Queensland have swept Tonga in Nuku’alofa with the Reds men handing ‘Ikale Tahi a 41-14 defeat in Nuku’alofa.
Backrow duo Joe Brial and Seru Uru reigned supreme in torrential conditions at Teufaiva Sports Stadium while captain Jock Campbell impressed from fullback in the Reds’ second-half surge to victory.
Veteran flyhalf James O’Connor was substituted for a HIA before halftime in an otherwise unmarred performance against Tonga, who held Queensland 12-all in the shadows of half time before falling away late.
“Obviously a very physical game in the conditions, so I think in the second half we really wanted to play field position,” Campbell told media post-game.
“It was quite a significant wind there so we tried to play down their end and make it hard to exit.
Moana Pasifika star Lotu Inisi opened the scoring after just five minutes with a barnstorming run, carrying three Reds defenders over the chalk to send the crowd wild before Richie Asiata hit back in the 11th minute from a trusty rolling maul.
Joe Brial was next to cross on the half-hour mark, fighting his way over the paint following a scrum penalty, but the Tongans hit back immediately through a Siaosi Nai intercept to square the ledger.
However Queensland would have the half’s last laugh with a penalty try putting the visitors ahead 19-12 at oranges.
It sparked a Reds second-half surge with winger Mac Grealy drawing three Tongan defenders down the left flank and offloading to an unmarked Tim Ryan in the 47th minute.
Queensland’s rolling maul delivered another Asiata try in the 62nd minute to stretch their lead to 19 before slick hands to an unmarked Seru Uru put the result beyond doubt.
The Reds pushed for a final try in overtime but Tonga’s defence held firm, Mason Gordon instead slotting a late penalty to push Queensland's tally past 40.
The men’s win follows the earlier success of Queensland’s women, who posted a 65-0 win over the Lofa in their first ever international tour fixture.
The Queensland-Tonga tour was made possible by the support of the Australian government’s PacificAus Sport program.
The PacificAus Sports program also enables access high-performance coaching in Australia and internationally while partnering with Australians national sports organisations to support regional development.
“We’ve got to thank PacificAus Sport for organsing the whole thing, we’re so privileged to be able to come over here,” Campbell said.
“Everyone’s so lovely. I strolled into town, went to a coffee shop, said hello to a few people. It’s just a nice community, I really want to come back.”
ANALYSIS: Friday's Reds-Tonga double header highlights the growth both within Queensland's club culture and Australia's broader support for Pacific rugby and regional development.
Fresh from the success of last year's Australia A tour to Nuku'alofa and Queensland's hosting of Penina Pasifika in 2024, the Reds are going a step further by delivering both men's and women's touring sides to the Kingdom of Tonga.
"One of the real strengths of Queensland rugby overall is the community feel, so have the women's space being integrated with us on this Tongan tour is fantastic for everyone," Kiss told rugby.com.au.
"I think it's their first big trip overseas so it's a wonderful occasion to go over to Tonga and experience international rugby."
The government's PacificAus Sports program is also key driver of the Tongan tour and helps develop pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions.
An advance party of Queensland Rugby staff - assisted by Wallabies legend George Smith - have already been out in force this week delivering clinics across the Kingdom of Tonga - while the inclusion of a women's fixture against the Tongan Lofa aligns with PacificAus ethos of providing equal opportunity to and advancing women's sport.
"PacificAus Sports, their support has been fantastic. They do a lot of work for the pathways for not only players but also elite coaches in the Pacific. They've been a great support to get this underway," Kiss said
"To have the opportunity to go to Tonga is another experience for our team, there's a lot of young guys in this squad, and also for our management to go over to Tonga and have another international experience."
From a high performance perspective, both Queensland's men and women have named strong matchday 23s with Les Kiss unveiling three-Test Wallaby hooker Feleti Kaitu'u an al all-star bench.
Meanwhile, the Reds women have rolled out seven Wallaroos to support a potential eight debutants with their Tongan clash ends a 28-year drought against international opposition.
