Kiwis v Kangaroos: Major boost for New Zealand as prop Naufahu Whyte cleared for World Cup final

Kiwis v Kangaroos: Major boost for New Zealand as prop Naufahu Whyte cleared for World Cup final

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The clash with the Kangaroos is a big occasion but also something that Fisher-Harris relishes.

“To be honest, these types of games are probably the best for me,” Fisher-Harris explained. “It’s the last game of the season; you don’t have to go think about anything else. It puts me at ease more than anything. You want to be in this situation, you want to be in these big games, so just embracing the challenge and looking forward to it.”

Along with Joseph Tapine, Fisher-Harris has been a pillar of this group for a long time. Their influence has grown over the years, peaking from 2023 when Fisher-Harris was made captain by Michael Maguire.

“They’ve got their leadership and they are alphas in the game,” second rower Briton Nikora told the Herald. “The way they get things done, they’ve been doing that the whole time. Whatever they say, whatever they do, we just try and back them up.”

It feels like the Kiwis are on the brink of something special, which only increases the magnitude of what is coming on Sunday night. Fisher-Harris doesn’t deny the pressure, as the game will define an era.

“It’s only natural,” Fisher-Harris said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a few grand finals, so you think about those things. But you have got to put that away and just look forward to the challenge rather than the outcome and chase the performance, as a team and as an individual.”

The Kiwis received a major boost on Saturday, with prop Naufahu Whyte coming through the session unscathed and moving freely. He had been in some doubt after an ankle sprain suffered in the semi-final win over Tonga last Saturday and was in a moon boot in the early part of the week. But coach Stacey Jones confirmed he was ready to play.

“He came through really good,” Jones said. “We obviously wrapped him up in cotton wool early in the week and he’s come through fine.”

It’s an immeasurable fillip. The Kiwis team have strong forward depth but Whyte brings a point of difference. The 24-year-old is coming off an outstanding season for the Roosters and was brilliant in the opening match against the Kangaroos, arguably the best forward on the field.

The New Zealand were in good spirits as they trained at the Brisbane Tigers club, east of the city, on Saturday morning. The club – whose former players include Pat Carrigan, Christian Welch and Alan Cann – played host to a lot of family and friends, who were invited to watch the session.

For his part, Jones is satisfied with the week’s preparation and feels that the Kiwis have improved steadily across the tournament.

“That’s been our mantra right from day one,” Jones said. “We wanted to come into camp really good but also make sure that we were getting better each time. We challenged ourselves every training session, every game to chase the improvements and that’s what we’ve done.”

They had learnt from the previous match with the Kangaroos, where they dominated much of the contest but ended up losing 24-22.

“It’s just the little things that we probably didn’t appreciate enough in the first game,” Jones said. “Kick chase, kick pressure, the things not a lot of people see. We’ve been chasing that.”

Both Jones and Fisher-Harris were unworried about the Kangaroos targeting star fullback Kalyn Ponga, who made a dramatic return from a broken arm last Saturday.

“His toughness is underrated,” said Fisher-Harris. “He’s willing to do anything for the team and we’ve got his back.”

Jones was also unconcerned about the Kangaroos’ historic propensity to get the 50-50 calls, a common occurrence down the years and particularly in the Cameron Smith era, as masters in gamesmanship and getting referees onside.

“No, not at all,” said Jones. “You make your luck with those things, you go after it. That’s not a concern at all.”

The Kiwis are chasing history and will go into the match with expectation, rather than just hope, given their recent performances. Although the match looms as a 50-50 contest – with the Kangaroos’ exceptional spine, defensive organisation and clinical execution – the feeling remains that the Kiwis will be hard to stop, if they can make the most of their imposing forward rotation, keep their discipline and limit errors.

“Every week we’ve been building and we’re in a position now where we can go after this thing,” Jones said. “Whatever the outcome is, we’ll put our best foot forward.”

Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.

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