It’s the Test match eight years in the making that traditionalists hope will resurrect one of rugby league’s greatest rivalries.

Yet as fans in both hemispheres impatiently count down the days to the blockbuster Ashes-series opener between Australia and England at iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, it could be argued that it’s not even the main event for this weekend.

On the other side of the planet, Samoa and Tonga will do battle on Sunday in round two of the Pacific Championships at Suncorp Stadium, in a clash that is likely to provide further evidence of the new world order that is rapidly evolving.

The Ashes might have a heritage dating back 117 years, but rugby league’s hopes of growing and eventually thriving as a global game are reliant on its Oceania nations. And the progress they are making was highlighted when New Zealand pipped Samoa 24-18 at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday in a brutal, bruising campaign opener.

“We’ve got a lot of blood and a lot of stitches ... you wouldn’t expect anything else,” Samoa coach Ben Gardiner said after a contest that captured the imagination, from the pre-match war dances until the full-time siren.

“The players are putting their bodies on the line for their country.”

Proud as Gardiner was of his players’ courage, the result left frustrated........

© The Sydney Morning Herald