PNG at home and playing for pride.

The Pukpuks will be a different team at home; they seem to grow an extra arm and a leg when on home turf and especially in front of a vocal home crowd. But being realistic they are up against a world class team ranked just outside the top 10 in the IRB ratings currently, while the Pukpuks are some 40 places below at 50.

One plus for PNG besides home court advantage will be that Samoa will field a team with several changes to the line up due to most of its European based players traveling back to their clubs (George Stowers, Seilala Mapusua, Mahonri Schwalger, Daniel Leo, Filipo Levi, Henry Fa’afili and Census Johnston). However players of the caliber of double world cup veteran Semo Sititi, Gavin Williams and Sevens star Uale Ma’i are the experienced hands on deck to steer a strong Samoan 22.
 
The overriding feeling amongst the PNG Rugby community is that a credible showing by the Pukpuks in a match they are not expected to win will suffice. With Manu Samoa giving several of its younger home based players a chance the opportunity for PNG to score more points and put some pressure back on the Samoans is there, they just have to follow through and play to a game plan which will allow them to accomplish that.

The weight and size factor will come into play and added to that is the level of fitness exhibited by the Samoans which should be of a higher level then Cook Islands.
 
Players to watch out for in the Pukpuks would have to be their speed men, Gina Ponda, David Eri, Richard Mark and Roland Namo. Ponda is rated one of the fastest wingers in PNG while Eri is a former Queensland School Boys rep and Mark is one of PNG’s better Sevens exponents.
In the forwards PNG maybe down on size but Captain Willie Rikis will need to lead by example especially in the set pieces and while the front row has performed above its weight in recent matches it needs to lift another notch.

Coach Billy Rapilla has blooded in several youngsters in the FORU and WC Qualifiers this year, Under 20 stars Chris Kakah, Desmond Korpok and Peatrie Birney have been tossed into the fray against larger and more experienced opposition however the valuable game time will have surely done the trio a world of good in their rugby development.
 
The crowd at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby today will be eager to watch a battle between a high profile team in world rugby against their local boys and, come what may, as long as the score is respectable and the Pukpuks give a good account of themselves the fans and followers of the sport will leave the grounds satisfied.

Source: Peter Pusa, thenational.com.pg