Tonga – who’ve Israel Folau of their ranks – defeated Asia Champions Hong Kong 44-22 within the Asia/Pacific playoff performed in Australia at the Sunshine Coast Stadium to safe their place to France.
Earlier this 12 months, Folau ended his 4 years within the Test wilderness by making his debut for Tonga in opposition to Fiji. Folau was sacked in 2019 by Rugby Australia for controversial posts on social media.
READ | RASSIE REVEALS: WHAT HAS HIT HIM ‘HARDEST’ AFTER WORLD RUGBY BAN
Tonga will now line up in Pool B alongside the Boks at Rugby World Cup 2023 after they beat Hong Kong. The ‘Ikale Tahi will start their RWC 2023 marketing campaign in opposition to Ireland in Nantes on 16 September, earlier than taking part in Scotland in Nice on 24 September, South Africa in Marseille on 1 October and ending in opposition to Romania in Lille on 8 October.
Here, we take a quick look again at Tonga’s Rugby World Cup historical past, with Folau set to be a key determine in 2023:
RWC debut: 24 May, 1987 – Canada 37-4 Tonga, McLean Park, Napier, New Zealand
RWC appearances: Played 29, Won 8, Draw 0, Lost 21, Points for 472, Points in opposition to 966, Win proportion 28 per cent
Most RWC appearances: Siale Piutau, Sione Kalamafoni, 12
Most RWC tries: Telusa Veainu, 5
Best end: Pool levels
Qualification for RWC 2023: Asia/Pacific 1
Most memorable match: France 14-19 Tonga, Wellington, RWC 2011
Around 6,000 red-shirted ex-pats created an excellent environment in Wellington and have been rewarded with one of many greatest upsets in Rugby World Cup historical past.
Tonga fly-half Kurt Morath kicked 4 penalties and transformed Sukanaivalu Hufanga’s strive as the Pacific islanders signed off from the 2011 in event in type.
Iconic second: Sipi Tau
Tonga’s electrifying pre-match ritual lays down the problem to the opposition and by no means fails to disappoint as a spectacle.
Low level: Conceding a century of factors v England, RWC 1999
Tonga had hoped to comply with Samoa’s win over Wales earlier within the event by inflicting one other World Cup upset after they met England at Twickenham, however they have been badly let down by ill-discipline. Three playing cards – one pink and two yellow – within the house of three minutes simply earlier than the interval ruined any likelihood they’d of creating an impression at English rugby’s HQ.
Iconic participant: Epi Taione
The bustling, 19-stone centre, no stranger to controversy previously, triggered fairly a stir on the eve of Rugby World Cup 2007 when he modified his identify by deed ballot to ‘Paddy Power’ and dyed his hair inexperienced after signing a sponsorship cope with the Irish bookmaker of the identical identify.
Taione began all 4 matches in his second Rugby World Cup event, having debuted in 1999, and scored a strive in Tonga’s 19-15 win in opposition to Samoa.
Record-breaker: Kurt Morath
Morath, one of many heroes of the epic RWC 2011 win over France, is his nation’s all-time main factors scorer at Rugby World Cups with 73 factors.
Did you understand?
Tonga fielded what was then the oldest beginning XV in Rugby World Cup historical past (31 years and 38 days) for his or her Pool C recreation in opposition to Argentina in Leicester at RWC 2015.
Quote:
“In Tonga it’s like this: number one is our faith, family, rugby and then comes food. That’s what we play for: our country. We’re just against the world really. Some of us don’t even get paid.” – full-back Telusa Veainu being completely upfront in regards to the sacrifices Tonga’s gamers make throughout a press convention at RWC 2019.
READ | JACQUES NIENABER ADMITS ‘BOMB SQUAD’ COMES AT A RISK
