Wingers Jamayne Isaako and Ronald Mulitalo have scored try doubes to spark NZ Kiwis home 50-0 in their Pacific Championshop opener against Toa Samoa at Auckland.
Eager to stamp their supriority over the latest challenge to the code's pecking order, New Zealand rolled over last year's surprise World Cup finalists for nine tries, while holding them scoreless.
Isaako had his two tries before halftime, while Mulitalo had to wait until the second 40 minutes to match that effort, but their teammates kept the scoreboard ticking over in the meantime, much to the frustration of a strong Samoan fan contingent.
Both teams laid down their intentions with their ferocious pre-game challenges and Samoa had the better of early exchanges, without quite taking advantage of their opportunities on attack.
NZ coach Michael Maguire brought veteran utility Kieran Foran into the starting line-up at dummy half, replacing debutant Fa'amanu Brown.
Isaako eventually broke the deadlock against the run of play, taking a floating pass from fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to stroll over in the corner.
Moments later, Mulitalo seemed to have scored in the other corner, but was barely shoved into touch by Samoa half Stephen Crichton.
New Zealand's next opportunity came after centre Matt Timoko gathered a bouncing kick near his own goal-line and found Isaako tearing down the sideline. Centre Joseph Manu had his jersey shredded, before half Jahrome Hughes took an offload from lock Joseph Tapine to finish the movement with a try.
That length-of-the-field effort seemed to break the Samoan spirit and Isaako had his second try from halfway, as he overpowered the last cover defenders.
With halftime approaching, debutant Leo Thompson ran off a shot pass from Foran to plunge over, but the try was disallowed for obstruction in the play.
Ahead 18-0 at the break, the Kiwis were also next to score, when giant Nelson Asofa-Solomona overpowered defenders on the tryline to graze the chalk.
The rout was on, when second-rower Isaiah Papali'I ran onto a grubber kick from Hughes to score, but Samoan fans briefly had something to cheer about, when centre Tommy Talau found a path to the tryline, again ruled out for obstruction.
Mulitalo finally had his first try, after Manu surged onto attack and Isaako was held up short of his hattrick on the other side of the field. Timoko bewildered the Samoan defence with a bumping run, before second-rower Briton Nikora charged onto the dummy-half pass for a try.
Mulitalo matched Isaako's try tally, when he gathered a lobbed pass from Timoko to spin over in the left corner, then skipper James Fisher-Harris ran onto a short pass and through a gap to put the cherry on his captaincy debut.
"It's lovely to see all the Samoan fans," acknowledged Fisher-Harris. "Much love to my Samoan brothers.
"From our boys, just an amazing effort. We all came together as one to put on a good display.
"That was my first try of the season, so I'm pretty stoked."
The result puts the Kiwis into the Pacific Championship final against world champions Australia, although the trans-Tasman rivals will meet before that next Saturday at Melbourne.
"Australia have been No.1 for how many years now - it will be a massive battle. I can't wait."
NZ Kiwis 50 (Isaako 2, Mulitalo 2, Hughes, Asofa-Solomona, Papali'I, Nikora, Fisher-Harris tries; Issako 7 conversions) Toa Samoa 0
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