KEY POINTS:
The Junior All Blacks picked up from where they left off last season to win their opening Pacific Nations Cup match in Apia yesterday.
But the team's co-captain, Marty Holah, believes the competition will be much harder and closer this year, with teams such as Samoa and Fiji improving and the introduction of Australia A providing extra interest.
The Juniors were barely troubled in winning the Cup last year, but although they scored five tries to one yesterday, they were made to work hard by Samoa.
Australia A marked their entry into the six-team competition with a 60-15 win over Tonga on Saturday, and Fiji, which lost narrowly to Samoa last week, beat Japan 30-15 in Lautoka after trailing 3-15 at halftime.
The Junior All Blacks - basically New Zealand B and with 10 players who have played for the All Blacks - were solid in defence, scored three tries in the first half to lead 19-3 and finished it off with two more after the break.
"Teams like Samoa and Fiji are preparing for the World Cup now and they're getting their best players back from around the world, so naturally they're tougher," Holah said.
"And playing these teams in the islands is as tough as they come.
"They're twice as physical at home, and it's not going to get any easier for us next week."
The Juniors play Fiji in Suva next weekend.
The New Zealanders were given an ideal start by prop John Afoa, who collected a charged-down kick from Samoan midfielder Seilala Mapusua and scored within two minutes of the start.
Five minutes later, winger Rico Gear went in for the first of his two tries, although his grounding looked suspect and his legs appeared in touch in Mapusua's tackle.
Ahead 12-0, the Junior All Blacks took their foot off the pedal in 29C heat, allowing the hard-hitting Samoans to gain momentum.
But the home side's finishing touches let them down.
Fullback Gavin Williams had only fullback Cory Jane to beat with winger Lome Fa'atau looming up on his right, but he muffed the opportunity.
Bad passes close to the Juniors' line let them down twice in the second half.
"We made too many silly mistakes - we couldn't finish because of the mistakes," captain Brian Lima said .
Replacement Ross Filipo and Gear scored the second-half tries for the Juniors, and David Lemi was rewarded with a try for Samoa when Juniors halfback Jimmy Cowan blindly hurled the ball back and second five-eighth Stephen Brett made a brave but fruitless attempt to retrieve the situation.
- NZPA
