Tonga to meet Hong Kong in Borneo Women's Sevens quarterfinal [1]
Saturday, September 24, 2011 - 15:24. Updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 09:54.
Tonga's Women's Sevens team is set to meet Hong Kong in the Cup quarterfinal today, Saturday, the second day of the IRB sanctioned HSBC Women's Asia/Pacific tournament after pool play was concluded on Friday September 23.
Tonga produced very strong displays against both Asian number one China and Pacific number one PNG, as well as thrashing Malaysia ensured the team finished third in Pool B, the team manager Lano Fonua reported.
The women's tournament, which runs from September 23-25 in Kota Kinabalu City, Sabah province, Malaysia, features four teams from the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) and four from the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU).
Game 1, China 21-Tonga 15
Tonga's first task on Friday was to tackle China, the Asian champions. China capitalised on early mistakes to race to a 21-5 lead inside the first half. However, that would be all China would be allowed to get with Tonga's defence regrouping following a string of crunching tackles from twins Ema and Losa Potaufa and a particularly huge hit on Chinese flyhalf Sun Shi Chao by skipper Tokilupe Veamatahau that proved to be a turning point.
Tonga got things going in the second-half with a try to Pesalini Lave who dove over from close range after a solid period of pressure inside the Chinese half of the field. Tonga seemed to grow in confidence after the try, with China unable to run around the Tongan defence after the entrance of sprinter Mele Manumu'a. With more possession Tonga was able to unleash stand-out player Sela Vaenuku who made two decisive line breaks one of which saw the dual-international score a well-deserved try after beating several defenders to put Tonga 15-21 with seconds to go. Unfortunately, that would be the final score, with Tonga left to rue the three missed conversion attempts that would have seen the team claim a draw against the highly fancied Chinese.
Game 2, Tonga 25-Malaysia 0
Malaysia, who were left reeling after being trounced by PNG 46-0 in their first game, were to receive no respite vs Tonga with 100kg skipper Tokilupe Veamatahau (shifted from prop to centre) running riot over the much smaller Malaysian backs. One run saw the skipper brush aside four of the seven defenders before off-loading for the supporting Fakaola Malungahu to score. Rising star Sela Vaenuku and playmaking prop Pesalini Lave also put on a display, both scoring a brace of tries with Lave adding to the Malaysians defensive pain with a bulldozing run over three defenders from 22-metres out to score under the posts. But Tonga's run would be cut-short as they were forced to defend for a period with only six players after live-wire Vaenuku was sin-binned for a high-tackle. The defence held firm but again Tonga could not convert any of its tries and the game finished with a final score of Tonga 25-Malaysia 0.
Game 3, PNG 17-Tonga 10
The last game of the day would also prove to be an entertaining and hard fought battle under the Friday night lights between the two Pacific countries. Tonga took an early lead after impressive inter-passing from the Potaufa twins saw Tonga go sixty metres before prop Pesalini Lave took the PNG defence by surprise with a burst from the back of a ruck, with the prop bamboozling the defence with a dummy pass before running the ball into score her third try of the tournament.
PNG were quick to respond through their star player Joanne Lagona who showed why PNG are number one in the Pacific by outrunning the Tongan defence to score a try off the kick-off, PNG converted the try to lead 7-5, another try to Lagona would leave the score at 12-5 and on the stroke of half-time the news didn't get any better for Tonga with Ema Potaufa stretchered from the field after receiving a 'stray' knee in the back during a ruck.
The match then became an arm-wrestle with Tonga dominating at the ruck (generating 4 turn-overs) and PNG desperate to get the ball to the unstoppable Lagona. Lagona initiated yet another break and sent winger Lynette Kwapula into space but Kwapula was brought down inches from the line after a thirty-metre chase-down by Mele Manu'a. Play stopped to allow Kwapula to be stretchered from the field and Lagona again proved the difference as she scored to put PNG up 17-5.
But Tonga were not finished and substitute Lupe Fisilau, on for the injured Potaufa, lead one last raid be breaking down the blindside and linking nicely with skipper Tokilupe Veamatahau who carried three defenders with her before being pulled down at the PNG 22-metre line. The ensuing play saw a PNG player sin-binned after four penalties in a row from the PNG defence as they tried desperately to keep the Tongan forwards from crossing the line. But prop Pesalini Lave proved too much to handle and dove over in the corner under three PNG defenders to score her fourth try of the tournament. Again the conversion was missed leaving a final score-line of Tonga 10-PNG 17.
Cup Quarterfinal
Third in Pool B, Tonga will now play, Pool A's second placed team, Hong Kong with the winner going through to the Cup semi-final and the loser relegated to the Plate semi-final. The match will kick-off at 3.02pm (7.02pm Tonga time).