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Tonga’s astonishing response to World Cup heartbreak

TONGA was on the wrong end of one of rugby league’s greatest controversies. They’re classy response was unforgettable.

4 min read
November 25, 2017 - 8:42PM
Scenes.
Scenes.

EVEN in defeat Tonga is a Rugby League World Cup winner.

A storyline unlike anything international rugby league has ever seen before — part fairytale, part epic — has made them the story of the tournament.

They didn’t need to win their semi-final against England in Auckland on Saturday for their story to never be forgotten to rugby league.

The incredible drama at the death of the thrilling 20-18 semi-final loss made certain of it.

Tonga’s response to their controversial loss to England is the best moment of the tournament. Maybe the best moment in the international game. Ever.

Here’s why.

Mate Ma’a Tonga was on the wrong end of one of the most controversial endings to a rugby league contest.

Andrew Fifita performs a cultural challenge after the game.
Andrew Fifita performs a cultural challenge after the game.

Star forward Andrew Fifita thought he had sealed the single greatest comeback in international rugby league when he picked up a loose ball and stretched over the try-line in the final play of the game.

It would have capped a remarkable period of four tries in eight minutes for Tonga after they scored three tries in five minutes to create a grandstand finish.

The try was denied by referee Matt Cecchin, who controversially ruled Fifita had knocked the ball on after it spilled loose in a tackle by England second-rower Elliot Whitehead.

Whitehead appeared to be stretching out in a deliberate attempt to strip the ball out of Fifita’s hands with rugby league commentators still divided on whether Whitehead had deliberately stripped the ball or if he had simply hit Fifita’s arms, forcing the ball out because of Fifita’s loose carry.

It is almost certain to become a moment of rugby league folklore.

The controversial decision not to throw the decision to the video referee has sparked anger from former NRL stars and commentators.

Scenes.
Scenes.

The game was ready to be plunged into another messy controversy — overshadowing Tonga’s fairytale — but instead Tonga refused to let their story end in bitterness and anger — even though they were right to.

Their classy response to the controversy has ensured the final chapter of their 2017 Rugby League World Cup campaign is not the moment Fifita furiously marched at Cecchin demanding a video referee review.

It is instead the unbelievable scenes the Tonga players and fans created as the controversy of Cecchin’s call was still swirling that must be remembered.

The BBC’s broadcast of the game highlighted the incredible gesture of an estimated 25,000 Tongan fans sticking around to support their team at the end of the game.

“If that had been Australia or England who lost in that situation, we’d have been filing out (of the stadium), we’d have been criticising the referee,” a BBC sports presenter said.

“Yet 30,000 (Tongan supporters) stood and sang.”

The crowd of 30,003 at Mt Smart Stadium — made up heavily of Tongan supporters — continued to create a buzzing atmosphere after the game by singing hymns that echoed around the Auckland venue well after the final siren.

They could have been forgiven for rioting after Fifita’s knock-on, but they were all class at full time.

So were the Tongan players and officials.

The devastated players finished the tournament with a farewell Sipi Tau war dance in front of the wild Mt Smart crowd.

Tonga captain Sika Manu said after the game he was proud of his team’s incredible late fightback to score three tries in five minutes and set-up a grandstand finish.

“It’s a tough loss to take,” he said.

“The boys have played well the whole tournament and to take it to the wire like that, I’m so proud to be part of this group.

“Our motto has been ‘die for Tonga’ and throughout the tournament we’ve played for the full 80 minutes. We never give up and we showed that again today.”

WA S THE RIGHT CALL MADE?

Hard done.
Hard done.

RUGBY league commentators remain divided over the decision to deny Andrew Fifita a match-winning last-gasp try.

NRL star Benji Marshall labelled the controversial decision by Matt Cecchin as unbelievable.

He labelled the end of the semi-final as the “craziest last five minutes of any game I have ever seen”.

Aussie rugby league legend Laurie Daley also believes the wrong decision was made and told Channel 7 Cecchin’s failure to throw the decision to the video referee has cost Tonga a spot in the final.

“I hate being critical of referees, I want referees to make decisions, but in that play there, that determines who goes through to the world cup final,” he said.

“He had to. Given the outcome and the importance of the decision. It’s a semi-final to go through to the final of a world cup. It comes to the last play. You have to refer it. That’s cost Tonga a final.”

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf slammed Cecchin for his failure to review the controversial strip tackle on Fifita.

“I just can’t believe we don’t have a look at that (Fifita incident),” he said.

“The game was on the line. It was the last play. I really don’t understand that.”

England coach Wayne Bennett said Cecchin made the right call.

“No, I wasn’t nervous,” he said.

“Why didn’t he give us a penalty when the ball got stripped off McGillvary? It’s the same thing, exactly the same.

“It was a quality game of football — they had some chances and lost a couple they probably should’ve taken, and we kept turning up in defence,” Bennett said. “At the end of the day, our defence won the game for us.

“We had our hands full, were up for it and got the job done.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/tongas-astonishing-response-to-world-cup-heartbreak/news-story/0f96a704d3516cf9f6feb01737d1ed99