Nio's News - on tour with Tonga

Hi everyone, welcome back! In camp things are running smoothly. With a short turn around and only 4 days until our big match-up with the English Saxons (a strong English A team full of Guinness premiership players) the training schedule is more about recovery than anything else. Today is a rest and travel day so while we pack our things for a move west on the motorway the coaches have decided to play the Saxons v USA game to remind us of the challenge ahead and the huge step up we face. The Saxons defeated the Americans 87-8 in the opening match of our pool and it certainly makes us realise the next match is as close to full international rugby we are going to get in this tournament.

After arriving safely at our next destination and it feels like we may have arrived in the wrong place, we are unpacking our luggage at a 4 star hotel in Cheltenham with smiles on our faces. It may not seem like much but after being on 2 or 3 other tours with Tonga and Tonga A we have stayed in places that are lucky to be afforded 1 star. The rest of the day is left for rest and it is greatly welcomed by the boys.

It is Friday morning here and we prepare for our 1st and final training session before the Saxons; the scheduling is not ideal but everyone is quite upbeat about the opportunity to play a world class team like the Saxons. Training goes well and before long it's back to the hotel for more haka practise and a visit from the Tongan High Commission. The team is announced and I am on the bench. On a brighter note the haka is certainly coming along.

Match day is here and when you combine the excitement and expectation of the players, with the Captain's run being an extended affair yesterday, the team is in a weird mix of moods; you can feel everyone ready for the game but also quite aware that unless we play right on our potential for long periods of time this Saxons team is capable of running up a cricket score.... well at least an Australian test cricket score without Simon Katich, what was the thinking there Pup???? As we leave for the ground we are greeted by supporters in the lobby, all dressed in the Tongan red and wishing us the best of luck. It is hard not to get a shiver down your back when you see how much rugby and the national team means to the people.

Fast forward to half-time and things have not gone our way at all; our scrum has been comprehensively beaten and we have conceded 2 penalty tries already. We are trying to not only deal with an extremely strong English tight five but a French referee who seems intent on giving the Saxons an unnecessary leg-up. The score is 27 - 0 to the bad guys. As expected the half-time address left all 22 players involved in no doubt what the coaches thought of our effort and the scoreboard. It is left to the players to have the final say and fix things in the second stanza. The match gets to about the 60th minute before the coaches decide it's time for some fresh legs and I get my chance. It is probably the most nervous I have been and my nerves are not helped with Eastern Suburbs prop Ofa Fainga'anuku earning himself a yellow card (that is obviously where McGann gets it from...) and giving England a penalty on our 5m line; the ensuing scrum results in the third penalty try for England and a few heads started to drop. To the team's credit we toil away and finish with 2 tries of our own and a final score line of 41-14. It is not a pretty sight at all but a second half locked at 14 all is a little positive to take away.

It's the day after our unfortunate loss and the heads are all hung low as everyone is still very disappointed. We know we need to pick ourselves up as we have a play off for 3rd against Italy on Saturday but, for now, the feeling isn't great. Good luck to former Wicks fullback/wing James Pritchard who is playing in the final for Canada against the Saxons, after our game yesterday I am sure he is going to need it.
As all ways
‘Ofa atu
Nio