HEAD COACH - Jim Love

A bustling back rower in his heyday as a player, Love made more than 150
appearances for Marlborough in the New Zealand National Provincial Championship, represented New Zealand Maori and took part in an All Black trial before going on to a coaching career.

He is perhaps best known in media circles as the man who helped generate one of rugby's most unique pieces of journalism after a match against France for Marlborough, where French second rower Jean Condom gave him a torrid time on the field. The next day the headlines read: 'Condom frustrates Love.'

Before taking over the reigns from Vaita Ueleni as Tonga coach in September 2001, he won acclaim during his time alongside Matt Te Pou as Assistant Coach with the New Zealand Maori, who racked up a record 22 consecutive wins under his tutelage.

Although accepting the role of Tonga’s head coach, Love has still kept up his role as chief executive of the famous New Zealand Sports Academy and resides in the northern town of Rotorua, where the Maori influence is immense. Love is responsible for something of a revolution in Tongan rugby since taking charge of the national side. He is leaving no stone unturned in search of the strongest possible Tongan line up and has been clocking up the air miles flying around Oceania in search of the best available players ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

"We had two weekend’s of trials in Australia, where 14 full teams of Tongans turned up. And in September last year, we held trials in Wellington and Auckland, where there were another four teams."

"I had no idea there were so many active Tongan rugby players, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the standard as well as the numbers."

Keeping the locals properly in the picture, Love also conducted trials in the Tongan capital Nuku’alofa, and held the final session there before selecting the successful squad for the repechage matches.

"We are trying to build up a database of all our players," Love says.

"That's one of the first steps because at the moment we have all these players all over the place and it's very confusing."

Though Love’s young team is still ranked third behind their Pacific Island neighbours, Samoa and Fiji, he insists that the team has achieved a marked improvement in credibility off the field, which in turn will lead to better performance on it.

Love’s captain, Inoke Afeaki, has praised his coaches’ pro-active methods, working hard to strengthen the squad by looking around for players of Tongan descent that will fit into his style of play.

Love’s assistant coach, the aptly named Tukua Tonga who earned a dozen Test caps in the early 1990s, backs up Love’s efforts. Tonga, a taxman by trade, labels his ideal style of play as "Calypso Rugby", a colourful blend of island rugby and Tongan warrior spirit.

"In Nuku’alofa, it’s quite normal to train for one week in preparation for a Test," Tonga said. "Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Rugby is still seen as a hobby. We need to alter that mindset."

"When we play Fiji and Samoa, it’s always a confrontational game," Tonga explains.

"But that’s not how we want to play. Tongans are good ball players, so we want to get the ball out wide."

CAPTAIN -Inoke Afeaki (Secom, Japan)

Tonga’s march through the repechage and into Pool D of the Rugby World Cup is in much part due to the presence of 29-year-old skipper Inoke Afeaki, a giant of a second rower with enough experience to give Tonga a fighting chance of reaching the Quarter Finals.

The 1.98 metre lock casts a menacing figure on the paddock and possesses handy ball skills for a man of 115 kilos.

In his late teens, he had designs on becoming a professional rower, but his switch to rugby saw him carve out a career for himself.

He followed in his father’s footsteps, Etuate (who represented Tonga in 1972-73) to make his Test debut for Tonga at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

That was followed by several seasons playing rugby with the Ricoh Rugby Club in Japan (culminating in selection for the Japanese President’s Sevens team) before he returned to New Zealand in 1998 to play for Wellington in the National Provincial Championship.

He was called up to the Hurricanes for the Super 12, where he played four seasons.

He made his Test debut against France in the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa and is set to play in his third Rugby World Cup this year.

And Afeaki’s skill on the field is matched by his commitment to his team and country off it. He gave up the opportunity to play for the Hurricanes in the 2003 Super 12, to return to Japan to play for Secom so that he would be sure of representing his motherland throughout the build-up to the Rugby World Cup.

"A lot of the Island boys playing Super 12 and NPC in New Zealand find it hard to get time off for their country," explains Tongan coach Jim Love.

"Inoke’s decision to move to Secom in Japan for the good of the team has only increased his respect from the rest of the players."

For Afeaki, leaving his beloved Wellington where he had grown up since the age of three and played nine seasons in the NPC, was a small sacrifice. It is one which he hopes will be rewarded with a place in the Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals.

"Three teams in our pool are all beatable," he says. One can only assume he means every team in Pool D except New Zealand.

Afeaki is also working hard on turning the Tongan national team into a family affair.

His younger brother Stanley made his way into the team last year and has now cemented his place in the back row. Cousin Vikilani Afeaki is also in the squad.

For this likeable man, the climax of his career will be playing for Tonga at the Rugby World Cup in stadiums where they can rely on huge crowd support from the strong ex-pat community in Australia.

KEY PLAYERS

Pierre Hola – Full Back (Kobe Steel, Japan)

This powerful utility back set a new Tonga point-scoring record (and nearly a world record) with 44 points as Tonga smashed Korea 119-0 in their last repechage match to win a Rugby World Cup 2003 place.

Hola kicked a perfect 17 out of 17 conversions, second only to New Zealand Flyhalf Simon Culhane who holds the record in an international with 20 against Japan in Bloemfontein during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Hola’s record haul, completed by two tries, was well deserved. His kicking was absolutely perfect as he slotted conversion after conversion from all angles.

Even when the exhausted ball boys ran out of sand on the far side of the pitch late in the second half, the versatile Japan-based back simply drop-kicked the ball through the sticks from the touchline.

He also kicked five conversions in the first match in Korea, plus a try and a penalty, for a total of 22 conversions and 62 points for the series.

But accurate goal kicking is only a fraction of Hola’s game. Tongan coach Jim Love says the best thing about Hola is his utility, being able to play almost anywhere in the backline including flyhalf, wing and fullback.

Hola possesses enormous skill, with Love rating him one of the most naturally talented rugby players he has ever seen.

Although still just 24, Hola is an experienced player at international level for Tonga, making his Test debut for Tonga against Samoa in 1998 at the age of just 20.

Viliami Vaki – Lock (Parma, Italy)

This talented all-round player can play anywhere in the back two rows of the scrum, be it lock, flanker or number 8.

At 1.98 metres tall and weighing 104 kilos, Viliami is good at winning ball in the air with his coach nominating his best attribute as his very high work rate in the rucks and mauls.

Born in Tofoa in Tonga, Viliami began his rugby at the local Lavengamalie club. The 27 year old came to international rugby quite late, making his Test debut only in 2001 against Fiji.

He shows impressive speed for a forward and is an accomplished Sevens player for his country, finishing as joint top try scorer at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games with a stunning nine tries.

Viliami played a major role in the Commonwealth Games tournament, helping Tonga reach the Bowl Final before they were beaten narrowly by Scotland.

Recently Viliami has signed a contract to play club rugby in Italy with First Division club Parma.

Sililo Martens – Halfback (Bridgend, Wales)

Twenty-five-year old Sililo, rated by coach Jim Love as "as good as any scrumhalf in New Zealand" has quickly become the lynch pin of the Tongan game, acting as a superb pivot behind his mobile forward pack and his explosive backline.

He has also taken on the role of motivator and agitator for the forward pack, spurring his forwards on to bigger and better efforts, especially late in the game.
The 1.8 metre, 95 kilo Martens is big and strong and a handful to any defence around the scrumbase.

He has a dynamic pass, kicks well with both feet and has a very powerful running game, marked by quick acceleration from the scrumbase.

A regular try scorer for club and country, Martens picked up a double as Tonga hammered Korea 75-0 in the first repechage match at Sungnam City in Korea.

He is another of Tonga’s travelling band of international rugby professionals. After two highly successful seasons at the "All Whites" of Swansea in Wales, Martens has recently joined nearby Bridgend.

Viliami Ma’asi – Hooker (Penzance/Newlyn, England)

This very mobile young hooker has a high work rate that adds another dimension to Tonga’s play in the rucks and mauls, acting as a fourth loose forward for his team.

At 1.83 metres and 100 kilos, this robust 27-year-old front rower also takes a lot of stopping with the ball in hand.

A key component in Jim Love’s Rugby World Cup plans, Ma’asi (pronounced "Ma-ahfi") made his Test debut in 1997 against Wales but only recently has he established himself as a first choice in the Tongan line up.

Viliami began playing his rugby with the Fasi Ma’ufanga club in Tonga. He is now a regular star for the Penzance/Newlyn Rugby Football Club in the Second National Division in England.

Ma’asi’s ability to lead the Tongan forward pack and his combination with scrumhalf Sililo Martens could go a long way to determining Tonga’s level of success in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

David Palu – Halfback (Horowhenua-Kapiti, New Zealand)

This up-and-coming scrumhalf possesses all the talent required to take him to the highest levels in international rugby and makes him the perfect back up for first choice Tongan scrumhalf, Sililo Martens.

Equipped with a very good pass and kicking game, Palu is also a reliable goal kicker should Pierre Hola ever need to be relieved.

Palu has abundant all-round skills with rugged defence, good pace and is very elusive with the ball in hand.

Well known in New Zealand rugby, Palu played a major role in Horowhenua-Kapiti’s surge to the 3rd Division final in last year’s National Provincial Championship in New Zealand.

Although Horowhenua-Kapiti, failed to win the game and gain promotion to the Second Division, going down 43-17 to a powerful North Otago line up, Palu scored his team’s only try with a quickly taken penalty tap that caught the North Otago defence unprepared and put Kapiti momentarily back in the match.