Woolf discontented by ruck speed difference following defeat to England
In his post-match press conference after Tonga’s narrow defeat by England 22-18 , Tonga’s head coach Kristian Woolf expressed his thoughts on the game. He stated, “England deserved to win. Shaun Wane did an excellent job, and they were well-prepared, despite having only two training sessions before the test match. Their performance was commendable, and the tries scored against us were not due to issues in the ruck.”
The coach emphasized that he wasn’t complaining but acknowledged areas for improvement. He praised the referee, Liam Moore, as the best in the country, while also highlighting concerns about the ruck’s fairness. He pointed out the significant difference in the time England and Tonga took to play the ball and raised issues with players entering the ruck late.
He stated, “We want to allow some leeway in a test match, but fairness in the ruck is crucial. We must be allowed to play the game, which is what the fans come to watch.”
During the match at the Totally Wicked Stadium, Tonga’s captain, Addin Fonua-Blake, was seen conversing with referee Moore. These discussions continued after the final whistle. Fonua-Blake believed that England had a strategy to slow down Tonga’s play, which primarily relies on their running ability. He felt that Tonga was penalized more quickly than England, affecting their performance.
He said, “It was evident they were in our faces a lot. Some decisions felt uneven or unfair. We lost the game by just four points, and I believe we handed them the victory, rather than them beating us. We’ll work on our areas of improvement, and hopefully, we’ll see a different result next week.”
Although Tonga often appeared to be the stronger team, they struggled to maintain pressure on England due to difficulties in stringing together phases. Their big forwards began to tire in the second half.
Woolf’s decision to stick with experienced players like Hopoate has faced criticism from some who believe his best days are behind him. There have been suggestions that Tolutau Koula, who has excelled at fullback while playing for Many Warringah in the NRL who is playing on the wing, might offer a more dynamic option in that position.
