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LENS - Tonga will take on defending champions England in a winner-takes-all World Cup clash on Friday determined to prove that they are not second-class citizens and storm into the quarter-finals.
The Pacific island team won a standing ovation from a 40,000 crowd at the Stade Felix Bollaert
after giving mighty South Africa a fright before going down to a heartbreaking 30-25 defeat on Saturday.
England almost didn't make the match matter as they were in danger of losing at one point having seen a comfortable lead reduced to a four point advantage over the Samoans before prevailing 44-22 but the South Africans, 1995 world champions, were given an altogether more nervewracking time.
The Tongans led 10-7, conceded a quick 20 points and then clawed their way back to within five points in an enthralling Pool A clash which has left them needing to beat England in Paris to reach the last eight for the first time.
"In the past, we always concentrated on other teams but now we concentrate on ourselves," said skipper Nili Latu.
"We are trying to change the way that people look at Tongan rugby. We have been struggling in the past for a long time but this tournament has been about going as far as we can and trying to change the face of rugby in Tonga."
Their performance, which coach Quddus Fielea described as the most magical in Tonga's history, was in marked contrast to the last time they faced the Springboks - a 74-10 hammering in Cape Town in 1997.
They ran in three tries on Saturday with two coming in a breathless last 10 minutes which saw them still attacking until the final whistle when they almost made South Africa coach Jake White pay a high price for fielding his second-string side.
A deep sense of national pride is driving the Tongans forward.
"We don't have the facilities that other countries have," said Latu.
"But we have each other and that's enough."
Tonga know they will start as overwhelming underdogs.
"They are a great team," said the captain.
"They have been written off but they are not world champions for nothing. We will have to bring our 'A-game' to the match. It's do-or-die."
Tonga went into Saturday's game on the back of wins over the United States and Samoa - their first win after nine successive defeats against their fellow Pacific Islanders - and will take great confidence from having given the Springboks an almighty scare.
"We took a great deal from our first two wins. We knew we could put on a big fight against South Africa," said Latu.
"We are a different team now. They had speed and power but we knew we could win by being smart and giving 100 per cent.
"We are not as big as the South Africans but we got them low and got in their faces. They didn't like it."
- AFP
