Tonga have picked 13 debutants, some from club rugby, to play the All Blacks on Saturday night, raising concerns about whether the game will do either side any good.
All Blacks fan at the Test match v Tonga, Hamilton, 2019. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The All Blacks have named four uncapped players to take on Tonga in their first test of the year at Mt Smart Stadium, with Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea selected to start.
The match is part of a double header alongside the game between the Māori All Blacks and Manu Samoa.
The All Blacks crushed Tonga 92-7 the last time the teams met in 2019 and with the Pacific Islanders forced to select New Zealand based club rugby players to make up numbers for this test, there are fears a cricket score could put up at Mt Smart and that the Tongan players' safety is at risk.
The All Blacks coach Ian Foster has no such qualms.
"Not from our side of the coin. It's a test match, they're representing their country and we expect the same passion that we'd expect out of any international team."
Despite those assertions Foster has largely selected an All Blacks B side, with four uncapped players, midfielder Quinn Tupaea, loose forward Ethan Blackadder, prop George Bower and halfback Finlay Christie.
Beauden and Jordie Barrett are on the bench, with Damian McKenzie at fullback and Will Jordan and George Bridge on the wings. Rieko Ioane is at centre. Brad Weber starts at halfback, with Dalton Papalii at openside in the loose forwards, alongside Akira Ioane at blindside and Luke Jacobson at No.8.
The front row is Karl Tu'inukuafe, Dane Coles and Angus Ta'avao, while Sam Whitelock captains the side from lock alongside Scott Barrett.
Quinn Tupaea during an All Blacks training session. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Tupaea, of Tainui, who was recently named in the Māori All Blacks, is the only debutant to start, joining Rieko Ioane in the All Blacks midfield.
"It's been a bit of a crazy two weeks, going to the Māori and then coming here (All Blacks). Super grateful and excited and be in this environment and to start is going to be something special."
It will also be a special night for All Blacks first-five Richie Mo'unga, who Foster has picked to start ahead of Beauden Barrett.
"We tossed a coin and it comes up heads or tails," Foster quipped when asked how he selected Mo'unga over Barrett. "Look he's (Mo'unga) has been playing in New Zealand this year, playing at that intensity (Barrett has been playing in Japan), so that gives Richie the nod for this game."
Mo'unga has a Tongan father, from the island of 'Eua, and a Samoan mother.
"You look in the All Blacks and there's a lot of Polynesians in our team too. So, for some of our players to play against a country where they have heritage in, and my Dad is Tongan, and he's born in Tonga, that will be pretty cool and pretty special."
Tonga fans. All Blacks vs Tonga, Hamilton, 2019. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
And Mo'unga is bracing for a sea of red flags and Ikale Tahi fans at Mt Smart.
"A big challenge is playing them at Mt Smart, that's probably their home ground away from Nuku'alofa. So, I'd assume we'd see a lot of Tongan supporters at Mt Smart, it's a place where they'll gain lots of energy and they're looking to make a big upset."
A big upset is an understatement, the bookies are paying just 1 dollar .001 cents for an All Blacks win, meaning punters would only get a 10 cent return on a 100 dollar bet.
Tonga are paying 101 dollars and while rank outsiders, they do have some familiar faces in Chiefs loose forward Zane Kapeli, Padua (Italian club) first five James Faiva, former Highlanders number eight Nasi Manu, Manawatū hooker Siua Maile, and veteran halfback and captain Sonatane Takulua.
"I know most of them just you know by face watching them play Mitre 10 Cup (NPC) and club rugby in New Zealand. I know there's a lot of a lot of new faces, but they're exciting players too," said Takulua.
While it will be a case of David vs Goliath for the Tongans, Faiva who be marking Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett, isn't intimidated by his opposites or the size of the challenge.
"Should be easy, they've got two legs, two arms so haha, nah… It's always a pleasure to measure myself against top players in the world so I can't wait.
While Faiva's confidence is to be commended, there are concerns Tonga could suffer injuries and a hit to their confidence ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Manu Samoa, who turned down the offer to play the All Blacks in this test for those very reasons.
Will those fears be well founded? Ikale Tahi fans will find out on Saturday night.
The All Blacks team to play Tonga is (Test caps in brackets. New Test caps in bold):
1. Karl Tu'inukuafe (17)
2. Dane Coles (74)
3. Angus Ta'avao (14)
4. Scott Barrett (36)
5. Samuel Whitelock (122) - captain
6. Akira Ioane (2)
7. Dalton Papalii (4)
8. Luke Jacobson (2)
9. Brad Weber (7)
10. Richie Mo'unga (22)
11. George Bridge (10)
12. Quinn Tupaea (new cap)
13. Rieko Ioane (33)
14. Will Jordan (2)
15. Damian McKenzie (27)
16. Asafo Aumua (1)
17. George Bower (new cap)
18. Tyrel Lomax (6)
19. Patrick Tuipulotu (35)
20. Ethan Blackadder (new cap)
21. Finlay Christie (new cap)
22. Beauden Barrett (88)
23. Jordie Barrett (23)
