Best of both worlds: Blockbuster weekend of rugby league looms large

It’s the Test match eight years in the making that traditionalists hope will resurrect one of rugby league’s greatest rivalries.

Yet as fans in both hemispheres impatiently count down the days to the blockbuster Ashes-series opener between Australia and England at iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, it could be argued that it’s not even the main event for this weekend.

On the other side of the planet, Samoa and Tonga will do battle on Sunday in round two of the Pacific Championships at Suncorp Stadium, in a clash that is likely to provide further evidence of the new world order that is rapidly evolving.

The Ashes might have a heritage dating back 117 years, but rugby league’s hopes of growing and eventually thriving as a global game are reliant on its Oceania nations. And the progress they are making was highlighted when New Zealand pipped Samoa 24-18 at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday in a brutal, bruising campaign opener.

“We’ve got a lot of blood and a lot of stitches ... you wouldn’t expect anything else,” Samoa coach Ben Gardiner said after a contest that captured the imagination, from the pre-match war dances until the full-time siren.

“The players are putting their bodies on the line for their country.”

Proud as Gardiner was of his players’ courage, the result left frustrated Samoans pondering a sorry statistic. In 18 Tests against tier-one nations, they have managed a solitary victory.

That came in 2022, when they upset England 27-26 in the World Cup semi-finals, before suffering a 30-10 defeat against Australia in the decider.

Their record against Australia (0-5), New Zealand (0-6) and England (1-7) highlights the size of the challenge facing Samoa.

They’re not the real deal yet, but their narrow loss to the Kiwis on Sunday, and the sheer talent of players at their disposal, hints at an emerging juggernaut.

Consider, for starters, the household names on Samoa’s team sheet. The likes of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Brian To’o, Jarome Luai, Junior Paulo, Josh Papalii and recruit Payne Haas are world-class, proven performers.

And don’t forget that two regulars, Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu, are unavailable.

Likewise, Tonga’s squad is stacked with elite NRL talent, headed by Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo, Isaiya Katoa, Stefano Utoikamanu and Daniel Tupou.

No longer are these two teams minnows, featuring a handful of NRL players, supplemented by reserve-graders.

In contrast to Samoa, Tonga have enjoyed breakthrough triumphs against Australia and New Zealand.

In 2019, they stunned the Kangaroos 16-12 in Auckland, and twice they have upset the Kiwis, at the 2017 World Cup (28-22) and in last year’s Pacific Championships (25-24).

In head-to-head meetings, Samoa and Tonga could hardly have been more evenly matched.

The two island nations have met in 21 Tests, for 10 wins apiece and one draw. It goes without saying that bragging rights will be up for grabs on Sunday.

For Samoa, a win is crucial to their hopes of reaching the Pacific Championships final. It’s do or die for the rest of the tournament.

Gardiner said there were “a lot of lessons to take away” from Sunday’s loss to the Kiwis, admitting his players were rusty after time off at the end of the NRL season.

“It’s a team game,” he said. “For you to be able to compete in Test matches, your team has to perform well. I thought that we did that for periods throughout the game ... and then we were off for periods and we lost concentration.”

Samoa co-captain Junior Paulo said his teammates were unanimous in the belief that “almost winning” was not good enough.

“It’s about what’s our next role from here,” Paulo said. “How do we get better? How do we ice those moments? One thing that’s on our side is we’ve got a bit of chemistry now.”

All of which augurs well for a classic contest on Sunday, in front of a heaving Suncorp Stadium crowd.

But before Samoa and Tonga get it on, fans will be able to tune into England hosting the Kangaroos, which kicks off at 12.30am (AEDT) on Sunday.

The two Ashes combatants haven’t met since the World Cup final of 2017, when Australia beat a Wayne Bennett-coached England 6-0 to clinch the title.

It’s been so long between drinks that not one member of Kevin Walters’ Kangaroos squad has played in a Test against the Poms.

Aficionados of international rugby league can only hope that the three-Test series - to be played at Wembley, Everton and Headingley - restores the England-Australia rivalry to the prominence it enjoyed for so many decades.

After the Lions and Kangaroos strive to reignite the Ashes, Samoa and Tonga will proceed straight to the fire and brimstone.

All fans need to do is sit back and savour the best of both worlds.

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