Pacific Championships: Kiwis plan to silence MMT fans

Auckland is set to turn red this weekend when the Tongan rugby league side take on New Zealand at Go Media Stadium.

For the third time in five years, Tonga XIII - also known as Mate Ma'a Tonga (MMT) - and the New Zealand Kiwis meet on Saturday in round three of the Pacific Championships.

Jason Taumalolo meets MMT fans in Auckland. Photo/RNZ Pacific

Both Mate Ma'a Tonga and the New Zealand Kiwis will want to avoid the relegation playoff as the loser of this international blockbuster will face the winner of the Bowl competition - favourites Papua New Guinea Kumuls, Fiji Bati, or the Cook Islands Aitu Kukis.

The winner of the MMT-Kiwis match will also face world champions Australian Kangaroos in the final of the Cup competition in Sydney on 10 November.

Both Tonga and NZ have failed against the Kangaroos - MMT in round one in Brisbane, 18-0, and the Kiwis in Christchurch last week, 22-10.

Thousands of fans have descended on Tāmaki Makaurau with the Tongans expected to come out in full force to cheer their team against Stacey Jones' Kiwis.

But Jones says they are prepared to be confronted with the sea of red on Saturday and will not be fazed by the Tongan fans.

The intense rivalry between the two teams developed after Tonga stunned the Kiwis, 28-22, in their Rugby League World Cup clash in Hamilton in 2017.

New Zealand avenged that loss when they met again in Auckland in June 2019, outplaying Tonga 34-14. The Kiwis continued their dominance over MMT in June 2022 winning 26-6 in front of more than 21,000 fans.

Saturday's third edition will see New Zealand defend their Pacific Cup title after shocking the Australians 30-0 in Hamilton in November last year.

Both sides have made key changes for Saturday's test with Tongan coach Kristian Woolf adding NRL Roosters' rookie Siua Wong to the bench in place of Keaon Koloamatangi, who has left the squad to be with his partner, who is due to give birth.

It will be Wong's second Test appearance for the MMT after debuting against England in Leeds last year.

Woolf says the rest of the squad remains the same that lost to the Kangaroos in Brisbane. Tolu Koula has been named as the 18th man.

He says Tonga's strength lies in their forwards led by Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo, and Haumole Olakau'atu, but adds the battle in the midfield will determine Saturday's outcome.

Woolf says while he's proud of the team's efforts against the Australians a week ago, "our execution on a few plays just let us down".

"I thought we played really well and we played with a great spirit and we played with a great desire to try and put ourselves in a position to win the game against the number one ranked team in the world," he told PMN Tonga's John Pulu.

"If you look at test match traditionally, big test matches and big games, and even when we were good enough to win, they're always tight, they're always very low scoring and very attritional and I thought we came with a great attitude there to win that type of game and at the end of the day, our execution on a few plays just let us down a little bit.

"We kicked out on the full twice which put us under pressure. We had them four, seven tackle sets and again that put us under a lot of pressure and meant that we had to do a lot of work defensively and we had some really good opportunities there.

Kiwis playmaker Shaun Johnson at the fan day in Auckland on Wednesday. Photo/RNZ Pacific

"We had an opportunity early in the game where our pass just went a little bit behind Daniel Tupou that I think was a great scoring opportunity and we had a couple of opportunities late with early kicks, one for Haumole Olakau'atu, one for Eliesa Katoa and one for Keaon Koloamatangi and two of those went too long and one we didn't quite ground properly.

"So, if we find points on any of those occasions, I think our tails go up and we put a little bit more pressure on the opposition and we're possibly looking at a little bit of a different finish. That's our learnings for the next game."

For the Kiwis, five members of the team from the 2022 victory - including forwards James Fisher-Harris and Joseph Tapine - impressed against the Kangaroos last Sunday and are expected to help Jones get his first win as head coach.

Jones has also stuck with the same starting 13 from last week - the only change on the bench from Newcastle's Leo Thompson back from a suspension he copped in week one of the NRL finals.

Last week's debutant, Jordan Riki, has made way for Thompson's return while Erin Clark is back as the 18th man.

Saturday's match kicks off at 8.05pm. Go Media Stadium will also host the women's Bowl final - Fiji Bulikula v Fetu Sāmoa at 5.35pm.

In other men's games this weekend, Bowl - PNG v Cook Islands, Santos Stadium, Port Moresby, Sunday 6pm (NZ time).

Women's Cup: Sunday - PNG v NZ, Santos Stadium, Port Moresby 2:55pm.

MMT: Backs - Lehi Hopoate, Daniel Tupou, Mosese Suli, Paul Alamoti, Sione Katoa, Tuimoala Lolohea, Isaiya Katoa. Forwards - Addin Fonua-Blake, Siliva Havili, Felise Kaufusi, Haumole Olakau'atu, Eliesa Katoa, Jason Taumalolo. Interchange - Soni Luke, Sitili Tupouniua, Taniela Paseka, Siua Wong. Reserves - Tolutau Koula, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Isaiah Iongi, Keaon Koloamatangi. Ins - Iongi, Finefeuiaki, Wong.

Kiwis: Backs - Keano Kini, Jamayne Isaako, Matthew Timoko, Peta Hiku, Will Warbrick, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Shaun Johnson. Forwards - James Fisher-Harris, Phoenix Crossland, Joseph Tapine, Isaiah Papali'i, Scott Sorensen, Naufahu Whyte. Interchange - Kodi Nikorima, Griffin Neame, Marata Niukore, Leo Thompson. Reserves - Erin Clark, Jordan Riki, Casey McLean, Trent Toelau. Ins - McLean, Thompson, Toelau.