Tonga tumble Kelleher's men
Tonga beat the French Barbarians 28-27 at the Stade Des Alpes in Grenoble on Friday night.
The Tongans came back from 9-27 down to score three tries in the last 15 minutes to beat the Barbarians by a single point.
The third try (unconverted) was scored with just four minutes left. Viliami Helu, Mateo Malupo and Ueleni Fono scored the tries.
Even then the strong, multi-national Barbarians could have won the match but Benoît Baby missed a penalty attempt from in front of the posts. And in the last movement of the game Benjamin Fall botched a try-scoring opportunity with a knock-on.
The French Barbarians were established in 1980 after France won the 1977 Grand Slam by the likes of Jacques Fouroux, Jean-Pierre Rives and Jean-Claude Skrela.
It is always a strong team and this time, as a 30th birthday celebration, it was captained by New Zealander Byron Kelleher and also had in its midst Fijian Rupeni Caucaunibuca, New Zealanders Chris Masoe and Carl Hayman, Australian George Smith and South African Rob Linde .
Big Mathieu Basteraud damaged an ankle in the match when Finau Maka fell on it.
The scorers:
For Tonga:
Tries: Helu, Malupo, Fono
Cons: Fisilau 2
Pens: Fisilau 3
For French Barbarians:
Tries: Caucaunibuca, Kelleher, Hayman
Cons: Baby 3
Pens: Elissalde, Baby
The teams:
French Barbarians: 15 Céderic Heymans (Toulouse), 14 Rupeni Caucaunibuca (Toulouse), 13 Mathieu Basteraud (Stade Français), 12 Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan), 11 Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), 10 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse), 9 Byron Kelleher (Toulouse – captain), 8 Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), 7 Chris Masoe (Castres), 6 George Smith (Toulon), 5 Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), 4 Rob Linde (Bayonne), 3 Sylvain Marconnet (Biarritz), 2 Benjamin Kayser (Castres), 1 Daan Human (Toulouse).
Replacement: 16 Benoît Cabello (Brive), 17 Lionel Faure (Clermont), 18 Loïc Jacquet (Clermont), 19 Rémy Martin (Bayonne), 20 Jérôme Fillol (Racing Metro), 21 Benoti Baby (Clermont), 22 Benjamin Fall (), 23 Jean-Baptiste Poux (Toulouse).
Tonga: 15 Vunga Lilo, 14 Mateo Malupo, 13 Alaska Taufa, 12 Andrew Ma’ilei, 11 Viliami Helu, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Samisoni Fisilau, 8 Samiu Vahafolau, 7 Finau Maka (capitão), 6 Tukulua Lokotui, 5 Emosi Kauhenga, 4 Paino Hehea, 3 Kisi Pulu, 2 Ephraim Taufaka, 1 Tonga Lea’aetoa.
Replacements: 16 Ilaisa Maasi, 17 Ofa Fainga’anuku, 18 Lisiate Fa’aoso, 19 Ueleni Fono, 20 Thomas Palu, 21 Soane Havea, 22 Kaiongo Tupou.
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garces (France), Frank Maciello (France)
Timekeeper: Gilles Cogne (France)
