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This week, tough Tongan player Samipeni Finau will play with the Chiefs.
photo: Chiefs
Players of Pacific Island descent make up more than a quarter (26%) of players signed by Super Rugby Pacific teams.
New Zealand Rugby’s Pacific Islands Strategy said it reflected the importance of island players, or those with Pacific Island connections, to the overall success of the game.
New Zealand’s Blues have the highest proportion of Pacific Island players, with 38 per cent coming from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
The Hurricanes shot 29% while the Chiefs shot 26%.
As a result, all four teams competing in the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals this weekend will have players with links to the islands.
Although injured captain Patrick Tuipulotu will miss Friday night’s clash at Eden Park, the Auckland Blues have fielded 10 Pacific Islander players in the Round 23 clash.
Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Akira Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu lead the forward line-up while Caleb Clarke, AJ Lam, Rieko Ioane, Mark Tele’a, Joshua Fusitu’a, Angus Ta’avao and Taufa Funaki will all feature from the bench against the Brumbies.
Captain Allan Alaalatoa and Rob Valetini will be the only forwards in the Australian team, with Noah Lolesio, Tamati Tua, Len Ikitau and Sosefo Kautai being other players linked with the Islanders.
The Hurricanes take on the Chiefs at Sky Arena on Saturday, with both teams featuring a host of Pacific Islander players.
The Hurricanes have Asafo Omuah, Isaiah Walker-Lewell, Peter Lakay, Brayden Isher, Salesi Layasi, Tevita Mafileo, Pacilio Tosi and Du Plessis Kirifi.
All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho and winger Emoni Narawa opened the scoring for the Pacific Island nations in Chiefs’ round 23 match.
They also include Jimmy Tupou, Tupou Vaa’i, Samipeni Finau, Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Quinn Tupaea.
All four teams will be chasing victory, with the new Super Rugby champions having been determined after the defending champions Crusaders failed to qualify for the final.
The Blues fielded a number of Pacific Islander players in their matchday 23 match against the Brumbies.
photo: Bruce
Blues focus on defending home turf
The campaign kicks off in Auckland, with the Blues taking on the Australian Capital Territory Broncos at Eden Park.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7.05pm NZT.
It was a rematch of the 2022 semifinal, when the Blues narrowly won by one point after Noah Lolesio’s drop kick was blocked.
The Blues thrashed Broom 46-7 at the famous ground earlier this year, in what was probably the worst performance by the Stephen Rackham-coached side in the series.
They are unbeaten at home this year, winning eight of eight games, including two wins over Fiji Drua, Crusaders, Western Force, Hurricanes, Highlanders and Chiefs.
The Blues made one mandatory adjustment to their squad.
Sam Darry, who missed last week due to concussion protocol, returned to the starting lineup in place of captain Tuipulotu, who was sidelined with a knee injury.
Head coach Vern Cotter said the emphasis on rugby fundamentals will ensure the team plays well.
“We didn’t have to make any major changes because we were going to the semifinals,” Cote said.
“We know what works for us this season, strong dribbling, efficient penetration and smart decision-making – nothing will change on Friday night.”
It will be a special night for Blues striker Akira Ione, who has confirmed this season will be his last for the Blues before heading overseas.
“Aki is a veteran on this team and he is a man of action who has earned the respect of his teammates and opponents,” Cote said.
“The lads know this could be their last time at Eden Park in a Blues shirt and we want to make sure we give a performance worthy of the occasion. In these knockout games the crowd and the atmosphere are the most important thing.”
The Brumbies’ Noah Lolesio is one of the players in the squad with Pacific Islander ties.
photo: Broncos
Brumbies coach confident
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham believes his side are peaking at the right time to beat the Blues.
They lost 46-7 in April, but have won seven straight games since then and haven’t lost a game since.
With their third consecutive semi-final appearance under their belt, Rackham believes they are best prepared to go for a breakthrough win in the final.
“It’s not about looking back at last year, it’s about the motivation to win every game,” Rackham told Brumbies Media.
“We’ve already been to Auckland this year but we didn’t have a very successful day so we learned some lessons from that.
“We’re also in a good position in terms of our ability to win games. I thought we played pretty well in the first half at the weekend and apart from one defensive error and some disciplinary issues around scrums and break-ups, it was a pretty complete game.
“We’ve been working hard all year to get our best performance in the final and we want to go one step further than last week, when we had a bit of a setback. We want to make sure we’re better in all aspects of our game.”
The return of James Slipper is a huge boost to the attack, which was targeted by the Highlanders last weekend.
Rackham believes that situation, combined with the absence of Patrick Tuipulotu, could bring opportunities for the Brumbies.
Rackham added: “We have worked very hard and the return of James Sleeper has certainly enhanced our prospects at scrum-half time.”
“Their captain and second row players were injured and they are crucial to the team’s attack, so we thought we would at least be even this weekend.”
The Hurricanes, who have their own contingent of Pacific Island players, will look to defeat the Chiefs at home.
photo: hurricanes football team
Hurricane expected to bring tough battle
After the second semi-final, the top-ranked Hurricanes will face the Chiefs in Wellington.
This will be the 46th time the Hurricanes and Chiefs have faced off head-to-head.
The Hurricanes put in a great effort in the quarter-final, with the Melbourne Rebels putting up a valiant fight in the first half as the Hurricanes won 7-2.
Head coach Clark Laidlaw said the team will face new challenges.
“The Rebels really came out and beat us with their physicality, which is exactly what we expected,” he told Hurricanes media.
“We obviously have the utmost sympathy for their players, staff and fans. The Chiefs will present us with another tough challenge and we are very excited about that.”
More than 25,000 spectators are expected at Sky Arena and Laidlaw said the team would be up for the challenge of a rugby final at home.
He said: “The team is very excited and we still have one week to improve and grow together and give our fans a show we can be proud of.”
“The energy our fans bring to our house gives the team an extra boost, and we can feel that energy when we’re out there representing you guys.”
Chiefs keep momentum
Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan is confident in the team’s form and synergy and will send the same group of players to the semifinals.
“Our focus is on accuracy and discipline,” he told Chief Media.
“We improved significantly against the Reds and that alone will allow us to play the kind of game we always knew we were capable of. It is also encouraging that we have a fit and energetic squad who are raring to go and for the first time this year we are able to keep the same squad for Round 23.”
There were many great performances on the park last week, solidifying this week’s team selections.
In particular, hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, who scored two touchdowns in the first half, and Damian McKenzie, who made the top five, continued their strong form, adding 13 more points to the tournament’s top scorer of 157 so far this season.
“The Hurricanes have taken the lead in this year’s DHL Super Rugby Pacific, earning home-field advantage in the final and they will once again be formidable opponents in front of a huge and eager home crowd,” McMillan said.
“They are a balanced team with lots of confidence. They will be a tough opponent to deal with and we have already faced them twice this year.
“The third meeting creates new opportunities. I think both teams will learn from previous experiences and see where they can improve.”
The game gets underway early Saturday, with kickoff set for 4:35 p.m.
All teams round 23 matches:
Bruce: 1. Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 2. Ricky Riccitelli, 3. Marcel Renata, 4. Sam Darry, 5. Josh Beehre, 6. Akira Ioane, 7. Dalton Papali’i (c), 8. Hoskins Sotutu, 9. Finlay Christie, 10. Harry Plummer, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. AJ Lam, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Mark Tele’a, 15. Stephen Perofeta; reserve: 16. Kurt Eklund, 17. Joshua Fusitua, 18. Angus Ta’awo, 19. James Thompson, 20. Adrian Choate, 21. Taufa Funaki, 22. Corey Evans, 23. Cole Forbes.
Broncos: 1. James Sleeper, 2. Billy Pollard, 3. Alan Araratoa (captain), 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Tom Hopper, 6. Rob Vallettini, 7. Rory Scott, 8. Charlie Kyle, 9. Ryan Lonergan, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Corey Toole, 12. Tamati Tua, 13. Len Ikitau, 14. Andy Muirhead, 15. Tom Wright; reserve: 16. Liam Bowlen, 17. Reece Vanek, 18. Southefo Courtey, 19. Nick Frost, 20. Jarome Brown, 21. Luke Reimer, 22. Harrison Goddard, 23. Ollie Sapsford.
hurricane: 1. Pouri-Rakete-Stones, 2. Aumua, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Justin Sangster, 5. Isaia Walker-Leawere, 6. Brad Shields (captain), 7. Peter Lakai, 8. Brayden Iose, 9. TJ Perenara, 10. Brett Cameron, 11. Salesi Rayasi, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Billy Proctor, 14. Josh Moorby, 15. Ruben Love; reserve: 16. James O’Reilly, 17. Tevita Mafiro, 18. Holway Tosi, 19. James Tucker, 20. Dewan Flanders, 21. Du Plessis Kirifi, 22. Richard Judd, 23. Belin Sullivan.
Chiefs: 1. Aidan Ross, 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3. George Dyer, 4. Jimmy Tupou, 5. Tupou Vaa’i, 6. Samipeni Finau, 7. Luke Jacobson (c), 8. Wallace Sititi, 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Damian McKenzie, 11. Etene Nanai Seturo, 12. Rameka Poihipi, 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 14. Emoni Narawa, 15. Shaun Stevenson; reserve: 16. Bradley Slater, 17. Jared Proffitt, 18. Reuben O’Neill, 19. Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20. Simon Parker, 21. Xavier Roy, 22. Quinn Tupeya, 23. Daniel Rona.
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