A beautiful bonding session between Tonga and South Africa following their Rugby World Cup game was made that much more special after the Springboks revealed precisely what went on behind the scenes.

The teams faced on Sunday, 1 October, for SA’s final group stage match. SA won the match 49-18.

But while the Boks await a pool decider game to determine if they will go through to the quarter-finals, Tonga has sadly been eliminated from the competition.

 

PLAYERS BOW THEIR HEADS IN PRAYER
Following their match in Marseilles on Sunday, viewers witnessed a beautiful and humbling moment between the teams.

The players embraced each other in a big circle and bent their heads and knees as they united in prayer. Moments later, players exchanged shirts and hugs.

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Take a look at what happened…

TONGA OFFERED TO PRAY FOR THE SPRINGBOKS
After the clip went viral, Springbok Grant Williams has shed light on precisely what transpired.

He told Supersport Rugby: “On the field, you try and kill each other. But after the game, it’s more of a mutual respect.

“It was special when they called us in and wished us well for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. They asked if they could pray for us.”

And there was no doubt that Springboks fans were touched by the grace of the losing team.

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“Wow, praying for us after they were beaten. That is special!” said one social media user. Another posted: “I like their confidence to wish us well all the way to the final.”

A third added: “What great sportsmanship. God bless their kind hearts.”