Defending champions New Zealand have been dumped out of the Pacific Championship final and must now face a promotion-relegation fixture to retain their spot in the three-team competition next year.
NZ Kiwis needed to beat Tonga at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium to book their spot in next week’s showdown with Australia, but could not finish off a spirited second-half comeback, conceding a late field goal to succumb 25-24.
Tongan half Isaiyah Katoa potted the decisive kick with five minutes remaining to give his team their second-ever win over the Kiwis, after they defeated their rivals during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
The home side made only one change to the squad that lost to Australia last week, adding Leo Thompson to the bench, then promoting him into lock, after he completed a suspension handed down during the NRL playoffs.
They were up against a side featuring several familiar faces, with Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo, Tuimoala Lolohea and Siliva Havili all former Kiwis. Seven more were either born or grew up in New Zealand.
Of course, Mt Smart had transformed into the legendary ‘Sea of Red’, as Tongan supporters turned out in force.
By the time both teams had completed their traditional pre-game challenges, you could cut the air with a knife.
Seconds after kickoff, Lolohea sparked the first attack with a clean break down the left and Scott Sorenson’s knock-on in a tackle gifted Tonga prime attacking position inside the Kiwis half. A set restart had the home side on the backfoot and winger Sione Katoa propped inside marker Will Warbrick to score in the right corner.
In early exchanges, Tonga made big metres with the ball in hand and monstered their opponents in the tackle, forcing them to kick from inside their own half. They exploited fullback Keano Kini’s diminutive size, dragging him back almost 10 metres towards his own goal-line, after fielding a high kick.
A knockon from Kiwis captain James Fisher-Harris had his team on the ropes again and half Isaiya Katoa slotted a penalty to extend the Tonga advantage.
On their next possession, Kiwis centre Matt Timoko lost the ball in a tackle, but Lolohea opted for an early kick that eased the pressure.
Just as the Kiwis began to get on top in the grind, Fonua-Blake charged down a kick from veteran half Shaun Johnson to set them back again.
Johnson exacted some payback, when he drew a penalty on his former Warriors teammate in the action of kicking, but Kini fumbled the ball a couple of metres from the tryline. From the scrum, Sione Katoa burst to halfway and Fonua-Blake steamrolled the defence to score next to the posts.
Basic errors were killing the Kiwis, who had already missed 15 tackles.
Kini knocked on again under a high kick and Havili burrowed under Sorenson’s tackle to score Tonga’s third try.
Warbrick knocked on in a tackle near his line and replacement hooker Soni Luke darted from dummy half to score next to the posts.
The Kiwis finally broke their drought, when forward Sitili Tupounuia knocked on in a play-the-ball and from the scrum, counterpart Isaiah Papali’i powered over for a close-range try.
From the kickoff, NZ forward Marata Niukore lost the ball on halfway, but New Zealand survived another raid before halftime, with Tonga leading 24-6. The Kiwis had made twice as many tackles (201-99) and missed a similar proportion (21-8).
The second half could not have started any worse for the home side, with Niukore knocking the kickoff on behind his own goal-line, but they withstood that threat and a subsequent line dropout.
They had to survive another attack, with Kini making a trysaving tackle against Tongan centre Paul Alamoti. The tiny fullback almost lost his head in a midfield tackle from Haumole Olakau’atu and the penalty put the Kiwis hot on attack.
From near the line, Kini rocketed into the backline and found ample space to score.
Just as momentum seemed to have switched, Sorenson made a mistake playing the ball and Papali’i was pinged for a high tackle on Olakau’atu, but centre Moses Suli was stripped by Johnson in a tackle.
Kini created another try, when his pace exposed the Tongan defence. He sent centre Peta Hiku away and bounced up from the deck to take a return pass, finding Johnson, who offloaded to hooker Phoenix Crossland to cross by the posts.
Sorenson made another error that threatened to derail the comeback, but Tonga fullback Lehi Hopoate reciprocated to defuse the danger.
Timoko was stripped of the ball in a tackle and Johnson made a desperate tackle on Sione Katoa to prevent a runaway try.
As the Kiwis struggled to break out of defence, Hiku made a bouncing run over halfway and Johnson ran on the last, with Kini keeping the ball alive, and prop Joeseph Tapine kicking the loose ball ahead, gathering and breaking the last tackle to score behind the posts.
Winger Jamayne Isaako’s conversion levelled the scores.
A draw was good enough for New Zealand to reach the Pacific Championship final on points differential, so the pressure was back on Tonga to break the deadlock and they were now running on fumes.
Papali’i went close to scoring again and Tonga had to concede a goal-line dropout, but when Kini rose high to take the short kick, his team could do nothing with the opportunity.
Instead, strong running from Fonua-Blake, Taumalolo and Felise Kaufusi brought the Tongans back upfield for Isaiya Katoa to slot a much-needed field goal.
The Kiwis had a chance to answer, when Johnson chipped on the last tackle and Kini was taken out as he chased. Isaako lined up a kick at goal from 45 metres, but pulled it left.
They had one last shot, as they fielded Tonga’s 20-metre dropout. Johnson had a field goal charged down, but the ball fell to Isaako, who was also wayward.
Fisher-Harris protested the challenge on Johnson’s kick, but lost the review and Tonga played out the final seconds for victory.
"This means the world to us, as you can see," reflected captain Fonua-Blake. "All the fans that turned up for us, it's unforgettable.
"They're the best fans in the world and I'm glad we gave them something to cheer about tonight.
"It's something I hold to heart dearly... to represent my family and my country. These things don't come by very often, so I cherish every moment I get in the red jersey.
"We wanted to come out and match fire for fire. We knew New Zealand had a world class team... they came back and that just shows how classy they are."
Tonga will now face Australia for the Pacific Championship crown, while New Zealand must await the winners of the bowl competition, with Papua New Guinea in the boxseat against Cook Islands on Sunday.
Tonga 25 (S Katoa, Fonua-Blake, Havili, Luke tries; I Katoa 3 conversions, penalty & field goal) NZ Kiwis 24 (Papali’i, Kini, Crossland, Tapine tries; Isaako 4 conversions)
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