Mils Muliaina: Fiji lead Pacific rugby while Sāmoa rebuilds

Mils Muliaina, a former All Black centurion and Sky Sport commentator, says the Pacific teams are ending the year in three very different places, with Fiji surging on the back of structure and consistency and Sāmoa relieved to have scraped into the 2027 Rugby World Cup but facing a major reset.

The final weekend of the international fixtures approaches across Europe. The All Blacks will close their tour against Wales at 4.10am (NZT) on Sunday in Cardiff, marking their last chance to stabilise a campaign that ended their Grand Slam bid the previous week.

Speaking with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Muliaina, one of the most capped All Black backs ever, says it’s been a big week given New Zealand’s loss to England in Twickenham.

“It's probably the way they lost that’s more disappointing. But now there’s wholesale changes and opportunities for a lot of players that haven't played a lot of games. I don't think with the calibre of players we've got there that we're going to lose. I'm just expecting them to sort of really rise to their potential,” Muliaina says.

For their upcoming test against Wales, the All Blacks have made major changes to the lineup, with 13 alterations from the England match. Damian McKenzie will start at first five-eighth and Ruben Love will take on the fullback role for his fifth cap.

Anton Lienert-Brown starts at second five-eighth, and Rieko Ioane returns to centre after missing earlier matches on the tour. Caleb Clarke has recovered from an ankle injury and will start on the left wing, while Will Jordan shifts to the right wing.

In the forward pack, Tamaiti Williams, Samisoni Taukei’aho, and Pasilio Tosi will form the starting front row, Fabian Holland returns from illness to partner Scott Barrett at lock, and Simon Parker is the only forward retained from last week, joined by Du’Plessis Kirifi and Wallace Sititi in the loose trio.

“There's a lot of great players in this team, and it's exciting that we've got so much depth. On the other hand, Wales, although they won their first game they'll be wanting to sort of step things up. It’s always nice when you go to Cardiff and play in what is a wonderful stadium. So I'm looking forward to the response from the All Blacks after last week's defeat,” Muliaina says.

Fiji finish their northern tour on Sunday in Málaga, facing Spain in the last of their three European tests. The match is part of Fiji’s preparation for the Rugby World Cup 2027 seedings, which will be finalised in early December.

Listen to Mils Muliaina’s full interview below.

Muliaina says Fiji have emerged as the most complete Pacific side this year, praising their structure, coaching, and consistency. He is confident that they will secure a victory against Spain.

“The Fijians are no doubt our strongest of the Pasifika sides at the moment. Their set-up's really good, they’ve got a good coaching staff. I don't think they'll have any issues against Spain. They've got some great players out wide. So it's the Fijians for me and hopefully they can get up and finish the season off on a very high note.”

Sāmoa recently secured their place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup after a 13-13 draw with Belgium in their final qualifying match in Dubai. The result ensured Sāmoa’s 10th consecutive World Cup appearance, making them the 24th and final team to qualify for the tournament in Australia.

Muliaina says Sāmoa are relieved to have qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and now need a major reset after an inconsistent campaign that saw players prioritising commitments in the National Provincial Championship (NPC).

“On the positive note, they've got themselves into the Rugby World Cup. They've got a couple of years to sort out the back end and get some of those players up to speed. The pleasing thing also for rugby in general, particularly in the Pacific Islands, has been [an increase in] resources over the years.”

Meanwhile, Tonga play Scotland at 2.30am (NZT) on Monday at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, rounding off a tour aimed at rebuilding team combinations and assessing depth ahead of their next competitive cycle. The weekend also includes other major fixtures that will shape the global rankings.

South Africa will meet Ireland in Dublin in one of the high-profile tests of the window, while Australia face France in Paris, looking to avoid a winless European tour for the first time since 1958.