TONGAN TIES WILL MAKE IT AN EMOTIONAL CURTAIN-RAISER FOR VUNIPOLA
Vunipola set for emotional clash
BILLY VUNIPOLA says it wil l be an ‘ e mot i o n a l ’ occasion for him on Sunday, with good reason. For the first time, he will play against his f amily’s country — the country his f ather and uncle both captained.
This is more than a World Cup fixture for the 26-year-old. When England launch their Pool C campaign, it will be a momentous life experience for their No 8. It will be the day when his career and his heritage collide.
He has been on the other side of this mis-matched rugby rivalry. The younger Vunipola brother recalled arriving in the UK to support his father, Fe’ao, when he played for Tonga against England at the 1999 World Cup, in a side captained by Billy’s uncle, Elisi.
‘It was such a surreal time for me and my brother, as we had just got off the plane, straight into a World Cup,’ he said.
‘We were taking it in our stride, following my dad to Twickenham. I r emember t hi nking t hat Twickenham was like a spaceship. It was so big compared to anything we had ever seen coming from Tonga.
‘Then we went to Welford Road and watched them ( Tonga) against Italy and we watched them against the All Blacks at Ashton Gate. We saw Jonah Lomu up close, getting on the bus, which was awesome.’
That England-Tonga clash was a brutally one-sided affair which culminated in a 101-10 home win, but eight years on, the Islanders were far more competitive when the teams met again at a World Cup. By then, the Vunipolas had migrated to south Wales, before moving across the Severn Bridge to the West Country.
What sticks in Billy’s mind from that occasion was the tiring aftermath.
‘We were living in Bristol at the time,’ he said. ‘I remember that because after the game we had to go for a run — me, my brother and my cousins. When they (Tonga) lost, my dad was a bit annoyed and everyone reminded him that we had to run.’
Exercise was required because the Vunipola brothers were genetically distinct from their peers. They we r e giant Polynesians surrounded by boys who were the same age but barely half their size. When he was asked what makes him still feel Tongan, Billy joked: ‘Definitely the way I eat.’ But there is more to it than just a prodigious appetite.
‘I probably dress the same as I did when I first came over; flip-flops, shorts and a T-shirt,’ he said. ‘Maybe a jumper if it is cold. Things like that remind me I am still the boy from the island. Also, if I’m in fancy places in London, I know that it is not my place. Sometimes I get a rash on my arm from being in those places! I tell my wife that all the time.’
His wedding took place in Tonga at the start of the summer. It was a chance to meet lots of distant relatives and understand even more about aspects of the culture there which were unfamiliar to him, as someone whose home these days is in Hertfordshire. But Vunipola understands the mentality of the Tongan people, which is evident in their rugby.
‘They are proud people,’ he said. ‘Go back through the history. Tonga has never been colonised. My dad thinks they could have beaten England (in 1999), even though they lost 101-10. That is just the way they are. That helps me a lot to prepare for games, because I put myself in a position that I am second best and I am always trying to be the best.’
One day, he would treasure the chance to play for England in Tonga. It may be a pipe-dream but Vunipola said: ‘I would love for that to happen.’
A more pressing priority is to honour his heritage by putting body and soul into Sunday’s game. There are due to be various relatives in the Sapporo Dome to watch Vunipola; some from America, his aunties from Australia and his wife. Meanwhile, in the South Pacific, there will be a gathering in his family’s village.
‘My grandma and auntie’s house is where they go to watch the games together,’ he said. ‘Whenever we are playing, they will all be watching, supporting and messaging me or my wife. I will know if they are watching because they think it’s all down to them if we win!’
There are bound to be more congratulatory messages after England’s first match in Japan. The result is surely a foregone conclusion, but that won’t stop it being a special, emotional occasion for the Vunipolas.