SHIMABARA, 2 Oct – Until Japan started hogging the limelight, first against South Africa in Brighton four years ago and then against Ireland in Shizuoka last Saturday, the greatest shock in Rugby World Cup history may arguably have belonged to Tonga.
It came in Wellington in 2011 when they beat France, who, three weeks later, lost by one point in the final against New Zealand.
The two come face to face again in Kumamoto on Sunday. Winger Maxime Medard is the only member in their current France squad who was involved that day, playing at full-back, but Tonga have two – captain and centre Siale Piutau and flanker Sione Kalamafoni.
Both, unsurprisingly, have vivid memories of the 19-14 victory – a result which somewhat perversely put the Pacific Islanders out of the tournament and France through to the quarter-finals.
“We needed a bonus-point win but, while we didn’t achieve that, it was still the greatest day of my career,” said Piutau, pictured celebrating the victory. “I nearly didn’t play, though.
“My wife Blossom was due to give birth to our third child and if the call had come the day before the game, on the Friday, I would have left to be with her. But Caitlyn was born the following week.”
Kalamafoni’s main memory is of the closing few minutes when France, 10 points behind, were bombarding the Tongan line and unable to score until injury time.
“I’d never seen our front row (hooker Aleki Lutui and replacement props Sona Taumalolo and Halani Aulika) so happy defending our line at a scrum five metres out. We knew we had the game won.”
Piutau adds: “Of course we set out with the intention of going for the five points. But that didn’t happen for us (they scored only one try, not four) and it just became about winning.
“Some of us went straight back to Tonga afterwards and the crowds were lining the highway from the airport. We got rushed into the welcoming ceremony and up on to a stage.
“You can imagine what it was like seeing everyone there cheering us.”
Kalamafoni was not part of that group and had a rather different experience the day after the match.
“I had to drive with my wife and a friend of ours from Wellington to Auckland – eight hours. But they are happy memories of that time and hopefully there are more to come.”
Tonga would have been through to the last eight for the first time had they not lost to Canada in their second match, but their win against the eventual runners-up gives them a special place in Tongan sporting history.
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