THE thrilling South Seas clash on Sunday between Samoa and Tonga may not have turned into the Sevens-style game expected from the Islanders, but it was enough to make captain Nili Latu and the
Tongan team heroes back home.
Before his death, Tupou had been criticised by the
Tongan Times for a series of unsuccessful investment strategies.
Right winger Mark Calderwood raced on to a kick by Ferres for his side's fifth try, but Haumono delighted the
Tongan followers among the 2,388 crowd with a run that brought him a try.
Kalia is the
Tongan word for the ocean-going Polynesian canoes that centuries ago ranged through the southwest Pacific on voyages of discovery.
The Bath man was upended illegally by
Tongan replacement Isi Tapueluelu, who was yellow-carded.
To prevent entrants going on starvation diets for money, the
Tongan Ministry of Health check that entrants lose weight consistently.
Yet in his 1983 collection of stories he satirizes the brain drain created by educated
Tongans' going abroad.
The Falcons'
Tongan connections go way back, former winger Epi Taione currently chairman of the country's national rugby football union.
They will have the chance of a lifetime to perform the
Tongan HaKa - Known as Sipi Tau - before a Rugby League World Cup game at the Shay Stadium in Halifax.
It was expected that a total of 330
Tongan soldiers would deploy to support the U.K.
"This win has really helped
Tongan rugby for moving forward and I hope the IRB will give us a Test match against a tier-one country," the former All Blacks loose forward said.
No
Tongans either in Auckland or Tonga were asked for their reasons.
