Tonga wants the Pacific Nations Cup [1]
Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 22:36. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Photos by Suzuki
"We want to take the Pacific Nations Cup back to Tonga this year," the captain of the 'Ikale Tahi, Nili Latu said after they beat the Japanese Cherry Blossoms 27-17 at the Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium, Yokohama on May 25.
Nili praised his team for their effort despite the fact that most of his players had to travel to Japan from Europe and from the Pacific and it took them two days to put a team together. The 'Ikale Tahi victory came from a sheer determination of the boys to win.
Nili Latu was also declared as the Man of the Match.
The 'Ikale Tahi got into a flying start when winger Fetu'u Vainikolo scored on the fifth and the 12th minutes of the game, and Tonga was leading 10-0.
The Japanese responded in the 20th minute when hooker Takeshi Kizu charged over the try line and scored, but the conversion went astray, the score was 10-5.
Fangatapu 'Apitoa narrowed the gap with a penalty conversion to make it 1-5, until winger Will Helu crossed the try line, and Fangatapu successfully converted to make the score 22-5 at half time.
The Japanese came firing at the start of the second half and Male Sau scored the first try after the break which could not be converted to make the score 22-10.
Immediate the 'Ikale Tahi prop Eddie 'Aholelei scored to make it 27-10.
The flanker for the Cherry Blossoms, Hendrik Tui scored the final try of the game on the 63rd minute; it was successfully converted to make it 27-17 until full time.
The 'Ikale Tahi's scheduled game for the rest of the tournament will be against Canada on June 8 at Richardson Stadium at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario; against the USA on Friday, June 14, 2013 Rio Tinto Stadium, Salt Lake City, USA, and then against Fiji on Sunday, June 23, at Chichibunomiya Memorial, Tokyo.
The Pacific Nations Cup has been restructured, the Manu Samoa has been excluded, and is replaced by Canada and the USA.
The Manu Samoa will be competing in a new IRB four nations tournament, to be launched in South Africa in early June, making up of the Springboks, 'Italy and Scotland.