International football is for many the ugly duckling of the league schedule, particularly if you're talking about matches not involving the game's big three.
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There will have been more than a few converted to the concept, however, after a gripping affair between Samoa and Tonga in the main event of the Pacific Tests double header on the Gold Coast last night.
A seesawing and highly entertaining match went right down to the wire and was still in the balance when Samoa's Canterbury connection, Sam Kasiano and Frank Pritchard, spectacularly denied what would have been a Jorge Taufua treble and a Tonga upset inside the last three minutes.
The desperation of the Bulldogs pair, who threw their not insignificant physical selves at Taufua to prevent a try in the corner, was clinched 18-16 by the Samoans via the fend and footwork of the New Zealand Warrior Dominique Peyroux with 10 minutes remaining, dispatching Tonga's Manu Ma'u with his palm and then the rest of the defence with a brilliant 40-metre run to the try-line.
It was at thrilling way to wrap up a match that featured some of the brightest rising stars in the NRL, and was another advertisement for this occasion being locked in as any annual event.
Samoa, ranked fourth and having given a good account account of themselves against Australia and New Zealand in last year's Four Nations and scared the life out of England at the same tournament, unfortunately had a shortage of playmaking expertise against their close geographical rivals.
Tim Simona, the Wests Tigers centre, had a No.7 on his back and Josh McGuire began at hooker. The Brisbane prop had no trouble with the adjustment, selling a dummy expertly to open the scoring in the 25th minute.
The Tongans, however, made a mockery of their far lower RLIF ranking, responding from a 10-4 half-time deficit to bolt to the lead thanks to a double from Manly winger Jorge Taufua and then a try for captain Sika Manu.
Samoa's captain Frank Pritchard then grabbed a try of his own, squaring the game at 14-14 and setting the scene for a tight climax.
As thrilling as the action was the goalkicking didn't set the world on fire and when Warriors young gun Solomone Kata stepped up to attempt a penalty goal from right in front with 15 minutes left there wasn't 100 per cent confidence he would land it.
He made no mistake, however, but Tonga's two-point advantage would only last another five minutes before Vete burst through to clinch victory.
It's incredible to think that Saturday's clash was only the third official meeting between Samoa and Tonga, and the first Test between Fiji and the Kumuls, but at the same time instructive of the fringe-dwelling nature of international football.
The crowd number at CBus Super Stadium was only 12,336 but if you closed your eyes each time Samoa or Tonga made even a halfbreak it sounded like three times that many.
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