The countdown is on for the biggest battle of the year after Tonga continued its perfect start at the World Cup with a comfortable 36-0 victory over a plucky Lebanon team in Sydney.
There was an incredible atmosphere at CommBank Stadium with 25,065 fans there making enough noise to hopefully scare away the bogong moths once and for all.
But this was merely the entrée to next Sunday’s colossal clash between Tonga and Samoa at the same venue that has the potential to be one of the most special events we’ve ever seen in rugby league.
The pride these two Pacific nations play with is unrivalled, with their respective rises on the field a key reason why the international game is in such a good place.
Friday was awe inspiring with both ends of the ground a sea of red and white, with some green sprinkled in with all the Lebanon flags.
The noise was deafening every time Tonga scored, while there was a party vibe at half-time with Lebanese dancers, drums and music.
This is the beauty of the World Cup, with the brutal side of things to come next week with the Sipi Tau and Siva Tau to set the tone for what’s to come.
FLAG FOOTBALL
It wasn’t the smash job plenty of people were predicting, but Tongan fans still had plenty of opportunities to wave their flags on Friday night.
Kristian Woolf’s side got the job done without star halfback Isaiya Katoa, with their elite outside backs keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Tolu Koula scored the pick of the tries when he intercepted a Jason Saab bat back to run 90 metres, while Sione Katoa scored a beauty off a lovely Lehi Hopoate pass.
Leka Halasima got in on the action when he crashed over late in the contest, with Woolf thrilled with the way his team defended their line.
COUNT ON CONTI
If this was an audition for a potential NRL spot then Alex Conti couldn’t have done much more after a superb display at halfback for Lebanon.
Canterbury’s halves situation for 2027 is a mystery, especially with confirmation on Friday that Matt Burton has been given permission to test his value for the following season.
Lachlan Galvin has one spot wrapped up, but Conti now has to be one of the leading options to partner him, with Mitch Woods and Stephen Crichton also in the mix.
Conti ran the ball with plenty of purpose and looks like he has the confidence to handle the big stage.
It would have been perfect for his development if he had Mitch Moses or Adam Doueihi next to him on Friday, with five-eighth Khaled Rajab forced off early with a hamstring injury.
Originally published as Tonga cruise to World Cup win in front of stunning crowd, but bigger things are to come next week in the clash of titans