Tour of N.Z. was of great benefit to Tongan Rugby

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33917, 9 August 1975, Page 4

Tour of N.Z. was of great benefit to Tongan Rugby

(By

JOHN BROOKS)

Although it lost both tests to the Maoris, the Tongan Rugby team had g'xxi cause to be pleased with the outcome of its New Zealand tour.

Il was most remarkable mat a national side drawn from only eight senior teams should win eight out of 12 matches in this country, even though the vanquished. Counties apart, could not be numbered among the top provinces. And it was just as remarkable that the tourists should score 50 tries m these games in -pite of the forwards’ inability to win rucked or mauled ball. The tourists’ anticipation, their nimbleness of foot, and their great acceleration made for spectacular and entertaining football; and. for most of the tune, it was winning football. too. They showed opposing teams how to develop play from breakdowns and their depth on the ball provided an object lesson for rival sides. Yet the Tongans were enigmatic; they could plumb the depths and rise io the heights in the same game It was difficult to detect the mood of the side at any given moment, and rival sides which relaxed their vigilance were often caught unawares. Puzzled by his side’s inability to keep its game on the boil, the Tongan manager (Dr Fred Sevele) complained that his men lacked the “killer instinct.” John Phillips (Canterbury) and Buff Milner (Counties), victims of sickening and illegal tackles, would warmly dispute that statement. What Dr Seveie meant, however, was that the Tongans either relaxed after establishing a comfortable margin or let their opponents gallop off to a commanding first half lead. Almost without exception, the tour games

proved that the Tongans were poor starters. Easily their best start — and their most consistent display — was against Canterbury. They earned a good deal of mana in defeat at Lancaster Park. In their most important victory, against Counties, they made a bold beginning but slackened off and had to finish with a rush to regain the lead. At New Plymouth in the first test they were 23 points behind when they started a second-half revival which yielded 16 points. But in the second test at Auckland they were out-played and out-thought, and produced precious little sparkle.

The curious selection policy probably contributed to this uncharacteristically lifeless performance. The Tongans chose their first XV before leaving Nukualofa and seemed determined to stick to it come heli, high water or Sid Going. Eleven of the players appeared in at least nine games, with Sione Mafi, the captain, plaving in all 12.

Even the most effervescent of the tourists must have felt the strain; it was evident in some of the lapses made in the second test. Reputations often rise or fall during a tour, but the Tongans appeared reluctant to acknowledge this. Siope

Matapule. a burly right wing, and Siuta Taniela, a midfield back, were two of the “dirt-trackers” who made their mark with limited opportunities. Matapule was one of Tonga’s best players in the second test, and Taniela would have been there, too, but for injury.

The strangest selection case concerned Vainga Fakatulolo, a loose-head prop who, given a trumpet and a tuxedo, would have passed for Louis Armstrong. Perhaps the selection committee thought he was on tour purely for his musicianship, for he was only once in the first seven games — and then only because an original selection was hurt. After a compelling performance against Counties, Fakatulolo was chosen for the second test, and both the first string props were dropped. Too late the committee discovered that there were more than just 15 competent players in the party. The Tongans were enigmatic in other ways, too. They were always polite and courteous to their

hosts, they sang a hymn before each team talk, and they applauded their coach after each training run. Yet in the depths of the ruck and maul they often infuriated their opponents by sticking their fingers in eyes and nostrils or punching below the belt. The Maoris’ captain, Tane Norton, as fair a player as could be found in New Zealand, was temporarily incapacitated by one such blow in the second test. It was clear that the Tongans were not deliberately dirty in their methods; they would knocks a man down with a head- 5 high tackle and then help’ him to his feet and pathim on the back. But theirj natural exuberance for; demolishing the ball-carrier' should have been sternly controlled. The side benefited? greatly from the advice and instruction by Mr. Dennis Young, of Christ-; church. The former All; Black hooker effected ani improvement in the stan-J dard of forward play, espe-i cially at the set pieces, in; only a few training runs. I Several players dis-? tinguished themselves on I tour, none more so than* Mafi. He is obviously in i world class a back row! man: a wonderful attacking' player who managed to do all that was expected of* him on cover defence as] well. His strength and sta-| mina were prodigious but,j as a farmer, he was able to! withstand the rigours of 121 consecutive matches. Mafi, however, was not a I particularly good field cap-! tain, in that he rarely! spoke to his men or exhib-j ited much tactical sense.| The extremely skilful first! five-eighths. Tali Kavapalu, I was much better at reading’ a game. Although not as. flamboyant an attacker asj he was in 1969, Kavapalu! made a strong impression ’ through his constructive, and thoughtful play. It was the side's great misfortune to lose the gifted half-back, Ha’unga Fonua, in the fifth game. He was exceedingly clever

and quick-witted and would have offered Going close competition in the tests.

It was ironic that Fonua was the author of his own misfortune. Had he passed to an unmarked wing at Ashburton instead of trying an ill-advised dodge at the last second, he would not have been hurt.

Other backs whose play reached a high standard were Sami Latu, the longlegged centre who played 11 games, Vilita Ma’ake, the full-back who was as punishing a head-on tackler as Fergie McCormick at his best, and Talilotu Ngaluafe, the sprint champion on the wing and the top try-scorer. In most games Ngaluafe showed that he was more than just a fast runner.

Among the forwards, Polutele Tu’ihalamaka was a trusty lock whose anticipation enabled him to catch much much more of the action than most of the packmen. Fa'aieo Tupi was another good lock, who did especially well at the lineout, and Fakahua Valu was most industrious on the flank and constantly showed good football sense. Saimone Vaea, another flanker, spoilt an otherwise good tour by a penchant for off-side play and dangerous tackles. The tour was of great benefit to Tongan Rugby, but it could mark the end of an era in the islanders’ game. A number of the leading players are approaching the end of their careers, and Tonga has had a heavy overseas programme in the last three years, with tours of Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Western Samoa. Dr Sevele believes the time is now ripe to develop younger players, and in this respect he greatly favours the New Zealand method of blooding new men. “If I am still president next year, I would like to .see an under-23 team chopen for a tour of Fiji, playing the minor unions and, perhaps, two of the major unions. And I would also like to see an under-21 team formed and despatched on an internal tour. I think we must do this to provide fresh imetus to Tongan Rugby.”