Valentine Holmes of Australia is tackled during the 2023 Pacific Championship final between Australia Kangaroos and New Zealand Kiwis. Photo: Aaron Gillions / Photosport
Kiwis v Kangaroos
Kick-off: 6.05pm, Sunday 27 October
Apollo Projects Stadium. Christchurch
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
In what is set to be an intriguing clash, the Kiwis take on the Kangaroos in Christchurch for the first time since 1989. New Zealand will be looking to secure back to back victories over arch-rivals Australia after putting them to the sword in the Pacific Championship final last year by 30 - 0.
This time around, the Kangaroos are fielding a new look side as their aging squad was clearly no match for New Zealand last year. Coach Mel Maninga will be feeling the heat with failure basically not an option for the reigning world champions, a bad campaign could ring the end of his extremely successful coaching career.
As for the Kiwis, they have a brand new head coach at the helm this time round in the form of New Zealand icon Stacey Jones, the team he once played for. He will be flanked by another generational talent in Shaun Johnson, who has come out of possibly league's shortest ever retirement to pull on the black jersey for one more test series.
Stacey Jones Photo: Photosport
Here's a look at the teams:
Kiwis: 1. Keano Kini 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Peta Hiku 5. Will Warbrick 6. Charnze Nicole-Klokstad 7. Shaun Johnson 8. James Fisher-Harris (C) 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Griffin Neame 11. Isaiah Papali'i 12. Scott Sorensen 13. Joseph Tapine
Interchange: 14. Kodi Nikorima 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Marata Niukore 17. Jordan Riki
Kangaroos: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Xavier Coates 3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 4. Tom Trbojevic 5. Zac Lomax 6. Tom Dearden 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Patrick Carrigan 9. Harry Grant 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Angus Crichton 12. Cameron Murray 13. Issah Yeo (C)
Interchange: 14. Matt Burton 15. Mitchell Barnett 16. Reuben Cotter 17. Hudson Young
Kiwis selections
With both of the Kiwis starting halves in Dylan Brown and Dally M medal winner Jahrome Hughes missing the test series due to injury, Johnson and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad have answered the call to form a pretty haphazard halves pairing. The team also includes five international debutants: Keano Kini, former All Blacks Sevens player Will Warbrick, Phoenix Crossland, Naufahu Whyte and Jordan Riki.
William Warbrick. Photo: Joe Allison/Photosport
Kangaroos selections
The Kangaroos are fielding the same side that defeated Tonga in a tightly contested match last weekend, sticking with the halves pairing of Mitch Moses and Tom Dearden, with Matt Burton on the bench.
The last time they met
Kiwis 30 - 0 Australia
James Fisher-Harris and the Kiwis celebrate winning the Pacific Championships Cup Grand Final in 2023. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
In what was easily the Kiwis' most comprehensive victory of all time, as well as the Kangaroos' worst loss, a young and energised New Zealand side under Michael Maguire put on an absolute footy clinic in the 2023 Pacific Cup Final. Alarm bells were ringing for coach Mel Meninga amongst an ageing Australian camp, with plenty of stars from this game not being called back into the camp for 2024.
Prediction
It's often quite hard to get a read on the international game this early into the campaign, especially with both camps fielding relatively different looking sides when compared to last year. Just like when the final was played in Hamilton last year, home ground advantage could be the crucial difference in this game, with a decent amount of players in the Kangaroos squad visiting Christchurch for the first time ever.
Don't expect Australia to go down as easy as last year, if anything history shows that the complete opposite is more likely to happen. The Kiwis will need to muscle up in the middle of the park if Johnson is to be able to work some magic and write himself a proper fairytale ending.
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