Samoa 20 Tonga 12
AFTER all the talk of war, and who ruled who, and the fireworks that would come, it ended, appropriately enough, with an invasion. The nice variety.
Although the amped-up security might not agree, the crowd started dripping onto CUA Stadium after a wonderful exhibition of rugby league, and then flooded it, following a remarkable match which was ultimately won by Samoa.
Clearly, they wanted more, and they might just get it, with players and officials from both sides screaming from the rooftops for more Test matches involving the two nations.
"It was a humbling experience," Samoa second-rower David Solomona said. "There's got to be something for the international game to look at. Guys like [halfback] Ben Roberts should be playing 30 or 40 matches for Samoa. I can't see why that's not plausible. The under-20s comp is loaded with Polynesian players - if they're not in the Australian or New Zealand team, why can't they play for Samoa?
"Everyone made the decision to play for Samoa months ago. We all wrote letters saying we wanted to play. I want to play for Samoa until I retire."
Samoan skipper Nigel Vagana, who added to a night of surprises by running 90-metres for a try, according to his coach his first since the under-15s, similarly wanted more.
"It shows the talent in the Pacific," he said. "We can be on that international scene every year for the next hundred years."
That coach, John Ackland, said: "It was a great night for international rugby league because you've got two teams who are ready to go. Let's start playing all the time."
Fair enough too, because it was a corker. And after all the talk of fire, it was finesse which won this one; two lashings of it in the one, wonderful play. With Samoa leading 14-12, and the game on the line, Solomona, playing with a medial ligament damaged in the first half, sent a sublime off-load to his back-row partner Lagi Setu, who then sent a flick George Carmont's way, and the centre finished off the movement.
It was the highlight of a match full of them. The hits hard, heavy and regularly high. And with all the emotion expected, down to the scenes after the final whistle. The Samoans were chaired off by the crowd while the Tongans were escorted off by security. After refusing to cross the line - the halfway one - during Tonga's pre-match war dance, the Sipi Tau, but only just, the Samoans found themselves unable to cross the tryline in the second half, apart from Carmont's try.
The Tongan defence kept themselves in the contest - it was certainly more sturdy than a fence at CUA Stadium, which was pushed over by some fans before the game, allowing about a hundred to squeeze in for free.
They enjoyed a great game. The rest, 11,787 of them, still got their money's worth.
After the fiery words in the build-up, the match spelled the end for Tonga. Samoa and Ireland will fight it out for a spot in the repechage, but they will do so with a cloud over Solomona and Kylie Leuluai, who was placed on report for a high shot on Tonga's Fetuli Talanoa.
But despite all the fire, off the park and on it, there was an offering of peace afterwards from Tonga - a show of support for the enemy. "It was a great spectacle for the Pacific nations, and we really do need to get more games for us," Tongan coach Jim Dymock said. "You saw out there the quality of player out there on the park, and after the match, everyone running out onto the field, it was a great feeling."
SAMOA 20 (G Carmont F Meli M Utai N Vagana tries B Roberts 2 goals) bt TONGA 12 (M Jennings T Leo-Latu tries T Williams 2 goals) at CUA Stadium. Referee: S Hayne. Crowd: 11,787.
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