The Tonga men's rugby team is targeting a more disciplined performance when they take on a French Barbarians selection in Lyon this weekend.
Tonga have conceded 60 plus points in both of their previous tour games. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 'Ikale Tahi are still chasing the first win of their Northern Hemisphere tour, after conceding 60 plus points in crushing defeats by Scotland and England.
Three Tongan players have been yellow carded over the past fortnight, while winger Vilame Fine is serving a three match ban after being sent off last weekend.
Fine came onto the field at Twickenham to replace Walter Fifita, who had just spent ten minutes in the sin bin for an attempted intercept gone wrong.
The 24 year-old Fifita has had a year to remember after making his test debut against the All Blacks in July and moving to Scotland to join Glasgow Warriors.
Tonga's Afusipa Taumoepeau and Walter Fifita try to shut down England's George Furbank. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
He's started both tests on tour and said everyone needs to lift their game.
"I feel like we all need to be on the same stage on both sides of the ball and just bring the right mindset and just staying positive."
Veteran front-rower Siegfried Fisi'ihoi said it came down to individual responsibility.
"The main thing is the individual prep, individual work - on the field and off the field you have to be the same," he said.
"In the last two games our discipline just let us down. Last week they got seven tries from our own mistakes so that's the big work for us this week is our discipline and hopefully we can improve on Saturday and get better and better."
Tonga has leaked 21 tries in the past fortnight and Siegfried Fisi'ihoi said the players have done a lot of self reflection in the past week.
"To be honest we have to look to ourselves," he said following the squad's arrival in Lyon.
"We have to take out the positive stuff we can take for the game this week and the next game and probably the big thing from the last two games is our discipline. It has let us down, two yellow cards and a red (against England)."
Tonga prop Siegfried Fisi'ihoi (R) is all smiles during training. Photo: Lucas Scherrer Production
Fisi'ihoi missed the July internationals in New Zealand against the All Blacks, Manu Samoa and the Cook Islands because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
The Pau front rower will start in the number one jersey on Saturday and says he's looking forward to going head to head with his club team-mate Nicolas Corato, who will be packing down opposite.
"He's a tough guy at scrum time. I'm looking forward to go against him," he said.
"...in the last nine games (for our club) me and him just been starting together. It will be tough on Saturday - you can see he is very good, very strong in the front but we'll see."
Veteran Manu Samoa lock Joe Tekori and Fiji-born former New Zealand sevens international Joe Ravouvou are also a part of the French Barbarians squad, with former Tonga and North Harbour sevens star Fifita looking forward to coming up against a familiar face.
"I've played against him in New Zealand but I've heard that this team that we're going up against is a pretty tough team," he said.
"That's something that we've all spoken about is not to take this team lightly, but go into this game as strong as we can and finish off strong."
Tonga, who have made five personnel changes to their starting fifteen, will round out their Northern Hemisphere tour against Romania next weekend.