Crunch time as Kiwis fire up for ‘War in Waikato’
VETERAN forward Simon Mannering is hoping Kiwis fans come out in force and match the enthusiasm of Tonga’s legion of supporters at tomorrow’s Rugby League World Cup clash in Hamilton.
The 31-year-old is expecting a loud and festive atmosphere at Waikato Stadium for the crunch game to decide which side finishes top of Pool B to claim an easier path into the knock-out stages of the tournament.
The winner will face either the third-placed side from Pool A, likely to be Lebanon, and remain on the opposite side of the draw to reigning champions Australia, while the loser is expected to meet Fiji, the top team from Pool D.
Ticket sales have already hit the 20,000 mark – exceeding last week’s bumper crowd of 18,000 that turned out to see Tonga outclass Samoa 32-18 – and tournament organisers are hoping the match will be close to a sellout.
Kiwis fans found themselves outnumbered and drowned out by Samoa’s vocal supporters in their first-up win at Mt Smart Stadium and are expected to be in the minority again this weekend, but Mannering hopes local fans get out to back the boys in black and white.
“Of course it would be nice to get some great support behind us but whether they’re supporting Tonga or us it’s going to make a great spectacle,” Mannering told Radio Sport.
“We felt it in our very first game, the Samoan fans are more animated and it made a really good atmosphere.
“And watching that SamoaTonga game it looked like it was pretty loud. So I’m just hoping for a full stadium.”