How it happened: New Zealand v Samoa

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Kiwis v Samoa
Live Blog LIVE COVERAGE: Four Nations - New Zealand v Samoa

What: Four Nations – Kiwis vs Samoa
When: Saturday, 1 November – 2pm (AEDT)
Where: Toll Stadium, Whangarei
I can watch it on: GEM

What they did last time:
Both these teams were surprisingly good in the first week of the Four Nations. In a double-header at Suncorp Stadium, Samoa pushed England all the way in a 32-26 loss after being written off before kick-off.

Likewise, few people gave the Kiwis much chance of beating Australia – it hadn’t been done in four years – but when Greg Inglis and Daly Cherry-Evans picked up injuries, Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran took control in a 30-12 demolition.

Head to Head:
New Zealand beat Samoa 42-24 at the World Cup last year in a match most remembered for Sonny Bill Williams slipping over the deadball line and bombing a certain try.

What you need to know:
New Zealand’s win over Australia makes them the bookies’ favourite to win the tournament.

Kiwis hooker Issac Luke is back after serving his suspension for a lifting tackle on Sonny Bill Williams in the NRL finals.

Dean Whare and Greg Eastwood were seen nursing injuries at training early in the week. Whare has been named in the starting side but Eastwood is out.

Prop Suaia Matagi will make his Kiwis debut off the bench in Eastwood’s place. The 26-year-old represented Samoa at last year’s Rugby League World Cup and scored a try in the defeat to the Kiwis in the group stages.

Reni Maitua, Tautau Moga and Sauaso Sue have served one match suspensions (on top of $1000 fines) for an incident at a nightclub in Brisbane and are eligible for selection this Saturday. Only Sue made the squad and will start on the interchange bench.

Why to watch:
When was the last time a game of this magnitude in any sport was played in Northland?? Local boy Adam Blair should get a rousing reception in front of what is sure to be a sell-out and with the Kiwis high on confidence and don’t be shocked to see them run up a cricket score.

Haka vs Siva Tau. Hold onto your hats!

Why to look away:
No reason at all. Zilch. Nada. There’s nothing else on, the ITM Cup has finished, the All Blacks aren’t playing until Sunday and even though the Black Caps have played and lost, it doesn’t feel like cricket season yet. Just set yourself in front of the TV and enjoy.

Say what:
“We came into this competition wanting to win games, and expecting to win. That’s why we’re so disappointed,” said Samoan captain David Fa’alogo after the loss to England.

“No one has given us a chance, but we don’t care. We are not here to make up the numbers. We didn’t get the rub of the green (against England) but there are some things we need to rectify for next week.”

Our prediction:
The Kiwis should put a big score on Samoa in this one. The size of the victory should give some indication as to whether last week’s win over Australia was legit, or if the Roos were off the mark.

The teams:

Kiwis 
1-Peta Hiku 2-Jason Nightingale 3-Dean Whare 4-Shaun Kenny-Dowall 5-Manu Vatuvei 6-Kieran Foran 7-Shaun Johnson 8-Jesse Bromwich 9-Issac Luke 10-Adam Blair 11-Simon Mannering (captain) 12-Kevin Proctor 13-Jason Taumalolo

Interchange: 14-Lewis Brown 15-Suaia Matagi 16-Martin Taupau 17-Tohu Harris 18-Bodene Thompson

Samoa
1-Tim Simona 2-Antonio Winterstein 3-Tim Lafai 4-Joey Leilua 5-Daniel Vidot 6-Ben Roberts 7-Kyle Stanley 8-Isaac Liu 9-Pita Godinet 10-David Fa'alogo (c) 11-Frank Pritchard 12-Leeson Ah Mau 13-Josh McGuire

Interchange: 14-Dunamis Lui 15-Jesse Sene-Lefao 16-Sauaso Sue 17-Mose Masoe 18-Dominique Peyroux 19-Penani Manumalealii

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