Latu set for only shot at All Blacks
Having been controversially dropped from Tonga's squad on the eve of the tournament four years ago, Latu was absent from the side beaten 10-41 by the hosts in the opening match of the 2011 World Cup at Eden Park in Auckland.
The only three previous meetings between the countries were before his time in the international arena – a 7-91 loss at the 2003 World Cup, the infamous 0-102 defeat at North Harbour in 2000, and a 45-9 win for the men in black at Bristol at the 1999 World Cup.
"I believe this could be my last season with the international team and it's just a perfect way of going out. I'm really excited about the game. I played a bit in New Zealand with Richie [McCaw] and a lot of the All Black boys are my friends as well.
"It'll be good to rub shoulders with them but this could be my first and last game against the All Blacks," Latu said.
With a 31-point losing margin being the closest Tonga have got to New Zealand, the task facing Latu and his team would appear to be a hugely daunting one.
"I keep saying to my team, that you've got to come to the World Cup and be really positive. We can't think of ourselves as a tier two nation. We have to be confident that whatever goal we set we can achieve. We've seen Georgia and Namibia push the All Blacks.
"We played our best rugby last week, apart from the scoreboard. We just made too many mistakes when we had the ball. It's something that we looked at today. You can't afford to do that against a tier one nation. We want to fix up all our mistakes and stuff and take it to the All Blacks," he said.
Close connections
Like Tonga centre Siale Piutau, whose brother Charles was unlucky to miss the cut for New Zealand's 31-man World Cup squad, Latu has a family connection with the All Blacks. He is a cousin of Doug Howlett, the flying wing who scored an All Black record 49 tries in 62 Tests for New Zealand between 2000 and 2007.
"I keep in touch with his mother. I know he's [Howlett] out in Ireland somewhere but I'm not sure what he's up to at the moment after retiring. I'm sure we're going to run into each other sometime," he stated.
Coach Mana 'Otai has made a solitary change to the starting line-up that lost to Argentina with Latiume Fosita replacing Sione Piukala at inside centre.
This is the fewest changes Tonga have made between successive World Cup matches since 2003. In that year, they made no changes to the side that lost to Wales and then faced the All Blacks.
Tonga: 15 Vungakoto Lilo, 14 Telusa Veainu, 13 Siale Piutau, 12 Latiume Fosita, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Viliami Ma'afu, 7 Nili Latu (captain), 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Joseph Tuineau, 4 Tukulua Lokotui, 3 Halani 'Aulika, 2 Elvis Taione, 1 Soane Tonga'uiha.
Replacements: 16 Paula Ngauamo, 17 Sona Taumalolo, 18 Sila Puafisi, 19 Sitiveni Mafi, 20 Jack Ram, 21 Samisoni Fisilau, 22 Viliami Tahitua, 23 Will Helu.
Date: Friday, October 9
Venue: St James' Park, Newcastle
Kick-off: 20.00 (19.00 GMT; 08.00 Saturday, October 10 NZ & Tonga time)
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
