View photosKEY POINTS:
PARIS - Tongan rugby has a promising future after an unexpectedly good World Cup fell just short of a quarter-final place with defeat by England on Saturday, coach Quddus Fielea and captain Nili Latu said.
"This is a very big step forward for Tongan rugby," Fielea said of the team's overall performance in the tournament after his team lost the Pool A decider 36-20.
"We achieved some of our targets...we fell just short of what was our second target, the quarter-finals."
Tonga, who beat the United States 25-15 in their opening match, upset Pacific Island neighbours Samoa with a 19-15 win that made people at the tournament and television viewers world wide take note.
Then a brilliant match against pool winner South Africa, that they lost only 30-25, had fans in France and back home raving and set up a knockout finish against the world champions.
"Before the tournament, if we'd said we could match the big boys people would have laughed," Latu told a news conference.
Asked whether Tonga had suffered from fatigue towards the end of Saturday's match, Fielea attributed the defeat instead to mistakes, adding that his team were still fighting at the finish.
"We became our own enemies, our execution wasn't what we expected, but we scored the last try," he said.
"I guess the most disappointing thing for us is not keeping our concentration over the full 80 minutes. England scored two quick tries before halftime. I think that was the turning point."
Tonga went 10-3 ahead in the opening half hour with a try by centre Sukanaivalu Hufanga but two tries by wing Paul Sackey handed England a decisive 19-10 interval lead.
- REUTERS
