Latu scored under the posts and halfback Ata Hingano converted to give Tonga a dramatic 26-24 win after playing the last seven minutes with 12 players following the loss of second rower Tony Williams with a season ending knee injury.
The win saw Mate Ma'a Tonga ranked the 11th best rugby league nation after being 14th in the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) rankings released on November 23 last year following the conclusion of the Four Nations and Rugby League World Cup 2017 qualifying matches.
After regaining the No.1 position from New Zealand at the end of the last year, the Australian Kangaroos consolidated their place in the updated world rankings after the recent international weekend by triumphing 32-12 in the ANZAC Test on May 5.
The result ensures Australia favouritism for Rugby League World Cup 2017, which will commence when the Kangaroos host England in Melbourne on October 27 and concludes with the final in Brisbane on November 2.
Despite beating Samoa 30-10 in the Pacific Test on May 6, England remain third behind the Kiwis, while Scotland are fourth following the performance of the Brave Hearts at the Four Nations, which included a draw with New Zealand.
Samoa, who are drawn in the same World Cup pool as New Zealand, Tonga and Scotland, are fifth, with France sixth and Ireland swapping places with Fiji to be seventh ahead of the eighth-placed Bati.
Wales and the United States round out the top 10, with Tonga leapfrogging Serbia, Canada and European qualifiers Italy into 11th spot.
World Cup co-hosts Papua New Guinea, who beat Cook Islands 32-22 in the Pacific Test, remain in 15th place on the RLIF rankings, while Lebanon, who beat Malta 24-4 in Sydney on May 6, are ranked 21st - the lowest of the Rugby League World Cup 2017 qualifying nations.
RLIF World Rankings: May 14, 2017
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Scotland
5. Samoa
6. France
7. Ireland
8. Fiji
9. Wales
10. United States
11. Tonga
12. Serbia
13. Canada
14. Italy
15. Papua New Guinea
16. Russia
17. Jamaica
18. Belgium
19. Malta
20. Spain
21. Lebanon
22. Ukraine
23. Germany
24. Cook Islands
25. Czech Republic
26. Norway
27. Denmark
28. Greece
29. Sweden
30. Netherlands
31. Niue
32. South Africa
33. Hungary
34. Philippines
35. Thailand
36. Chile
37. Vanuatu
38. El Salvador
39. Latvia
40. Solomon Islands
41. Uruguay
42. Morocco
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017
