The Kiwis celebrate an early try against Samoa. Photo / Photosport
It feels like the Stacey Jones tenure as Kiwis coach is officially under way, off the back of Sunday’s epic 24-18 win over Samoa.
It was a brute of a game and a massive victory, the importance of which cannot be underestimated. Jones has been in charge since last season, but that Pacific Championships campaign never really got any momentum.
There was the slew of injuries and withdrawals before the tournament, which made for a tough selection process, before Kiwis were edged by the Kangaroos in Christchurch. That set up a winner-takes-all clash in Auckland against Tonga, with the Pacific nation prevailing by a single point in a crazy contest that came down to the final play. That knocked the stuffing out of the Kiwis, who missed the final and were left with a promotion-relegation playoff with Papua New Guinea.
Now they are on the front foot, ahead of a clash with Tonga at Eden Park in two weeks.
“Obviously we’re really happy, to get the campaign under way like that,” said Jones. “Against a really good team, a physical team, a skilful team. [It’s] a bit of relief for us, obviously off the back of last year, not getting any momentum early. [Sunday] was something we can celebrate – a really good game of footy.”
Though the Kiwis scored some eye-catching tries – particularly Casey McLean’s second and Dylan Brown’s late match-sealer – the victory was built on relentless defence. After the New Zealand side dominated the first half, taking a 16-12 lead, Samoa came back strongly in the second, while the Kiwis lost their shape and were forced into errors and conceding penalties. That meant long periods defending their line but they barely faltered, despite incessant pressure and a wall of noise against them.
“The boys just turned up for each other,” said Jones. “Samoa created a lot of opportunities, but we moved well for each other. These boys had each other’s back because we couldn’t build any pressure in that second half.”
Overall, Jones was thrilled with the commitment, if not the precision at times. But the Kiwis also looked sharp with their ball movement and energy to score four tries. The tone was set in the first 10 minutes – as they physically dominated – determined to avoid a repeat of last year, when Tonga got the jump early and rode the momentum.
That also helped the New Zealand support – probably a third of the 21,000-strong crowd – find their voice, before the Samoan cacophony reached new heights in the second half. Both teams had casualties in the brutal contest. Kiwis hooker Jeremy Marshall-King didn’t return after his first stint and will await scans on an injured thumb, while Ronaldo Mulitalo limped through the latter stages before being replaced in the 74th minute. Samoa lost three players to HIAs, including Jazz Tevaga.
Kiwis fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad endured a harsh evening, with a couple of prominent errors and a painful collision, though he returned after his HIA. His mistake, as he fell after trying to prevent a 40-20, which was reminiscent of Billy Slater during the 2008 World Cup final, was unfortunate – but Jones pointed out the fullback was also let down by his teammates, as Samoa swooped on the ball with Nicoll-Klokstad prone on the ground.
“We needed players to be back there,” said Jones. “We had players that clocked off and that shouldn’t happen.”
Nicoll-Klokstad did well to rebound mentally, being firm under the high ball after that and part of the strong defensive umbrella. But the foundation for the result was built upfront, with Moses Leota, Naufahu Whyte and Joseph Tapine prominent among an impressive pack, while Isaiah Papali’i got through a team-high 44 tackles.
“[They are] world-class forward packs, both teams,” said Jones. “That’s why the contest was like that, because that’s where the game is won and lost.”
Samoa coach Ben Gardiner was pleased with the effort from his team on a high-octane night – and the way they improved during the match – but rued the inability to convert a number of chances.
“The ball was in play for nearly 63 minutes, which is huge for any match, [let alone] a test match where a number of guys hadn’t played for a number of weeks,” said Gardiner. “So the braveness and the courage from the team was unbelievable, to be able to stay at it. Once we got into the second half we really put our best foot forward. There’s a lot of lessons to take away from it to improve, but it’s still pretty disappointing that we didn’t get the result.”
Samoa face Tonga in Brisbane on Sunday (6pm NZT) before the Kiwis reconvene to play Tonga in Auckland on November 2 (6pm). The Pacific Championships final is in Sydney on November 9.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.