TV ads ramp up interest for historic test

Support for Manu Samoa has reached fever pitch and has been helped along by local television advertisements calling on locals to get behind their boys.

One of the team's key sponsors - telecommunications company Bluesky - has been running various promotions in the lead-up to the historic match against the All Blacks on Wednesday.

Among them is a TV ad that has proven to be hugely popular online and has been viewed almost 150,000 times on the company's Facebook page.

The ad features a young Maori man - complete with ta moko on his face - starting the All Blacks' haka.

Opposite him is a Samoan man - complete with the traditional men's tattoo, the pe'a - with his arms folded.

Before starting up his own haka, the Manu Samoa's siva tau, he turns back and calls on his countrymen to come forward.

The camera pans to locals in a number of everyday situations: young men at the gym, taxi drivers on a rank, women collecting seafood and a man working in his plantation.

They all come forward, answering his call, and shout out: "Le Manu! Game on!"

The Maori man - who also sports Samoan tattoos - becomes overwhelmed and runs off screaming with his hands in the air.

The one-minute clip has been shared more than 3200 times on Facebook via the Bluesky page and has attracted hundreds of comments.

In May, Maori TV's Te Kaea asked viewers how they felt about the video and reported back only some people found it offensive, while the majority thought it was funny.

The All Blacks are due to touch down at Faleolo International Airport later tonight, to what is expected to be a huge welcoming reception.