Rugby Shorts
The game was not the most important at the 1999 Rugby World Cup but Italy and Tonga were both battling to avoid a winless RWC campaign and the back-and-forth match produced an exciting 28-25 win for Tonga.
Full-back Sateki Tuipulotu hit a drop goal with the last kick of the game to snatch a dramatic 28-25 victory. The kick erased what looked like it would be the leveler from Diego Dominguez in the 80th minute.
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The game was difficult for Italy players to handle with many falling to the pitch after the final kick while Tongans were overjoyed. The Tonga match was the only one that the Azzurri thought they could win and after controlling much of the match saw it as a lost opportunity.
Tonga made the most of their opportunities. They fell behind 12-0 but ran in an impressive 18 unanswered in the last quarter of the first half. In the second half, the Pacific nation fell behind but always found a way to fight back.
