like bowling to the Aussie test team in the early 00's... just never fking ending.

For Samoa, Papalii was good off the bench v Tonga and Jazz his usual aggressive self… but I’m really not a fan of Terrell May at this level. I don’t think his medium intensity/extended effort style suits test footy, and Samoa could be vulnerable once the benches start rolling on.
 
Manu Vatuvei

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
17,942
Thatwasnthighref said:
Yea agree starting middles line up well match up pretty well, especially with the T-1000 balancing the scales.

But IMO the Kiwi bench middles are comfortably better. Best in the world right now, and by some margin I reckon.

All 3 were ridiculously good v Tonga, not just impressive numbers but aggressive, fast, high impact stuff. Facing that pack must've been like bowling to the Aussie test team in the early 00's... just never fking ending.

For Samoa, Papalii was good off the bench v Tonga and Jazz his usual aggressive self… but I’m really not a fan of Terrell May at this level. I don’t think his medium intensity/extended effort style suits test footy, and Samoa could be vulnerable once the benches start rolling on.
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Very fair comments. I forget to mention the extra size we have as effectively I think Jazz is an extra bench forward for them while we have Willison.

May and Papali'i are good names on paper and I rate both of them, but yeah May is more a workhorse and Papa is not as explosive as he was 5 years ago. Whyte and Clark on the other hand are absolute weapons.
 
Thatwasnthighref

Thatwasnthighref

Juniors
Messages
1,770
Manu Vatuvei said:
Very fair comments. I forget to mention the extra size we have as effectively I think Jazz is an extra bench forward for them while we have Willison.

May and Papali'i are good names on paper and I rate both of them, but yeah May is more a workhorse and Papa is not as explosive as he was 5 years ago. Whyte and Clark on the other hand are absolute weapons.
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Yea man, Whyte especially... ran for more meters and made more tackle breaks on his own v Tonga, than the 3 Samoan middles combined. Monstrous effort.

Was a good move by Gardiner shifting Papa to the bench after game #1, he's much better off there with a short, sharp stint. But they're all in for a tough afternoon. Haas only played 45-ish mins v Tonga, akin to a smash and grab job for him; may have to put in a much longer shift this week.
 
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