Tonga v Samoa: Best of rivals, best of friends
Samoa captain Frank Pritchard visited Tonga’s team hotel the night before the two rival Pacific Island nations clashed in their titanic Rugby League World Cup encounter in Hamilton.
Pritchard and Tonga skipper Sika Manu discussed bringing both teams together to ‘‘embrace love and peace’’ following a week of buildup overshadowed by violent scenes and street brawling between Tongans and Samoans in South Auckland.
Police and players promptly pleaded for calm and respect and the powerful message of unity that Tonga and Samoa performed before kickoff at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday night was not only moving, but truly inspirational.
Manu, a hard-hitting second rower with vast NRL and international experience, admitted that emotions got the better of him when the anthems played to choruses of impassioned singing from the stands awash with Tongan red and Samoan blue.
But the crowd of more than 18,000 then roared as players from both sides met in centre field to embrace with hugs and smiles before sharing a prayer.
Tonga and Samoa then performed the Sipi Tau and Siva Tau simultaneously, replying in unison before bashing lumps out of one another in a thrilling match the Tongans won 32-18.
‘‘At the end of the day, it’s a rugby league game, and the battle should be staying on the field,’’ Pritchard said.
‘‘The fans are very passionate, and it shouldn’t be like that, you know, with all the drama outside the rugby league game, so we come together and embrace love and peace.’’
Manu said the display of unity was more for the fans ahead of the highly anticipated Pool B clash. It carried added significance given it was just their second World Cup meeting.
The special, spine-tingling atmosphere raised the roof and such raw emotion could be likened only to the kind of support demonstrated by football fans in Europe and South America, but this was uniquely beautiful in its own right.
Tongan fans were painting Samoa’s flag on to Samoan faces and vice versa. Cars paraded around town with blaring music and flags of both nations proudly on display.
Nothing in sport compared to this magical occasion.
‘‘It was crazy. Sometimes we couldn’t hear ourselves on the field,’’ Manu said. ‘‘But it was good to have all that noise, especially the Tongan supporters behind us.’’
The singing, the music, the flag waving and cheering - it just never stopped after starting well over an hour before the match kicked off.
Bursts of frenzied singing really stretched the vocal chords of Tongans as their team pulled clear in the second half for their first victory over Samoa since 2013.
It was music to your ears.
The flags kept waving and noise reverberated around the stadium to an extent that shook every stand.
Tonga centre Michael Jennings, a regular for New South Wales who represented Australia at the last World Cup, has played in State of Origin and Grand Finals before crowds of more than 80,000 fans.
But this occasion gave the 2013 premiership winner (with Sydney Roosters) goosebumps like never before.
‘‘I could say emotionally I’ve never felt that way,’’ he said. ‘‘That was unbelievable and that’s definitely up there with playing in Origin and for Australia, but emotionally I can’t compare them to tonight.’’