Updated on
Summary Tonga failed to make the knockout stages of last year's Rugby World Cup.
Former Tonga captain Mana Otai was named head coach of the Pacific island states national team Wednesday, replacing predecessor Isitolo Maka.Otai, who skippered the Tongan team at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, said his immediate priority was selecting a team for a Northern Hemisphere tour in November that includes Tests against Italy, Scotland and the United States.Apart from picking the best possible team there are other factors to look at now, including our players availability, their conditions and to confirm them, so a lot of work needs to be done, he said.Otai, 43, has been coaching club rugby in Auckland for the past three years and will divide his time between New Zealand and Tonga in his new role.Tonga failed to make the knockout stages of last years Rugby World Cup but secured a shock 19-14 win over eventual finalists France in a pool match.
