20 Tonga stars skip showpiece
ENGLAND’S World Cup opener is destined to be a rich versus-poor mismatch, as opponents Tonga are having to cope without up to 20 top players who could not afford to take part in the tournament.
The Pool C fixture in Sapporo on Sunday will symbolise the financial gulf between competing nations here. eddie Jones’s squad are the best-paid in their sport — earning a basic £25,000 per Test.
Their Pacific islanders believe they are on the lowest wages among the 20 teams taking part and head coach Toutai Kefu revealed a large number of key men made themselves unavailable to protect club contracts.
‘ it is one of the biggest challenges for a tier-two nation,’ he told Sportsmail yesterday, as Tonga prepared to fly to Sapporo. ‘Fifteen to 20 players made themselves unavailable. We can’t pay our players much — about £330 a week while they’re here at the World Cup. We’re playing probably the no 1 country in terms of budget. We are at the other end of the spectrum.
‘As a coach, i leave it up to the player whether they come or not because they all have families to support. There are players who aren’t here but we concentrate on the players that we have.’
in theory, regulation nine governing player release should allow countries to pick all eligible players for a World Cup but the reality is that european clubs put contractual pressure on players from tier-two teams to turn their back on national service. it is a major problem for Tonga and the other ‘minnows’ here.
it is hard enough just being able to fund a campaign at all and they rely on the global governing body. ‘ World Rugby have been fantastic,’ said Kefu. ‘We are 100 per cent dependent on them for funds. We don’t get anything from sponsorship but i’ve been able to secure the coaches that i need.’
Tonga are 15th in the world rankings and were thrashed 92-7 by new Zealand in Hamilton 10 days ago.
it was hardly a positive omen, but Ke f u (right) insists his team will be ‘ much, much
better’ against england. They will have to be, just to keep the scoreline respectable.
‘We’ve looked at them thoroughly over the last couple of months,’ said Kefu, who was coached by eddie Jones in the latter part of his Test career, as a Tonga-born no 8 who represented Australia with distinction. ‘They are a very strong, physical team. They’re very fit and they won’t stop.
‘We’re under no illusions. We need to be at the top of our game, just to stay in the game. eddie has got them firing and his teams are always well prepared.’
in 2003, Kefu missed out on the Wallabies’ World Cup squad but he wrote in a newspaper column: ‘The english are so arrogant, that’s why they went to war in red uniforms.’ it was a verbal grenade which bemused Sir Clive Woodward’s squad on their way to glory over Australia in the final. Asked about it yesterday, Kefu laughed. ‘That was a long time ago. i think i was hoaxed into saying that!’ he said.
‘eddie teaches all his players to be humble and i would expect them to be no different on Sunday. They are a team who are always under the magnifying glass, they polarise opinion, but this team is different. They have a roll-your sleeves up ethic, they are bluecollar, workmanlike. eddie has brought that and it’s great.
‘He was the best coach i had in all the years i played. He was analytical and motivational. it is bloody hard work training under him. His teams are fit and very strong.’
Tonga will surely struggle to contain england. But Kefu will not just send out his reserves, accept the punishment and target other games in the pool stage, especially the USA clash. He will select his best line-up and will not accept another surrender, like the one in Hamilton. There may be a deficit in finance but there will not be in passion.