Tonga have received phenomenal support from Japanese fans at the Rugby World Cup, highlighting the "deep connection" that the sport has helped create between the two countries, assistant coach Pita Alatini said Monday.The day after their 23-21 loss to France, the Tongan players hit the swimming pool to recover from a match that saw scores of Japanese spectators at Kumamoto Stadium cheering on a dramatic late comeback attempt by the Pacific islanders.While Alatini attributed some of the crowd support to solidarity among Tier 2 nations, he said it also spoke to a bond built over many years be…READ FULL ARTICLE
