Kiwis vs Tonga Rugby League World Cup semi-final, Digi Mart USA News: The Kiwis and Tonga meet in the Rugby League World Cup semi-final on Saturday night, November 7, at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, with kickoff at 10.05pm.
The two sides have a strong connection since Jason Taumalolo decided to defect from New Zealand to represent his heritage nation, Tonga, in 2017. The Kiwis are aiming to reach their first World Cup final since 2013, while Tonga are seeking to make their first.
Kiwis hooker Jeremy Marshall-King expects a tough contest. “It’s going to be not easy,” Marshall-King said.
“We know it’s going to be a grinding game.”
He added that the team wants to build on a fast, back-and-forth style, going set for set. “I thought we’d done that against Australia and it’s just something we’ve got to be consistent at doing that,” he said.
The winner will face either Australia or Samoa in the final, with that semi-final taking place on Sunday. The match is a repeat of the last World Cup final.
Kalyn Ponga is in line for a swift return from a broken arm, having been named on the Kiwis’ extended bench in jersey No 21. He broke his left arm in his test debut against the Kangaroos in Sydney on October 15.
Hooker Phoenix Crossland is also back, listed in jersey No 22, after being called into the squad as a replacement for injured second rower Jacob Laban, who has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament.
In a forced change, Kiwis head coach Stacey Jones has selected utility Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad on the left wing to replace the suspended Ronaldo Mulitalo.
Kiwis starting lineup: 1. Keano Kini, 2.
Jamayne Isaako, 3. Dane Gagai, 4.
Casey McLean, 5. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 6.
Kodi Nikorima, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8.
James Fisher-Harris (c), 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10.
Moses Leota, 11. Isaiah Papali’i, 12.
Briton Nikora, 13. Joseph Tapine.
Interchange: 14. Te Maire Martin, 15.
Naufahu Whyte, 16. Erin Clark, 17.
Xavier Willison, 18. Scott Sorensen, 19.
Leo Thompson, 20. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 21.
Kalyn Ponga, 22. Phoenix Crossland.
Coach Kristian Woolf has named the same 19-man squad that beat Samoa 20-18 in an epic contest on Sunday. Four Tonga players have previously represented the Kiwis: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Tuimoala Lolohea, Addin Fonua-Blake and Jason Taumalolo.
Tonga starting lineup: 1. Lehi Hopoate, 2.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Tolutau Koula, 4.
Robert Toia, 5. Jojo Fifita, 6.
Tuimoala Lolohea, 7. Isaiya Katoa, 8.
Addin Fonua-Blake, 9. Salesi Foketi, 10.
Jason Taumalolo (c), 11. Haumole Olakau’atu, 12.
Siua Wong, 13. Tyson Frizell.
Interchange: 14. Soni Luke, 15.
Stefano Utoikamanu, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17.
Taniela Paseka, 18. Leka Halasima, 19.
Latu Fainu, 20. Paul Alamoti, 21.
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 22. Sione Katoa.
The match is expected to be an intense physical battle between two elite forward packs. The Kiwis’ James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota and Joseph Tapine face the experienced trio of Fonua-Blake, Taumalolo and Tyson Frizell.
The Kiwis have the edge in bench experience and skill, with Naufahu Whyte, Erin Clark and Xavier Willison providing impact.
Tonga may have the upper hand in the back five, with Tolutau Koula, Robert Toia and Jojo Fifita offering strike power and speed. Halfback Isaiya Katoa is directing the team well and playing with confidence.
The game will likely come down to which team makes the most of its opportunities.
The Kiwis finished second in Pool A with two wins and one loss. They opened with a 24-22 defeat to the Kangaroos before beating the Cook Islands 82-16 and Fiji 78-0.
Their combined 182 points were the most scored by any team during the pool stages.
Tonga had a tougher road but finished top of the combined Pool B and C standings. They beat England 30-12, Lebanon 36-0 and Samoa 20-18.
This will be the ninth meeting between the two nations, with New Zealand holding a 6-2 record. Tonga recorded their first win over the Kiwis in the tournament in 2017, 28-22, thanks to a David Fusitu’a hat-trick.
The Kiwis won the next two tests before Tonga claimed a 25-24 triumph at Mt Smart as part of the 2024 Pacific Championships.
In their most recent clash, the Kiwis won 40-14 at Eden Park, although the match was overshadowed by an incident on the sideline when Eliesa Katoa had a seizure after multiple head knocks.
The game can be watched on Sky Sport 2 and will livestream on Sky Sport Now from 9.35pm. Live updates are also available at nzherald.co.nz.
