Mate Ma’a Tonga front-rower, Leilani Latu, has opened-up about the tears he shed while waiting in the entrance tunnel of Cambelltown Stadium and during the Tongan national anthem at last weekend’s Pacific Test thriller in Australia.

Latu recounted the moment in an NRL statement, “Everything felt like a blur, it all went so quick. Before we walked out I was standing behind Manu and could see that he was teary so I started as well and couldn't control it.”

"I tried so hard to stop crying but when you sing the anthem for the first time, emotions run wild and our coach just told us to control that and put it into the game”, he added.

Latu lived up to his emotions, scoring two tries including a game-winning try only three minutes before full-time. The try saved Tonga from certain defeat - a classic highlight of the Pacific Test series for years to come.

Latu recounted "We got together the night before the game and everyone heard each other talk about what it meant to play in a Tongan jersey, it really brought out a vulnerable side to everyone and we took that out onto the field."