Sona Taumalolo celebrates after scoring a try against the All Blacks at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport
A victory might be too much to ask for Tongan fans against the All Blacks in Hamilton on Saturday, and going on recent history scoring a try might even be a tall order.
Tonga have played 400 minutes of rugby against the All Blacks and scored just twice, one of
the worst try-scoring ratios against New Zealand. In five tests against the All Blacks, Tonga have managed 35 points and conceded 326.
The two sides first met in a test at the 1999 World Cup in Bristol. The All Blacks ran out 45-9 winners that day with Jonah Lomu, who was born to Tongan parents, scoring twice. Tonga went tryless.
They faced off a year later in Albany, to date their only meeting outside of a World Cup pool game, where the All Blacks won 102-0. It was just the second time the All Blacks cracked a hundred and lock Troy Flavell celebrated his debut with a hat-trick. The All Blacks crossed over 15 times and once again Tonga failed to score a try.
It was four years before Tonga got another chance to score their first try against the All Blacks and after 213 minutes they did it - making the combined scoreline 203-5. In their 2003 World Cup meeting at Suncorp Stadium, trailing 56-0 at the 13-minute mark of the second half, Tonga number 10 Pierre Hola intercepted a Justin Marshall pass from inside the All Blacks' 22m to run in close to the posts. The All Blacks went onto the score another 35 points for a 91-7 win.
