Saturday 22nd September 2007
Tonga captain Nili Latu has hailed his team as the best in the nation's history after the islanders asked some serious questions of the Springboks in Lens on Saturday.
Just 7-3 ahead at the break, the South Africans - fielding a largely second-string side - were being held at 10-10 going into the final 21 minutes.
South Africa coach Jake White then unholstered his big guns, and the likes of Bryan Habana, Victor Matfield and Percy Montgomery came off the bench to help nurse the Boks to a tense 30-25 bonus-point victory.
Tonga grabbed a bonus point themselves by losing by less than seven points, and scored three second-half tries - through Kisi Pulu, Sukanaivalu Hufanga and Viliami Vaki.
They were the equal of the South Africans at the breakdown, and almost completed a miraculous recovery at the end.
"When you come into a big game like this, you have to be positive," said Latu.
"We have had two awesome weeks, and we saw South Africa make changes. We decided to put our best team out and were confident we could put up a fight.
"I am very proud, and we could have even scored a try at the end.
"We are a different team this year, it's the best Tongan team that has ever been fielded. I am so proud of my boys.
"We knew how South Africa would play. They have the power and speed so the only way we could beat them was by being smart, and giving 100 per cent.
"We needed to bash them up front, get in their faces and we knew they wouldn't like that.
"Little mistakes cost us, but that's the game."
Tonga coach Quddus Fielea was also full of praise for this troops who now face a straight knock-out encounter with England in Paris on Friday.
"It was one of the magical moments for us, I don't know what to say," he said.
"It was a fantastic performance from my players. When they put most of their good players on the bench, it showed they didn't really have a clue what was going to happen.
"But at the end of the day, they came through, and we have to say congratulations to them."
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