Tonga host Samoa in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 on Saturday, 23 August at Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku’alofa.
Tonga host Samoa in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 on Saturday, 23 August at Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku’alofa.
Angus Gardner (Australia) will officiate the match as both teams are part of four sides in the PNC trying to secure qualification for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.
The visitors have a healthy lead in the head-to-head stats with 39 wins over Tonga’s 26, and Samoa was victorious in last year's Pacific Nations Cup encounter 43-17. The first time the two Pacific nations played was way back in 1926, but this is the first time they will take to the field in Tongan soil to face off since 2017, when the hosts won a close game 30-26.
You will have to go back to 2008 since the Samoans last won in Tonga, but they will be favourites this weekend as they are on a six-game winning run in this fixture, and Head Coach Lemalu Tusiata Pisi will want a strong start in his second match in charge.
The Samoans are also chasing a 5th potential PNC title, while Tonga has never won the competition, and they are yet to play a Test in 2025. Last weekend’s six-try, 38-19 win over an under-strength Reds side was their only warm-up preparation. The last Test Tonga played was nine months ago, when they lost 22-7 to Georgia in Tbilisi, and they also lost to Romania and the USA last November.
Samoa have only played one Test themselves this year and were outclassed when they lost 41-14 against Scotland in Auckland in July. It was also their first match since September 2024, and a number of players who were involved then are back at their European clubs in pre-season.
Tevita Tu’ifua is the head coach of Tonga after taking over from Toutai Kefu in April 2024, and he has only one win in his 8 tests in charge, which was against Canada in the PNC last year.
He has picked some mature and experienced heads in their pack, but whether they can last the ferocious nature of the Pacific clash remains to be seen. Halaleva Fifita at 36 starts in the second row with Tongan stalwart and icon 33-year-old Ben Tameifuna captains from the front row. There remains firepower in the backs with Solomone Kata at centre and JRLO Shizuoka Blue Revs-based and former All Black Salesi (Charles) Piutau at fullback.
NZ and Tongan dual international Augustine Pulu is among the reserves, while reserve prop Solomone Tukuafu could make his test debut for Tonga on the same weekend as his wife Kennedy Tukuafu will be co-captaining New Zealand as the Black Ferns begin the defence of their Women’s Rugby World Cup title against Spain in York at RWC 2025.
Tonga Rugby Union chief executive Aisea Aholelei said, “Everything that we are planning is geared towards qualifying for the World Cup 2027. World Rugby has moved the qualification to this year, and that is the priority for the ‘Ikale Tahi.”
For Samoa, captain and Saracens-based Theo McFarland is key as they are without prop Kaynan Siteine-Tua, back-row Jonah Mau’u, fly-half Jacob Umaga, midfielder Duncan Paia’aua, and full-back Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong. The same tight five that lost to Scotland do start, though.
The most senior player in the squad is scrum-half Melani Matavao, with 22 caps, and he has AJ Alatimu at fly-half - he last played against Tonga in July 2022, while Lolagi Visinia at fullback also makes his first Test appearance since 2022.
There are three uncapped players on the Samoan bench: props Jarred Adams and Bradley Amituanai, as well as scrum-half Joel Lam.
Lakapi Samoa CEO, Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun said, “The Pacific Nations Cup carries extra significance this year as it serves as our pathway to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2027. This is more than a tournament; it is our chance to secure Samoa’s place on rugby’s biggest stage. United we stand, ready to give our all for our jersey, our families, and our nation.”
Both Tonga and Samoa will need to treat this as a final to give themselves a chance of securing direct qualification places for RWC 2027, as they both face Fiji next, who, although they have already qualified, are the top-ranked team in the PNC and are defending champions.
Tonga have featured in every RWC tournament to date, while Samoa have been involved in every Men’s tournament since 1991 - the stakes are high and neither will want to take the alternative qualification route if they end up last in the PNC, which is a tough, tough pathway.
If both sides qualify, and with few to no tests confirmed after the PNC, they will also need to pay attention to the World Rugby rankings, which will determine seedings for the tournament in Australia. The RWC 2027 draw will be held in December of this year.
Samoa, if they win, can not gain enough points with an away win to climb the World Rugby rankings, but if the Tongans are victorious, the Samoans could drop below fellow PNC side, Japan. The ‘Ikale Tahi’s would also potentially rise 1-3 places depending on the margin, and if Canada defeats the USA the day before.
