Back Caps glory, cycling pile up and more in this week’s Focus Sport Top Five. Video / NZ Herald
Remember the Telusa Veainu story.
That is the rallying cry from former Tongan rugby forward Hale T-Pole, on the eve of Saturday's test against the All Blacks at Mt Smart Stadium.
Saturday's double header sees Samoa trying to avenge their 35-10 loss to the Māori All Blacks in Wellington, whilean unheralded 'Ikale Tahi Tonga team face a seemingly impossible task against the All Blacks.
T-Pole, the Pacific Rugby Players chairman, arrived in Auckland this week, facing a multitude of issues including the impasse between the Australian and New Zealand unions over the shape of Super Rugby to come.
The Dunedin-based T-Pole, who is visiting the Samoan and Tongan squads, reluctantly conceded that Tonga faced a huge battle against the All Blacks.
But T-Pole, who played 38 tests and at two World Cups, said pride in the Tonga team and the lure of professional contracts should help drive the players on.
Veainu, the Stade Francais fullback, was a prime example of what could be achieved through playing well for the national side, T-Pole said.
Veainu was an under-20 New Zealand schoolboy star who couldn't make the grade at the Highlanders and Crusaders.
Telusa Veainu on the charge for the Leicester Tigers in 2017. Photosport
Leicester Tigers liked what they saw and he had an award-winning career with the English heavyweights before shifting to the French side last year.
"We've had players who couldn't get a sniff at ITM Cup level who end up at big clubs," T-Pole said.
"Going from club rugby to facing the All Blacks is a big step.
"But I know all the boys are looking forward to this game and they will put up a good fight."
Still, the hurdles facing the Pacific players and teams are huge, on a number of levels.
The latest impasse between New Zealand and Australia meant the two new Pacific Super Rugby franchises had been forced to put their recruitment drives on hold.
"We've got to move fast, we can't delay," T-Pole said. But player agents would "push back" during a period of such uncertainty.
History is well against Tonga, who are still attempting to qualify for the 2023 World Cup. Two qualifying matches against Samoa take place in the following weekends after Saturday's test.
Tonga will face the All Blacks at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday. Photo / Dean Purcell.
Tonga have put up three reasonable showings against the All Blacks at World Cups, but were crushed 102-0 at Albany in 2000, and 92–7 in a day game at Hamilton two years ago.
Current events aren't all that kind either.
Efforts to get Europe-based players back for the Pacific teams during Covid restrictions had been a "nightmare" T-Pole said, and Tonga still had a few players coming out of managed isolation and quarantine in Auckland this week.
And the indications are that Tonga will go into Saturday's test without the amazing support their league team enjoyed when Mt Smart and Waikato Stadiums were turned into a sea of red.
T-Pole put the blame for this squarely on rugby's hard and fast rules preventing players swapping teams to help what could be termed the severely disadvantaged nations.
While T-Pole isn't sure what the Tongan and Samoan fan turnout will be, he said rugby's intransigence - which prevents former All Blacks like Charles Piutau and Steven Luatua playing for the Pacific nations - almost certainly diluted the interest.
"We all know that league has different eligibility rules – the big names in league play for Tonga," he said, referring to a team stacked with NRL stars led by former Kiwi Jason Taumalolo.
"We could create a bit of excitement but the eligibility rules are making it difficult.
"But I've seen some social media around these games and fingers crossed … and it is a double header."
