The performance may not have been perfect but in terms of passing a test of character, this felt like a tick in the box for Shaun Wane’s new-look England side.
The rebuild from last year’s disappointing Rugby League World Cup campaign, and the road to the next tournament in 2026, begins for England with this three-Test series against Tonga. The series, against a side full of experience and physical presence, always felt it would be a good yardstick to determine where the national side are and whether they could exorcise the demons from 12 months ago. The early evidence suggests not only will this be a brilliant series, but that England can come through encounters when they are being asked firm questions.
There were only six survivors from the golden point defeat to Samoa in last year’s World Cup semi-final and given the lack of opportunities for England to play international rugby league, it was perhaps to be expected that this was never going to be the most polished performance of the series. Those standards will raise across the next fortnight: the priority here was coping with what a star-studded Tongan side threw at them and in the end, they did that well.
There were moments of supreme quality. Mikey Lewis’s Test debut featured the glimpses of brilliance Super League fans are used to seeing from the Hull KR half-back and with the captain, George Williams, suspended again for next week’s second Test in Huddersfield, he and Harry Smith will get another opportunity to stake a claim to partner Williams in the series finale in Leeds. Both would argue they can improve on their first showings of the series.
And with the scores level at 12-12 as the hour mark approached, stand-in captain Jack Welsby produced the game’s definitive play, with a remarkable cut-out pass to free Tom Johnstone to score and put the hosts back ahead. Johnstone then scored a second nine minutes later to open up a two-score lead for the first and only time in the Test and despite Tolutau Koula’s late score setting up a thrilling finale, England held on.
“It wasn’t perfect,” Wane said. “We were OK in patches, considering we’ve only trained together twice. I’m happy because we’ve won the Test match. But I know we can improve massively on that. We did some good things but we can do them a lot better.” Wane is ultra-demanding of his squad, so his response post-match is hardly surprising. But he is right: England can, and probably will, have to be much better against a Tongan side who will improve as the series go on.
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It was a wonderful break from Lewis which led to the deadlock being broken and while he was halted close to the line, England held their nerve and shifted left for Toby King to score. But the problems Tonga can cause were underlined by their two tries which moved the tourists ahead, as Starford To’a finished a wonderful team move before Tyson Frizell grounded a Tui Lolohea kick to move Tonga into a 10-6 lead. However, Lewis then produced another break and this time he managed to ground the ball to put the hosts back in front, before a penalty from Isaiya Katoa levelled it at 12-12 at half-time.
The game needed a moment of brilliance to unlock it as the hour mark approached. Welsby, Super League’s standout talent, provided it with an exceptional cut-out pass for Johnstone that left the England coach lost for words post-match. Johnstone then pushed the lead out further after intercepting a loose carry from Will Penisini to make it 22-12. Tonga set up a thrilling finale when Koula finished a fine move to narrow the gap to just four but the hosts showed plenty of mettle to close out victory and take the opening Test.
England will have to improve next week, because there is no doubting Tonga will as they further adjust to English conditions. But if they do, the series is within their grasp, as are signs of a bright future.
