A 6:2 bench, so must expect Aust A to try to outmuscle them in the forwards.

@Stargazer backline has heaps of Moana Magpies!

@FakatavaAllBlack Yep, all Magpies that are in the squad are starting! Almost half of the 23 are MP players.

Australia A

1 Matt Gibbon – Melbourne Rebels
2 Billy Pollard - Brumbies
3 Tom Robertson – Western Force
4 Seru Uru – Queensland Reds
5 Ryan Smith – Queensland Reds
6 Tim Anstee – Western Force
7 Fraser McReight (VC) – Queensland Reds
8 Will Harris - NSW Waratahs
9 Ryan Lonergan (C) - Brumbies
10 Tane Edmed – NSW Waratahs
11 Jock Campbell – Queensland Reds
12 Hamish Stewart – Queensland Reds
13 Lalakai Foketi – NSW Waratahs
14 Mark Nawaqanitawase – NSW Waratahs
15 Reece Hodge (VC) – Melbourne Rebels

Reserves
16 Feliti Kaitu’u – Western Force
17 Harry Hoopert – Queensland Reds
18 Archer Holz – NSW Waratahs
19 Hugh Sinclair – NSW Waratahs
20 Langi Gleeson- NSW Waratahs
21 James Tuttle – Melbourne Rebels
22 Hudson Creighton – Brumbies
23 Dylan Pietsch – NSW Waratahs

Should really be a win here for Manu but we'll find out!

Fritz Lee on debut. Here’s the only thing I recall about his career in NZ

@Duluth said in Samoa v Australia 'A':

Fritz Lee on debut. Here’s the only thing I recall about his career in NZ

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Fritz was so highly rated as a No. 8 at the Chiefs that for the big games in 2012 and 2013, the coaches preferred Kane Thompson and Matt Van Leven(!), in the respective finals.

Just remembered to watch this game. Samoa up 19 - 7 after 32 minutes.

Missed the first half. Samoa played well or Aussie screwed things up?

@Duluth said in Samoa v Australia 'A':

Missed the first half. Samoa played well or Aussie screwed things up?

Little bit of column A and column B.

Good support play in that Aussie try. Thought Harris almost killed it by not passing straight away

McReight doing a great job of being a breakdown pest.

Why would you opt for a lineout when it's not working

Big scrum effort from Auckland Legend Marco Fepulea'i. Should be on the recruiting list for MP.

Wow, Ah-Wong steals it at the end.

After a great try, Oz A hand the win back to Samoa. Terrible offload makes a gift of a try.

Nice!

That was a fun game.

Are Fritz Lee and Lolagi Visinia the first NZ captured players (both via sevens), who have changed nation under the new eligibility rules? Fekitoa changed under the Olympic loophole, so doesn't count.

@antipodean classic Straya move

IIRC, Tom Coventry is Samoa's forwards coach. Good effort, aside from the lineouts.