Tonga claim their biggest-ever World Cup win as Romania come up short

Tonga wrapped up their 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign with a bonus-point 45-24 success against Romania at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille on Sunday.

After defeats to Ireland, Scotland and South Africa, victory will taste sweet for the 'Ikale Tahi as they finish in fourth spot in Pool B ahead of the Romanians.

Solomone Kata (two), George Moala, Afusipa Taumoepeau, Sione Vailanu, Pita Ahki and Kyren Taumoefolau went over in Tonga's ruthless seven-try triumph.

Cristi Boboc, Florin Surugio and Marius Simionescu crossed for Romania as their Rugby World Cup unfortunately wraps up with zero points on the board.

The teams came into the clash without a point between them but the Pacific Islanders finished strongly to ensure they exited the competition with a win.

Although Alin Conache missed an early penalty for Romania, Tonga started with purpose and were rewarded through tries from Kata and Moala, the latter of which was converted by William Havili.

Conache kicked a penalty to make it 14-3 to Tonga after 20 minutes but Taumoepeau went over soon after and Havili again converted.

However, Romania scored a try of their own in the 31st minute when Boboc touched down after a well worked line-out.  Conache converted to reduce the deficit to 11 points.

After Tonga's Leva Fifita was shown yellow for a shoulder charge, Romania used the extra man to score again.

Surugiu, in his last international game before retiring, broke away after a scrum and evaded the defenders to cross the whitewash.  Conache again converted and the deficit was just four points.

10 minutes after the turnaround Tonga had breathing space when Vailanu's try was converted by Havili.

However, battling Romania responded well with a try from Simionescu.  Conache added the extras and the gap was down to four points again.

That was as good as it got for them though, as Ahki crossed for a try which Havili again converted with 18 minutes remaining.

Four minutes later Kata had his second try and, after Conache had been sin-binned, Taumoefolau got Tonga's seventh try to round off the scoring in an entertaining contest.

🇹🇴🙌 It has been a pleasure, Tonga! #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/DDKGXhSDJj

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 8, 2023

The teams

Tonga:  15 Salesi Piutau, 14 Solomone Kata, 13 George Moala, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Afusipa Taumoepeau, 10 William Havili, 9 Sonatane Takulua (c), 8 Sione Vailanu, 7 Sione Talitui, 6 Semisi Paea, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Halaleva Fifita, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi'ihoi
Replacements:  16 Sione Anga'aelangi, 17 Paula Latu, 18 Siate Tokolahi, 19 Sitiveni Mafi, 20 Penitoa Finau, 21 Manusiu Paea, 22 Patrick Pellegrini, 23 Kyren Taumoefolau

Romania:  15 Marius Simionescu, 14 Nicholas Onutu, 13 Tevita Manumua, 12 Fonovai Tangimana, 11 Taliauli Sikuea, 10 Alin Conache, 9 Florin Surugiu, 8 Andre Gorin, 7 Cristi Boboc, 6 Vlad Neculau, 5 Marius Iftimiciuc, 4 Adrian Motoc, 3 Alexandru Gordas, 2 Ovidiu Cojocaru (c), 1 Alexandru Savin
Replacements:  16 Robert Irimescu, 17 Iulian Hartig, 18 Costel Burtila, 19 Florian Rosu, 20 Damian Stratila, 21 Gabriel Rupanu, 22 Alexandru Bucur, 23 Mihai Graure

Referee:  Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referees:  Mathieu Raynal (FFR), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO:  Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Springboks claim maximum against Tonga as they await knockout fate

South Africa did all they could in their final Rugby World Cup pool game after they saw off Tonga 49-18 in a bonus-point win at Stade de Marseille on Sunday.

The maximum haul puts the Springboks on 15 points at the end of their pool campaign, with rivals Ireland (14) and Scotland (10) set to face off next weekend to determine who finishes first, second and third in the toughest group of this year's tournament.

Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, Deon Fourie, Jesse Kriel, Willie Le Roux, Marco van Staden and Kwagga Smith claimed South Africa's tries on the night.

It was also a welcome return to international rugby for Handre Pollard, who was 100% off the tee before being replaced by Manie Libbok on 51 minutes.

Ben Tameifuna, Fine Inisi and Patrick Pellegrini were Tonga's try scorers in an impressive performance ahead of their Pool B finale against Romania.

Ireland could have been sure of a quarter-final place before their final pool match against Scotland had the Springboks failed to beat Tonga, who had lost both previous games.

Andy Farrell's men, though, can guarantee top spot if they avoid defeat by Scotland, whose own qualification hopes are slim.

Tonga got the first points on the board at the Stade Velodrome through an early penalty from William Havili.

But South Africa were soon in front when scrum-half Reinach tapped up a quick penalty before sprinting over in the corner.

The Springboks further extended their lead in the 20th minute when the ball bounced off Vincent Koch's shoulder and straight to Moodie, who darted under the posts.

Makazole Mapimpi went off for a head-injury assessment after being caught by Augustine Pulu as they ducked into a tackle.  English referee Luke Pearce and the TMO agreed it was not a yellow-card offense by the Tongan, who was down on his knees at point of contact.

South Africa, edged out 13-8 by Ireland at the Stade de France, scored again through Fourie on the half-hour mark following a driving maul from a lineout before Tonga had a try on the board when captain Tameifuna powered over to reduce the deficit to 21-8 at half-time.

The Springboks secured a bonus-point try early in the second half when replacement Kriel pushed over and the TMO then ruled against a yellow card to Eben Etzebeth for a collision with Tonga full-back Salesi Piutau.

A masterclass in Marseille

Congratulations to @Springboks' Deon Fourie on being named the @Mastercard #POTM #RWC2023 | #RSAvTGA | #Priceless pic.twitter.com/7ZgP6tAR8q

― Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 1, 2023

Tonga responded again as winger Inisi touched down in the corner, only for Le Roux to go over down the left and South Africa replacement Van Staden added another try following a well-worked swift counter.

Coventry fly-half Pellegrini produced a memorable moment as he chased down his own kick to score under the posts before Smith dived over for South Africa's seventh try in added time.

The teams

South Africa:  15 Willie le Roux, 14 Grant Williams, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements:  16 Marco van Staden, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Jesse Kriel, 23 Manie Libbok

Tonga:  15 Salesi Piutau, 14 Fine Inisi, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Anzelo Tuitavuki, 10 William Havili, 9 Augustine Pulu, 8 Semisi Paea, 7 Sione Talitui, 6 Tanginoa Halaifonua, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Halaleva Fifita, 3 Ben Tameifuna (c), 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi'ihoi
Replacements:  16 Sam Moli, 17 Tau Koloamatangi, 18 Sosefo Apikotoa, 19 Adam Coleman, 20 Sione Vailanu, 21 Sonatane Takulua, 22 Patrick Pellegrini, 23 Afusipa Taumoepeau

Referee:  Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referees:  Matthew Carley (RFU), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO:  Brett Cronan (RA)

Scotland claim maximum against Tonga to stay in Pool B conversation

Scotland claimed a 45-17 bonus-point win over Tonga in Nice on Sunday to keep their Rugby World Cup knockout hopes alive with two games remaining.

The maximum haul puts the Scots on five points ahead of facing Romania before their Pool B campaign ends with a mouth-watering match against Ireland.

Indeed, both Ireland and South Africa will be looking over their shoulders as Scotland are very much still in the conversation to make it into the quarter-finals.

Scotland's seven tries in Nice went the way of George Turner, Duhan van der Merwe, Kyle Steyn, Rory Darge, George Horne, Blair Kinghorn and Darcy Graham.

For Tonga, Solomone Kata and Ben Tameifuna crossed the whitewash as they went down to a second straight pool loss, leaving them stuck on zero points.

Scotland signalled their intent in the second minute when Kinghorn chased down his own kick-through and outpaced the Tongan defence to get there but he knocked the ball on as he tried to slam it down over the line.

They only had to wait a further three minutes to get their first try of the tournament, though, as hooker Turner pushed over following a maul.  Finn Russell converted.

Tonga halted the early Scottish flow when William Havili sent his penalty between the posts in the 10th minute, and midway through the first half the Pacific islanders managed to get themselves in front when Kata ran on to a Salesi Piutau offload and dotted down on the right.  Havili converted.

With the Scots trailing 10-7 more than a quarter of the way into a must-win game, they could have lost their composure, but they soon regained control of proceedings with three tries in the closing 14 minutes of the first half.

Van der Merwe got them back in front in the 26th minute when he finished off a lovely move involving Sione Tuipulotu, Russell and Kinghorn by touching down on the left.  Russell was wide with the conversion attempt.

Steyn ― who scored a record four tries in the Scots' last meeting with Tonga almost two years ago ― then raced in on the right to score on the half hour following a lovely pass from Russell, who subsequently saw his kick come back off the post.

There was a flashpoint in the 33rd minute when Tonga back Afusipa Taumoepeau was sin-binned for a high challenge on Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie, who was forced off with a head injury and replaced by Matt Fagerson.

The Scots ― anticipating that it might be upgraded to a red card on review ― took advantage of their temporary numerical advantage when Darge finished impressively in the last action of the half, with Russell on point with the conversion.

Shortly after Taumoepeau was surprisingly allowed to return to the field in the third minute of the second half, Tonga got back in the game when prop Tameifuna bulldozed his way over on the left, and Havili added the extras.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇹🇴 Beast mode activated by Duhan van der Merwe. #SCOvTGA pic.twitter.com/S5VxaoaBpF

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 24, 2023

With the deficit down to just seven points, Scotland reasserted themselves when substitute Horne touched down in the 53rd minute after brilliant play by Van der Merwe to set him up.  Russell converted.

Kinghorn and replacement Graham put the seal on a much-needed victory with late tries ― both converted by Russell ― either side of a yellow card for Tonga's Vaea Fifita.

The teams

Scotland:  15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Jamie Ritchie (c), 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 George Turner, 1 Rory Sutherland
Replacements:  16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 WP Nel, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Matt Fagerson, 21 George Horne, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Darcy Graham

Tonga:  15 Charles Piutau, 14 Solomone Kata, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Afusipa Taumoepeau, 10 William Havili, 9 Augustine Pulu, 8 Vaea Fifita, 7 Sione Talitui, 6 Tanginoa Halaifonua, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Halaleva Fifita, 3 Ben Tameifuna (c), 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi'ihoi
Replacements:  16 Sam Moli, 17 Tau Koloamatangi, 18 Sosefo Apikotoa, 19 Adam Coleman, 20 Semisi Paea, 21 Sione Vailanu, 22 Sonatane Takulua, 23 Patrick Pellegrini

Referee:  Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant Referees:  Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO:  Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

Ireland throw down the gauntlet with statement demolition of Tonga

Ireland continued their fine start to the 2023 Rugby World Cup after they thrashed Tonga 59-16 at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Saturday.

Tougher tests await in South Africa and Scotland but on the evidence of their opening two matches, Andy Farrell's men look in fine shape.

Against a talented Pacific Island outfit ― on paper at least ― the European team were excellent, running in eight tries in total.

Johnny Sexton, on his second game back following injury and suspension, once again impressed and broke Ronan O'Gara's points record when he touched down after 38 minutes.

The fly-half also added four conversions and a penalty before he was replaced at the break, with Ross Byrne coming on to kick the extras to scores from James Lowe, Bundee Aki (twice) and Rob Herring.

Tadhg Beirne initially set the ball rolling, while Caelan Doris and Mack Hansen also crossed the whitewash in the first period.

The world's top-ranked nation comfortably maintained their 100 per cent start to the tournament and emerged relatively unscathed, moving towards pivotal Paris appointments with the Springboks and Scotland.

Despite the looming threat of the reigning world champions, head coach Andy Farrell named an extremely strong starting XV showing just four personnel changes from last weekend's thumping 12-try triumph over Romania.

His side, unfamiliar in white shirts, were once again heavily backed on the terraces and met Tonga's Sipi Tau by taking a collective step forward.

Sexton slotted an early penalty to increase the volume, but William Havili landed a long-range reply to level before Ireland were frustrated to have an Andrew Porter try disallowed for a knock-on by Hansen.

The disappointment proved to be fleeting as Farrell's men remained on the front foot, culminating in Beirne collecting Doris' pass and touching down under the posts for his third score of the tournament.

Havili landed another audacious penalty from close to halfway to cut Tonga's deficit, but their hopes of a first win over the Six Nations champions were swiftly reduced by costly indiscipline.

Lowe was clattered in his own 22 by opposing wing Solomone Kata, gifting Ireland a penalty at the other end of the field from which Doris powered over.

Hansen ― one of four men recalled by Farrell ― then superbly danced through the opposition defence wide on the right to stretch the scoreboard, leading to Sexton equalling O'Gara's previous national record.

Sexton overtook his former fly-half rival in memorable fashion to secure the bonus point.

🔥 RECORD BREAKING SCORE!

Johnny Sexton becomes Ireland's all-time leading points scorer! 🙌#RWC2023 #IREvTON pic.twitter.com/D0FSUEq0KK

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 16, 2023

The 38-year-old effortlessly slipping through Tonga's defence to touch down and then celebrated jubilantly with fans seated behind the posts before regaining his composure to add a simple conversion.

Ireland were threatening to blitz the stunned underdogs.

Yet Tonga roared back and, during a series of penalties close to the Irish line, O'Mahony was sin-binned before former All Black Vaea Fifita shrugged off an early injury issue to power over.

No one can stop him 💪#RWC2023 | #IREvTGA pic.twitter.com/mim4PNDpuK

― Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 16, 2023

Ireland changed their entire front-row at the break while wrapping Sexton in cotton wool.

Yet replacement tighthead prop Finlay Bealham departed for a head injury assessment after Havili kicked his third penalty of the evening, requiring the swift return of Tadhg Furlong before substitute hooker Herring had a try chalked off on review.

Lowe eventually claimed Ireland's fifth and official man-on-the-match Aki then propelled himself to the top of the tournament's embryonic try-scoring charts with a quick-fire brace, all converted by Sexton's replacement Ross Byrne.

Ireland were relatively untroubled in the second period, and Herring sealed another statement win ― a 15th in succession overall ― ahead of two critical fixtures in the French capital.

Ireland:  15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexton (c), 9 Conor Murray, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 James Ryan, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements:  16 Rob Herring, 17 David Kilcoyne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Ryan Baird, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Robbie Henshaw

Tonga:  15 Charles Piutau, 14 Afusipa Taumoepeau, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Solomone Kata, 10 William Havili, 9 Augustine Pulu, 8 Vaea Fifita, 7 Sione Talitui, 6 Tanginoa Halaifonua, 5 Halaleva Fifita, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Ben Tameifuna (c), 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi'ihoi
Replacements:  16 Sam Moli, 17 Tau Koloamatangi, 18 Sosefo Apikotoa, 19 Semisi Paea, 20 Solomone Funaki, 21 Sione Vailanu, 22 Sonatane Takulua, 23 Fine Inisi

Referee:  Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees:  Matthew Carley (England), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO:  Tom Foley (England)

Tonga return to winning ways against hapless Canada in Nuku’alofa

Tonga overcame a second-half red card for George Moala to clinch a 28-3 victory against Canada in the first of two Rugby World Cup warm-up matches for the Pacific Islanders in Nuku’alofa on Thursday.

It was a much improved performance from the home side ― who finished winless and at the bottom of the table during the recent Pacific Nations Cup ― as they dominated for long periods and eventually outscored their opponents by four tries to none.

Hard running number eight Sione Vailanu led the way with a brace of five-pointers for the Ikale Tahi while Sam Moli (hooker) and Sonatane Takulua (captain and scrum-half) also crossed the whitewash.

Takulua also succeeded with four conversions which meant he finished with a 13-point haul.

It was a tough day at the office for the North Americans, who will not be participating at the global showpiece for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 1987, and their only points came via the boot of Peter Nelson.

Fine start from Tonga

Moli gave the hosts an early lead when he scored his try after breaking off the back of a lineout drive deep inside Canadian territory, before Nelson responded with his three-pointer off the kicking tee.

After that, the hosts had the bulk of the territory and possession and midway through the opening half they were rewarded with a sensational try from Takulua, after Afusipa Taumoepeau and Fine Inisi combined brilliantly in the build-up.

On the stroke of half-time, Vailanu powered over the try-line off the back of a lineout deep inside Canada’s 22 and Takulua added the extras to give Tonga a 21-3 lead at the interval.

The second half was a tighter affair, especially after former All Blacks centre Moala received his marching orders for a dangerous hit on Canada counterpart Ben LeSage in the 45th minute.

Despite their one-man advantage, Canada could not breach the defence of the Ikale Tahi who sealed their victory when Vailanu crossed for his second try in the 51st minute.

Samoa end Pacific Nations Cup in style with bonus-point win over Tonga

Samoa proved too strong for Tonga in their final round Pacific Nations Cup encounter in Apia on Saturday as they clinched a deserved 34-9 bonus-point victory.

As the scoreline suggests, the home side were full value for their win as they outscored their visitors by four tries to none with hooker Sama Malolo, flanker Miracle Fai’ilagi, inside centre Duncan Paia’aua and replacement scrum-half Melani Matavao crossing the whitewash.

Fine goal-kicking from Alai D’angelo Leuila

Their other points came via the boot of fly-half Alai D’angelo Leuila, who finished with a 14-point haul after he slotted four conversions and a couple of penalties.

For Tonga, fly-half William Havili added a penalty before his replacement, Otumaka Mausia, also succeeded with a couple of three-pointers off the kicking tee.

The visitors were fastest out of the blocks and opened the scoring in the third minute via Havili’s penalty but Samoa were level by the 17th minute when Leuila landed his first shot at goal.

Five minutes later, Samoa took the lead when Malolo crossed for the opening try from close range before Mausia reduced the deficit when he landed his first penalty in the 28th minute.

Mausia and Leuila then traded penalties during the closing stages of the first half which meant Samoa held a slender 13-9 lead when the teams changed sides at the break.

Strong finish from Samoa

Samoa stepped up a couple of gears on attack after half-time and they were rewarded in the 46th minute when Fai’ilagi scored his try off the back of a rolling maul deep inside Tonga territory.

The next 10 minutes was an arm wrestle as the sides battled to gain the ascendancy but it was the home side who scored next as Paia’aua crossed for a well-taken try and with Leuila adding the extras they were in control of proceedings.

And in the 64th minute Matavao pounced on a lineout from Tonga which went awry deep inside their half and sealed the home side’s win and their bonus point when he crossed for their fourth five-pointer.

Japan bounce back with hard-fought triumph over plucky Tonga

Japan returned to the victory trail when they clinched a hard-fought 21-16 triumph over Tonga in their Pacific Nations Cup encounter in Higashiosaka on Saturday.

After starting their campaign with a narrow loss to Samoa last weekend, the Brave Blossoms delivered an improved performance and bounced back against the ‘Ikale Tahi to keep their hopes alive of winning the competition.

The home side eventually outscored the Pacific Islanders by three tries to two with Jone Naikabula, Amato Fakatava and Semisi Masirewa crossing the whitewash while their other points came courtesy of penalties from Seungsin Lee and Rikiya Matsuda.

For Tonga, Sonatane Takulua and Samuela Moli scored tries and their other points came via the boot of William Havili, who succeeded with two three-pointers off the kicking tee.

Brave Blossoms strike first

The Brave Blossoms dominated the early exchanges and took the lead in the 19th minute when Naikabula rounded off a flowing backline move ― in which Masirewa was prominent.

Despite that setback, the visitors had the bulk of the possession as the half progressed and they struck back with Takulua’s try three minutes later.

Japan finished the half stronger, however, and after Lee slotted his penalty on the half-hour mark, Fakatava crossed for their second try after a superb offload from Naikabula which gave the hosts a 13-5 lead at the interval.

The second half started brightly for the visitors when Havili reduced the deficit with his first penalty shortly after the restart and in the 46th minute he succeeded with his second one which meant the Brave Blossoms were holding a narrow two-point lead.

Japan needed a response and that came in the 52nd minute when Masirewa went over for his try after running onto a well-timed pass from Ryohei Yamanaka.

No surrender from Tonga

However, Tonga did not surrender and they struck back in the 56th minute when Moli dotted down after a rolling maul from their forwards deep inside the Brave Blossoms’ 22.

The final quarter was a closely fought battle as both sides tried to gain the ascendancy but Japan sealed their victory in the 66th minute when Matsuda slotted the match-winning penalty.

Fiji hold off Tonga to clinch Pacific Nations Cup victory in Lautoka

Fiji made a superb start to their Pacific Nations Cup campaign when they sealed a hard-fought 36-20 victory over Tonga in Lautoka on Saturday.

In a fast-paced and entertaining encounter, Fiji held the upper-hand for most of this match, but unlike the previous Test between these sides ― which Fiji won 36-0 in Suva last year ― the ‘Ikale Tahi were more competitive.

Solid Test debut or Caleb Muntz

In the end, Fiji proved too strong, however, and they eventually outscored their visitors by five tries to three while debutant fly-half Caleb Muntz had a solid outing as he contributed nine points courtesy of three conversions and a penalty.

Fiji made a fantastic start, and after an extended period of pressure inside Tonga’s half, they were rewarded with a penalty try, and Tonga’s flanker Tanginoa Halaifonua was also yellow carded for his indiscretion, which led to the score.

The hosts continued to dominate and held a 19-0 lead by the 12th minute after their captain, Waisea Nayacalevu, and Sam Matavesi crossed for tries in quick succession.

Tonga needed a response, and they did just that by playing a tighter game, with their forwards more prominent during the rest of the half, and that tactic reaped rewards as Siua Maile and Halaleva Fifita crossed for tries.

Otumaka Mausia succeeded with one conversion and also added a penalty which meant the ‘Ikale Tahi were back in the game as they trailed their hosts by four points.

Despite the visitors’ fightback, Fiji responded when Josua Tuisova crossed for another converted try which meant they held a 26-15 lead at half-time.

The second half was a tighter affair, and Tonga were fastest out of the blocks when replacement back Kyren Taumoefolau crossed for their third try after Charles Piutau had done well in the build-up.

With the score 26-20 to the home side, Tonga were back in the match, and they continued to be competitive for the rest of the second half.

Tight battle

The game’s final quarter was a closely fought battle characterised by great physicality from both sides.  In the 70th minute, Muntz slotted a penalty after Tonga were blown up for straying offside on defence.

That gave Fiji some breathing space, and they secured victory in the game’s closing stages when Peni Matawalu crossed for their fifth five-ponter after a strong driving maul.

Tonga send warning with promising victory over Australia ‘A’

A high-powered Tonga side claimed a historic 27-21 win over Australia ‘A’ at the Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku’alofa on Friday.

The home side started well and held off a second-half surge from Australia ‘A’ to delight their fans.  It only took three minutes for Tonga to score through Salesi Piutau with William Havili missing the conversion.

Taniela Tupou who made his injury return in this clash showcased his strength early on with a scrum penalty.  However, his side would not benefit as Tonga snapped up a loose ball resulting in Fine Inisi going over for a second try in the first 10 minutes.  Havili made no mistake from the tee on this occasion.

The Australians were their own worst enemy and struggled to get into the game because of several handling errors.  The hosts remained at their brutal best and after a string of scrum penalties crossed through Tanginoa Halaifonua on the 24-minute mark.

Piutau was once again at the heart of some stunning play as he put Inisi in for his second try of the clash, giving the hosts a commanding 24-0 lead at half-time.

Game of two halves

Australia ‘A’ needed some magic of their own and it came through James O’Connor who orchestrated some space for speedster Corey Tool five minutes after the break.  Fly-half Bernard Foley was on hand to convert from the touchline.

The try gave the visitors confidence and they grew further into the game with Lachlan Anderson scoring a try of his own just before the hour mark with skipper Foley on hand to nail the kick.

The comeback would come even closer as Josh Flook benefited from a Lukhan Salakai-Loto breakaway to take his team to within three points of Tonga.

However, the hosts hung on after a late penalty from Manu Paea to claim a 27-21 victory.

Foley thanks the Tongan people for their hospitality and the team for their physical battle.

“It’s been great to be here, the hospitality from the Tongan people and Tongan public has been exceptional ― we felt very welcomed coming here,” he said.

“We knew it was going to be a physical match, they really gave it to us at the start and put us under pressure.

“We came up against a really quality side in Tonga with plenty of strike weapons in their backline.  We weren’t able to stop them early on and we paid for that.

“But again, it was a great opportunity for everyone to play here and we’re hungry and motivated to keep going ahead of the Rugby World Cup.”

England kick off with comfortable win over Tonga

England got their Autumn Nations Series campaign off to a winning start as they thumped a disappointing Tonga 69-3 at Twickenham on Saturday.

The first 82,000 full house at the home of English rugby for 20 months because of the coronavirus pandemic enjoyed an 11-try rout led by Jonny May, Ben Youngs and Jamie George, who each crossed twice.

Victory was completed despite a disrupted build-up that saw Owen Farrell withdraw as fly-half and captain after testing positive for Covid with confirmation of his absence delivered only 90 minutes before kick-off.

George Furbank was promoted to chief conductor for his fifth cap and a rookie who is more accustomed to playing full-back rose to the occasion by showing several attacking flourishes until he was replaced by Marcus Smith.

The intention had been for Farrell and Smith to form a playmaking axis but Covid and Smith’s leg injury sabotaged that plan and instead the Harlequins prodigy had to wait until the 53rd minute to step off the bench.

Smith entered the fray at a time when England were becoming scruffy in the face of successful Tongan spoiling but his arrival gave Eddie Jones’ men a second wind and he picked a brilliant support line to finish a break by man of the match Henry Slade.

The 22-year-old’s afternoon was marred only when he was elbowed on the floor in the 70th minute by Viliami Fine, who was sent off as a result.

Courtney Lawes deputised as captain for the isolating Farrell, who will also miss next Saturday’s visit of Australia, and the veteran flanker was highly influential with his try-saving tackle on Telusa Veainu a remarkable feat of athleticism.

Even allowing for the strength of determined but limited opposition it was an impressive start to the autumn as England, wearing their red change kit, attacked at speed showing an intent that was missing in the Six Nations.

Bigger tests are to come against Australia and South Africa across the next two weekends but this was a meaningful step towards resetting after a calamitous fifth place finish in the Championship.

Kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes after Tonga arrived late and it looked bleak for the Islanders from the moment Adam Radwan showed slick footwork to cross in the third minute.

Tongan resistance then melted away before a driving maul that produced a try for George.

England were sending penalties into touch rather opting for goal and while they met typically ferocious Islanders defence in tight channels, their superior organisation was already evident.

A scrappy phase followed that delivered Tonga’s first points through Sonatane Takulua’s boot but a dummy from Furbank that deceived Sione Vailanu forced the tourists to scramble.

The attack ultimately went nowhere but in the 29th minute England were over again as fast ball, sharp hands and touchline charge from Manu Tuilagi created the opportunity for May to strike.

To make matters worse for Tonga, wing Solomone Kata was sin-binned for taking May out in the air and when a surging Ellis Genge broke the first line of defence Maro Itoje was on hand to finish.

Veainu was denied an intercept try by the athleticism of Lawes, who raced 70 metres to make the tackle and the first half finished when Youngs dummied his way over.

Sam Underhill was replaced at half-time having led with his head in a tackle, ushering in Alex Dombrandt, and Youngs claimed his second try when he ripped the ball from Vailanu at the base of a scrum and sprinted home.

Angling infield off his wing, May grabbed his second as the maul became an increasingly powerful weapon for England with George on the end of one powerful drive.

With Fine seeing red, Smith, Jamie Blamire and Alex Mitchell ran in additional tries late on to power the hosts past the 60-point mark.

Kyle Steyn scores four tries as Scotland beat Tonga

An impressive first-half showing helped Scotland kick off their Autumn Nations Series with a 60-14 victory over Tonga at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Kyle Steyn scored four tries while his fellow Glasgow Warriors wing, Rufus McLean, enjoyed a debut double in the opening 15 minutes, with Edinburgh loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman also marking his first international cap with a try on the half-hour mark.

There were further second-half scores from hooker George Turner and substitute duo Nick Haining and Oli Kebble.

Number 10 Blair Kinghorn contributed with three of his seven conversion attempts, while debutant replacement Ross Thompson successfully kicked two of his three efforts as Gregor Townsend’s side thrived in their first match in front of supporters since March 2020.

After weathering some early Tonga pressure, Scotland made the breakthrough in the seventh minute when debutant McLean seized on a loose ball after Jamie Ritchie was tackled to the ground.  Kinghorn duly kicked the conversion.

Tonga reduced the deficit in the 13th minute as full-back James Faiva kicked a penalty from 40 metres after Scotland were adjudged not to have rolled away at a ruck in time.

McLean added a brilliant second try in the 15th minute when he received a miss-pass from Kinghorn wide on the left and waltzed superbly past Faiva before touching down.  Kinghorn converted immaculately from a tight angle.

Five minutes later, Faiva kicked another penalty when the Scots were penalised once more for not rolling away.

Steyn ― in his second Scotland appearance ― got his first try of the afternoon in the 23rd minute when he took a pass from Sione Tuipulotu and bounded over the line to finish off an impressive flowing move.

Tonga were struggling to cope with their hosts, but Faiva gave them some relief in the 27th minute when he pinged a penalty between the posts from close to the halfway line.

Schoeman then muscled his way over for his debut try in the 30th minute after a period of pressure in front of the line, with Kinghorn kicking the conversion.

Steyn got his second try when he took a pass from co-captain Ali Price and cut through the Tongan defence far too easily before touching down wide on the left.

Right on half-time, Steyn made it a hat-trick after a cross-field kick from Kinghorn took a favourable bounce into his path wide on the right.

The first score of the second half came in the 50th minute when hooker Turner touched down on the back of a rolling maul.

Tonga got their first try in the 58th minute when David Lolohea pushed his way over after a period of pressure.

Haining scored Scotland’s eighth try in the 70th minute after some excellent handling by Ritchie in the build-up before Kebble and Steyn both touched down in the closing four minutes, with Thompson converting on each occasion.

16-try All Blacks put 100 points on hapless Tonga

New Zealand made light work of Tonga in their opening Test of 2021, winning 102-0 in an entertaining encounter at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was an easy outing for the men in black with Will Jordan leading the way with five tries and Brad Weber was next best with a hat-trick.

The All Blacks’ other points came through five-pointers from Dalton Papalii (2), Damian McKenzie, Luke Jacobson, Richie Mo’unga, Rieko Ioane, Patrick Tuipulotu and George Bridge while Mo’unga (7) and Beauden Barrett (4) added conversions.

The result is a momentous one for the All Blacks as it equals their biggest ever victory against Tonga, who they beat by the same scoreline in 2000.

As expected, the All Blacks were fastest out of the blocks and they opened the scoring as early as the second minute when McKenzie rounded off in the left-hand corner after a flowing backline move in the build-up.

Two minutes later, Jacobson freed his arms to offload to back-row partner Papalii, who shrugged off a defender before cantering in under the posts.

The carnage continued with the home side running the ball from all areas of the field and well-taken tries from Weber and Jordan followed which meant New Zealand held a comfortable 24-0 lead by the 10th minute.

Weber, who was making his first start in his eighth Test, continued to benefit from the All Blacks’ expansive style of play when he crossed for his second try five minutes later, after running onto a pass from Angus Ta’avao just outside Tonga’s 22.

The one-way traffic continued and midway through the half McKenzie and Mo’unga combined before the latter put Jordan in the clear and the right wing strolled in for an easy five-pointer.

Tonga did well to stem the onslaught over the next 15 minutes and although the Pacific Islanders managed to spend some time in the All Blacks’ half during that period, there was no reward for their attacking efforts.

It was only a matter of time before New Zealand regained the initiative, however, and in the 37th minute Bridge found Papalii with a well-time pass down the left-hand touchline and the openside flanker went over for his second five-pointer to give his side a comfortable 43-0 lead at half-time.

The All Blacks started the second half like the first with an early try, when Jacobson scored from close quarters just two minutes after the restart, before Jordan and Weber got their respective hat-tricks in quick succession.

That meant the hosts were cruising with the score 60-0 by the 50th minute but they were far from done and upped the ante on attack during the rest of the match.

Mo’unga also got in on the try-scoring action in the 54th minute before Jordan scored his fourth try two minutes later, after a good line break from replacement scrum-half Finlay Christie.

There was no sign of the All Blacks taking their foot off the pedal during the final quarter and they were rewarded with further tries from Ioane, Tuipulotu and Jordan before Bridge brought up their century with the final try in the game’s closing stages.

Tonga prove too strong for USA

Tonga proved too strong for the USA as they sealed a 31-19 bonus-point win in their Rugby World Cup Pool C encounter in Higashiosaka on Sunday.

In a topsy-turvy match, characterised by several unforced errors from both sides, the Pacific Islanders got better as the match progressed and eventually outscored the Eagles by four tries to three.

Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, Malietoa Hingano, Siale Piutau and Telusa Veainu scored Tonga’s tries and Mike Te’o (2) and Tony Lamborn dotted down for the USA.  Tonga’s other points came courtesy of two conversions and a penalty from Sonatane Takulua while James Faiva and Piutau also succeeded with a conversion apiece.  AJ MacGinty added two conversions for the Eagles.

The opening exchanges were evenly contested with the sides feeling each other out but the game came alive in the 17th minute when the Pacific Islanders opened the scoring courtesy of Fisi’ihoi’s try from close quarters, after the ball went through several pairs of hands in the build-up.

Takulua added the extras but the Eagles did not take long to respond as Te’o found himself in space down the right-hand touchline in the 23rd minute and he did well to beat the cover defence with deft footwork before crossing for his first try.

Three minutes later, the USA were on the attack again inside Tonga’s half and they took the lead when Te’o crossed for his second try after gathering a brilliant flick pass from Cam Dolan.

Just before half-time, Tonga had a chance to narrow the gap when Fisi’ihoi was in the clear out wide but he had the ball knocked from his grasp while crossing the whitewash by Ruben de Haas and the teams changed sides at the interval with the USA leading 12-7.

Full-time | After an exciting match at #RWCHanazono, it's @officialTongaRU who finish their #RWC2019 with a 31-19 win over @USARugby pic.twitter.com/DpCiujxJId

— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 13, 2019

Tonga drew first blood in the second half courtesy of a penalty from Takulua in the 51st minute after the Eagles’ backline strayed offside on defence.

The USA came back strongly and were camped close to Tonga’s try-line in the 59th minute, after taking the ball through 19 phases, but conceded a turnover which proved fatal.  The Pacific Islanders launched a counter-attack with Veainu booting the ball upfield before ‘Atieli Pakalani gathered deep inside the Eagles’ half.  He got a pass out to Hingano, who went over for a deserved try which meant the Pacific Islanders held the lead again.

Tonga continued to attack and five minutes later they were rewarded when Piutau breached the USA’s defence before dotting down.  Takulua was successful off the kicking tee which gave his side a 24-12 lead but the USA came back strongly in the game’s closing stages and narrowed the gap when Lamborn crashed over for their third try from close range.

Despite that score, Tonga finished stronger and secured the result when Veainu dotted down after gathering a teasing grubber kick from Latiume Fosita after the full-time hooter had gone.

The scorers:

For USA:
Tries:  Te’o 2, Lamborn
Cons:  MacGinty 2

For Tonga:
Tries:  Fisi’ihoi, Hingano, Piutau, Veainu
Cons:  Takulua 2, Faiva, Piutau
Pens:  Takulua

USA:  15 Will Hooley, 14 Blaine Scully (c), 13 Bryce Campbell, 12 Paul Lasike, 11 Marcel Brache, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Ruben de Haas, 8 Cam Dolan, 7 Malon Al-Jiboori, 6 Tony Lamborn, 5 Nick Civetta, 4 Greg Peterson, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 1 Eric Fry
Replacements:  16 James Hilterbrand, 17 Olive Kilifi, 18 Paul Mullen, 19 Ben Landry, 20 Hanco Germishuys, 21 Ben Pinkelman, 22 Nate Augspurger, 23 Mike Te’o

Tonga:  15 Telusa Veainu, 14 ‘Atieli Pakalani, 13 Malietoa Hingano, 12 Siale Piutau (c), 11 Viliami Lolohea, 10 James Faiva, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Maama Vaipulu, 7 Zane Kapeli, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Halaleva Fifita, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Siua Halanukonuka, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi
Replacements:  16 Siua Maile, 17 Vunipola Fifita, 18 Ma’afu Fia, 19 Dan Faleafa, 20 Nasi Manu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Latiume Fosita, 23 David Halaifonua

Referee:  Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees:  Jérôme Garcès (France), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO:  Graham Hughes (England)

France book quarter-final spot with nervy win over Tonga

France became the second side to advance to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals when they notched a 23-21 victory against Tonga in Kumamoto on Sunday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a tightly contested affair and although France secured the result, Tonga finished stronger and eventually outscored them by three tries to two.

But in the the end, Les Bleus did enough to hold on for their win although there is still plenty of room for improvement ahead of the knockouts.  Alivereti Raka and Virimi Vakatawa scored tries for France and Romain Ntamack added 13 points courtesy of four penalties and two conversions.

Sonatane Takulua, Malietoa Hingano and Zane Kapeli claimed Tonga’s tries and Takulua slotted two conversions while Latiume Fosita also succeeded with a two-pointer off the kicking tee.

Les Bleus dominated during the opening half and after Ntamack opened the scoring with a penalty in the fourth minute, they extended their lead shortly afterwards courtesy of a try from Vakatawa.  Raka laid the groundwork as he breached the Tongan defence with an excellent run, in which he beat three defenders, before offloading to Vakatawa, who had an easy run-in over the try-line.

The next 20 minutes was a slugfest with play restricted mostly to the middle of the field as both sides conceded several turnovers.  France eventually took control of proceedings with Raka leading the way with several superb line breaks.

The Fijian-born flyer was rewarded with his try in the 32nd minute when quick thinking from Baptiste Serin caught the Pacific Islanders’ defence by surprise.  France were awarded a short arm penalty just outside their 22 and Serin opted to play quickly before passing to Raka, who stabbed a grubber kick through, and he did well to regather the ball close to the try-line before crossing the whitewash.

Ntamack’s conversion was successful but, to their credit, Tonga came back strongly during the latter stages of the half.

Just before half-time, they were camped close to France’s try-line and were rewarded when Takulua scored a converted try from close range, which meant Les Bleus were leading 17-7 as the teams changed sides at half-time.

FULL TIME at #RWCKumamoto

A late @officialTongaRU try wasn't enough as a brave Tongan fightback ended two points short @FranceRugby join England in the Quarter-finals 👏#RWC2019 #FRAvTGA pic.twitter.com/E7CnDuyi7u

— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 6, 2019

Tonga were fastest out of the blocks in the second period and seven minutes into the half Maxime Medard failed to deal with a Cooper Vuna kick deep inside France’s half which had dire consequences for Les Bleus.  Medard allowed the ball to bounce inside his 22 and was caught by surprise when it was grabbed by Hingano, who showed great determination and leg drive to power his way over the try-line.

Takulua slotted the conversion which meant the Pacific Islanders were back in the game with France clinging to a narrow 17-14 lead.

Tonga did not kick on, however, and conceded two penalties in quick succession.  Both were converted by Ntamack which gave his side some breathing space as the match drew to an end.

France thought they had clinched the result when Antoine Dupont broke around the fringe of a maul before offloading to Damain Penaud, who crossed the whitewash but his effort was disallowed when the TMO ruled that Medard had knocked on when fielding a high ball in the build-up.

The closing stages were tense as Tonga upped the ante on attack and they were rewarded when Kapeli gathered a cross-field kick before crossing for his side’s third try in the 79th minute and Fosita was successful with the conversion which meant they were trailing by just two points.

Tonga failed to gather from the restart, however, and France scrambled to get the ball into touch after the full-time hooter had gone to escape with the four points.

The scorers:

For France:
Tries:  Vakatawa, Raka
Cons:  Ntamack 2
Pens:  Ntamack 3

For Tonga:
Tries:  Takulua, Hingano, Kapeli
Cons:  Takulua 2, Fosita

France:  15 Maxime Medard, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 12 Sofiane Guitoune, 11 Alivereti Raka, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Baptiste Serin, 8 Gregorie Alldritt, 7 Charles Ollivon, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4 Paul Gabrillagues, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Camille Chat, 1 Jefferson Poirot (c)
Replacements:  16 Guilhem Guirado, 17 Cyril Baille, 18 Emerick Setiano, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Yacouba Camara, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Camille Lopez, 23 Pierre-Louis Barassi

Tonga:  15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Cooper Vuna, 13 Malietoa Hingano, 12 Siale Piutau (c), 11 David Halaifonua, 10 James Faiva, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Maama Vaipulu, 7 Zane Kapeli, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Halaleva Fifita, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Ma’afu Fia, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi
Replacements:  16 Sosefo Sakalia, 17 Vunipola Fifita, 18 Siua Halanukonuka, 19 Sitiveni Mafi, 20 Nasi Manu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Latiume Fosita, 23 Atieli Pakalani

Referee:  Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees:  Paul Williams (New Zealand), Matthew Carley (England)
TMO:  Ben Skeen (New Zealand)

Argentina get the better of Tonga

Argentina got their Rugby World Cup campaign back on track courtesy of a 28-12 victory over Tonga in their Pool C encounter in Higashiosaka on Saturday.

Hooker Julian Montoya was Los Pumas’ hero as he led the way with a hat-trick of tries – all scored during the first half – but Argentina went off the boil in the second period which was dominated by Tonga.

In the end, Argentina outscored the Pacific Islanders by four tries to two with Santiago Carreras also crossing the whitewash and their other points came via the boot of Benjamin Urdapilleta, who added four conversions.

For Tonga, Telusa Veainu scored a brace of tries and Sonatane Takulua succeeded with a conversion.

Argentina dominated from the kick off and held a 21-0 lead midway through the half courtesy of tries from Montoya (2) and Carreras.

Montoya’s first five-pointer came after a fine lineout move on Tonga’s five-metre line in which he ran onto a pass from Tomas Lezana at the front of the set-piece before crashing over in the right-hand corner in the seventh minute.

10 minutes later, Montoya got his name onto the scoresheet again when he crossed for his second try off the back of a lineout drive deep inside the Pacific Islanders’ half.

Despite being on the back-foot, Tonga launched several attacks but their execution was poor and in the 20th minute a wayward pass from James Faiva was scooped up by Carreras, close to the halfway line, and he outpaced the cover defence before crossing the whitewash.

Five minutes later, Argentina thought they had scored again when Urdapilleta crossed Tonga’s try-line but his effort was disallowed by the television match official, who ruled that it was inconclusive whether he had grounded the ball.

Shortly afterwards, Montoya got over for his hat-trick – and his team’s bonus-point try – when he scored from close range after Los Pumas’ forwards had set up several phases in the build-up.

Tonga needed a response and that came on the half-hour mark when an excellent passage of play was rounded off by Veainu, who did well to step past a couple of defenders close to Argentina’s try-line before dotting down.

Takulua added the extras which meant Argentina were leading 28-7 and just before half-time David Halaifonua went over in the left-hand corner but he was bundled into touch by Tomas Lavanini, with what looked like a shoulder charge but he was not penalised for his challenge.

After becoming the first hooker to score a hat-trick at a Rugby World Cup since 1999, Julian Montoya was the deserved winner of the @Mastercard Player of the Match for #ARGvTGA #StartSomethingPriceless #POTM #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/UYgypmM5B2

— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 28, 2019

Argentina came out firing after the restart and spent most of the early stages of the half camped inside Tonga’s half.

In the 52nd minute, Tomas Cubelli got over the try-line but television replays revealed that a desperate tackle from Takulua had knocked the ball from his grasp and the try was disallowed.

That superb cover tackle seemed to inspire the Pacific Islanders and they held the upper hand during the rest of the match.  They launched several attacks from inside their half and Argentina battled to keep them at bay.

And in the 66th minute, Tonga were rewarded for their attacking endeavour when Veainu rounded of brilliantly in the right-hand corner after gathering a superb offload from Cooper Vuna.

The closing stages were frantic as Tonga tried to narrow the gap but although they spent long periods inside Argentina’s half, they could not narrow the gap and Los Pumas held on for the win.

The scorers:

For Argentina:
Tries:  Montoya 3, Carrerras
Cons:  Urdapilleta 4

For Tonga:
Tries:  Veainu 2
Con:  Takulua

Argentina:  15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matías Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Santiago Carreras, 10 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Tomas Lezana, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements:  16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Bautista Delguy

Tonga:  15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Viliami Lolohea, 13 Malietoa Hingano, 12 Siale Piutau (c), 11 David Halaifonua, 10 James Faiva, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Maama Vaipulu, 7 Zane Kapeli, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Halaleva Fifita, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi
Replacements:  16 Sosefo Sakalia, 17 Vunipola Fifita, 18 Ma’afu Fia, 19 Sitiveni Mafi, 20 Nasi Manu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Latiume Fosita, 23 Cooper Vuna

Referee:  Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees:  Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO:  Rowan Kitt (England)

Poor England open campaign with error-strewn win

England began their Rugby World Cup campaign with an unconvincing performance as they struggled to a 35-3 bonus-point triumph over Tonga in Sapporo.

It was a tight opening from both teams as Owen Farrell and Sonatane Takulua traded penalties but the Red Rose moved away before the break as Manu Tuilagi touched down twice.

Farrell then added his second three-pointer for an 18-3 advantage at the interval before Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie completed a mistake-ridden win in the second half.

Eddie Jones’ men have been quick starters this year but they were met by a resilient and physical Tongan outfit.  The Six Nations outfit did take the lead via a Farrell penalty but their opponents responded superbly with sheer brute force.

Billy Vunipola, whose father Feʻao captained ‘Ikale Tahi at the 1999 global tournament, was hammered by Zane Kapeli with his first carry and that led to a penalty.  Takulua was on target and Toutai Kefu’s charges deservedly levelled matters going into the second quarter.

The Tongans’ defence was beginning to show signs of breaking, however, and Tuilagi almost set-up England’s first try as he broke through and fed Sam Underhill.

Although the flanker was held up, the Red Rose’s Samoan-born centre was rewarded for his earlier surge by receiving the ball five metres out and charging his way over.

Following that score, England opened up and touched down for the second time when Jonny May scampered down the left and found Tuilagi, who crossed the whitewash unopposed.

🏉 Tuilagi's on 🔥

Nice build-up from Elliot Daly who goes on to feed Manu Tuilagi who cruises over for his second try 🙌#RWC2019 #ENGvTGA pic.twitter.com/sdXmYWA5ro

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) September 22, 2019

Jones’ side were now well on top and, after a period of pressure on the Tonga line, Farrell added his second three-pointer for a 15-point buffer at the interval.

They then controlled the early stages of the second period and earned a penalty, allowing the Saracens playmaker to extend their lead, but there were too many errors.  England regularly dropped the ball and it let a tiring Ikale Tahi off the hook.

As a result of their loose play, several replacements were made and it immediately paid dividends as a dominant maul powered towards the line and George was the beneficiary of his team-mates’ good work.

It didn’t truly have the desired effect, though, with the Six Nations side incredibly slack and that kept the scoreboard down.  Credit must also go to Tonga, who were spirited and prevented England from gaining momentum, but it was a poor display by Jones’ men.

The Red Rose did manage to gain the crucial bonus-point when Jonathan Joseph broke through and fed Cowan-Dickie to finish, but they will need a vast improvement over the coming weeks.

The scorers:

For England:
Tries:  Tuilagi 2, George, Cowan-Dickie
Cons:  Farrell 3
Pens:  Farrell 3

For Tonga:
Pen:  Takulua

England:  15 Elliot Daly, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Maro Itoje, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements:  16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Dan Cole, 19 George Kruis, 20 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Henry Slade, 23 Jonathan Joseph

Tonga:  15 David Halaifonua, 14 Atieli Pakalani, 13 Siale Piutau (c), 12 Cooper Vuna, 11 Viliami Lolohea, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Maama Vaipulu, 7 Zane Kapeli, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Halaleva Fifita, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Sosefo Sakalia, 1 Siegfried ‘Fisiihoi
Replacements:  16 Siua Maile, 17 Latu Talakai, 18 Ma’afu Fia, 19 Dan Faleafa, 20 Nasi Manu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 James Faiva, 23 Nafi Tu’itavake

Referee:  Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees:  Mathieu Raynal (France), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO:  Ben Skeen (New Zealand)

Wales second-half blitz too much for Tonga

Wales ran in seven of their ten tries in the second-half to record a comprehensive 74-24 victory over Tonga in Cardiff on Saturday.

Tonga got themselves off to the worst possible start when they conceded a penalty try and a yellow card to Leva Fifita for bringing down a Wales' driving maul that had marched upfield in the second minute.

Soon after, the hosts had their second try.  Tongan hooker Paula Ngauamo failed to find his jumper at the lineout and Wales quickly pounced on the ball.  It was recycled to Dan Biggar, who finished from first phase.  Biggar converted his own try to go past the 300 point mark for Wales.

Tongan scrum-half Sonatane Takulua added a penalty but the Wales backline were looking in fine form and added their third try after 12 minutes when slick hands from Tyler Morgan allowed Liam Williams to be freed in the corner.  Biggar added the extras to make it 21-3 to the home side in no time at all.

However, much against the run of play it would appear Tonga had scored from their first foray upfield, but the try was dubiously ruled out for a knock-on and Tonga would feel hard done by for that.

Biggar extended the lead to 24-3 with a penalty after Tongan openside flanker Fotu Lokotui was lucky to escape a yellow card after a very high hit.

Tonga were beginning to grow more and more into the game and got themselves camped on the Welsh tryline on a couple of occasions but were unable to find the cutting edge to finish until they eventually found a way through on the half-hour mark.  It was Fifita who dotted down at the base of the post after a series of powerful carries from the Tongan forwards.

Tonga's strategy of playing a direct forwards-based game of taking the ball up at close quarters was causing all sorts of problems for the Welsh defence as Steve Mafi this time burrowed over after another series of powerful carries from the Tongan pack.  Newcastle Falcons number nine Takulua made no mistake with the conversion to cut the deficit to seven at 24-17 as the sides headed into the interval.

From a routine Wales lineout two minutes in to the second-half, Tomos Williams threw a suicidal pass straight to Sione Vailanu, who ran coast to coast for the intercept try.  Takulua levelled matters up at 24-24 with the conversion.

But Wales hit back immediately, with lock Jake Ball making the initial break before the ball was worked out to Biggar, who executed the cross-field kick for Steff Evans to pounce and dot down.  Biggar converted for a 31-24 lead after 46 minutes.

Biggar added another penalty before scrum-half Williams scored with an outstretched hand.  Jonah Holmes then got in on the act, dotting down a few moments later as Wales raced into a 46-24 lead with 15 minutes to go.

It was beginning to really get away from Tonga when replacement Cory Hill got himself on the try column after excellent support play from fellow replacement Tomas Francis.  Rhys Patchell made it 53-24 with the extras as the game headed into the final 15 minutes.

Five minutes later, Wales had another try after fantastic interplay between backs and forwards saw another replacement Aled Davies go over for the eighth.  It must be said that Wales' replacements made a significant impact after the interval.

Patchell then scored a magnificent individual effort, swerving his way past numerous defenders to make it 67-24 before wing Williams put the icing on the cake, grabbing his brace as Wales closed out a 74-24 victory.

The scorers:

For Wales:
Tries:  Penalty Try, Biggar, L Williams 2, Evans, T Williams, Morgan, Hill, Davies, Patchell
Cons:  Biggar 4, Patchell 4
Pens:  Biggar 2

For Tonga:
Tries:  Fifita, Mafi, Vailanu
Cons:  Takulua 3
Pen:  Takulua
Yellow Card:  Fifita

Wales:  15 Jonah Holmes, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Tyler Morgan, 12 Owen Watkin, 11 Steff Evans, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Seb Davies, 7 Ellis Jenkins (c), 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Jake Ball, 3 Leon Brown, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Wyn Jones
Replacements:  16 Ryan Elias, 17 Rob Evans, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Cory Hill, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Josh Adams

Tonga:  15 Vunga Lilo, 14 Viliami Lolohea, 13 Alaska Taufa, 12 Siale Piutau (c), 11 Daniel Kilioni, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Sione Vailanu, 7 Fotu Lokotui, 6 Dan Faleafa, 5 Sitiveni Mafi, 4 Leva Fifita, 3 Ma’afu Fia, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi
Replacements:  16 Sefo Sakalia, 17 Latu Talakai, 18 Paea Fa’anunu, 19 Onehunga Havili, 20 Mike Faleafa, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Kali Hala, 23 Atieli Pakalani

Referee:  Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees:  Angus Gardner (Australia), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO:  Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Wales see off plucky Tonga

Wales got their mid-year tour of to a winning start but were made to work hard before beating Tonga 24-6 in Auckland on Friday.

Despite what the scoreline suggests, this was a tight affair and the result was in the balance until late in the game.  Wales eventually outscored their opponents by two tries to none but they battled to cope with Tonga's physicality, especially in the forward exchanges.

The opening half was evenly contested with Alex Cuthbert's try and a Sam Davies penalty giving the visitors an 8-3 lead at the break, with Sonatane Takulua slotting a penalty for Tonga.

Cuthbert was in the thick of the action from the outset and had two tries disallowed during the opening quarter.  In the third minute he dotted down in the right-hand corner, but his effort was disallowed after the TMO ruled that he had a foot in touch.

Sam Davies opened Wales' account shortly afterwards via a penalty after Tonga's backs strayed offside on defence.

Five minutes later, Davies delivered an inch-perfect crossfield kick and Cuthbert dived on the ball behind Tonga's try-line, but televison replays revealed that there was no downward pressure from the wing.

Midway through the half, Cuthbert eventually crossed for the opening try after gathering his own kick ahead, inside Tonga's 22, and although Davies failed to convert, Wales looked well set with the score 8-0 in their favour.

Takulua added a penalty in the 23rd minute and the rest of the half was a tight affair and Wales knew they would have to dig deep if they wanted to see off their hosts.

Shorlty after the start of the second half, Takulua narrowed the gap with his second penalty but conditons became more difficult as most of the second half was played in driving rain.

Davies added his second penalty and there was little interesting to report for the next 15 minutes as the rainy conditions led to a plethora of unforced errors from both sides.

Tonga mistakes proved costly as the half progressed, especially at the breakdowns, with the highlight of the second period being a monster tackle by David Halaifonua on Cory Allen as two further penalties from Sam Davies meant his side led 17-6 by the 78th minute.

And just before full-time, Wales sealed victory when referee Nick Briant awarded them a penalty try after Tonga's forwards collapsed a maul illegally close to their try-line.

The scorers:

For Tonga:
Pens:  Takulua 2

For Wales:
Tries:  Cuthbert, Penalty Try
Pens:  S Davies 4

Tonga:  15 David Halaifonua, 14 Nafi Tu'itavake, 13 Siale Piutau (c), 12 Vili Tahitu'a, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Latiume Fosita, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Valentino Mapapalangi, 7 Nili Latu, 6 Dan Faleafa, 5 Sitiveni Mafi, 4 Leva Fifita, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Latu Talakai
Replacements:  16 Suliasi Taufalele, 17 Sila Puafisi, 18 Phil Kite, 19 Sione Tau, 20 Mike Faleafa, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Kali Hala, 23 Kiti Taimani

Wales:  15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Scott Williams, 12 Jamie Roberts (c), 11 Steffan Evans, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Josh Navidi, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Cory Hill, 4 Seb Davies, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Kristian Dacey, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements:  16 Ryan Elias, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Ellis Jenkins, 20 Ollie Griffiths, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Cory Allen

Referee:  Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees:  Paul Williams (New Zealand), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
TMO:  Ben Skeen (New Zealand)

Tonga upset Italy

Sonatane Takulua slotted an 81st minute penalty to clinch a dramatic 19-17 win for Tonga over Italy in Padova on Saturday.

Takulua was his side's hero as he finished with a 14-point haul, thanks to four penalties and a conversion, although the Azzurri outscored the Pacific islanders by two tries to two.

Italy dominated the early exchanges and raced into a 7-0 lead when Lorenzo Cittadini crossed for their opening try which Carlo Canna converted in the 13th minute.

Takulua added the first of his penalties in the 32nd minute which meant the hosts held a slender lead at the interval.  Five minutes after the restart, he slotted another three-pointer which made it a one-point ball-game and they soon took the lead when Siale Piutau scored their five-pointer in the 51st minute.

Italy did not take that lying down and regained the lead shortly afterwards when Tommaso Allan went over for their second try which he converted himself.

Takulua put his side back in front, when he slotted his third penalty in the 71st minute, but Italy clawed their way back when Edoardo Padovani converted a place-kick three minutes before the end.

The closing stages was a tense affair and Takula held his nerve to break Italian hearts with his matchwinning kick in injury time.

The scorers:

For Italy:
Tries:  Cittadini, Allan
Cons:  Canna, Allan
Pen:  Padovani

For Tonga:
Tries:  Piutau
Con:  Takulua
Pens:  Takulua 4

Italy (revised):  15 Edoardo Padovani, 14 Giulio Bisegni, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Luke McLean, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Giorgio Bronzini, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Simone Favaro, 6 Francesco Minto, 5 Marco Fuser, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Ornel Gega, 1 Sami Panico
Replacements:  16 Tommaso D'Apice, 17 Nicola Quaglio, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 George Biagi, 20 Abraham Steyn, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Thomas Allan, 23 Michele Campagnaro

Tonga:  David Halaifonua, 14 Nafi Tu'Itavake, 13 Siale Piutau, 12 Latiume Fosita, 11 Fetu'U Vainikolo, 10 Kali Hala, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Tevita Koloamatangi, 7 Jack Ram, 6 Dan Faleafa, 5 Jon Tu'Ineau, 4 Steve Mafi, 3 Siua Halanukonuka, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Tevita Mailau
Replacements:  16 Elvis Taione, 17 Paea Fa'Anunu, 18 Sila Puafisi, 19 Valentino Mapapalangi, 20 Kotoni Ale, 21 Tomasi Palu, 22 Tevita Taufui, 23 Cooper Vuna

Georgia narrowly edge past Tonga

Georgia claimed an emphatic 23-20 victory over Tonga after they scored a converted try deep into injury time at ANZ National Stadium in Suva on Saturday.

The visitors' outside centre David Kacharava crossed the whitewash on two occasions to help his side secure a rewarding win.

Both sides dotted down twice with tries for Tonga coming via Viliame Iongi and replacement forward Sione Angaelangi, while midfielder Kacharava scored both of Georgia's tries.

Full-back Merab Kvirikashvili's kicking accuracy saw him convert both tries in addition to three penalty conversions which took his account to 13 points.

The visitors fought back in excellent fashion as they overpowered and outmuscled their opponents in some facets of the game.  The Tonga pack, however, were matched by a clinical defensive effort from Georgia, who sealed the win with Kacharava's late score.

The scorers:

For Tonga:
Tries:  Iongi, Angaelangi
Cons:  Takulua, Fosita
Pen:  Takulua

For Georgia:
Tries:  Kacharava 2
Cons:  Kvirikashvili 2
Pens:  Kvirikashvili 3

Tonga:  15 Tevita Halaifonua, 14 Otulea Katoa, 13 Apakuki Ma’afu, 12 Latiume Fosita, 11 Viliame Iongi, 10 Kali Hala, 9 Tane Takulua, 8 Sione Tau, 7 Jack Ram, 6 Nili Latu (C), 5 Dan Faleafa, 4 Uili Kolo’ofa’I, 3 Sione Faletau, 2 Elvis Taione, 1 Eddie Aholelei
Replacements:  16 Sosefo Sakalia, 17 Sione Angaelangi, 18 Sila Puafisi, 19 Opeti Fonua, 20 Steve Mafi, 21 Wayne Ngaluafe, 22 Viliami Hakalo, 23 Daniel Kilioni

Georgia:  15 Merab Kvirikashvili, 14 Tamaz Mchedlidze, 13 David Kacharava, 12 Merab Sharikadze, 11 Sandro Todua, 10 Lasha Khmaladze, 9 Giorgi Begadze, 8 Beka Bitsadze, 7 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, 6 Shalva Sutiashvili (c), 5 Giorgi Nemsadze, 4 Giorgi Chkhaidze, 3 Anton Peikrishvili, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Zurab Zhvania
Replacements:  16 Shalva Mamukashvili, 17 Karlen Asieshvili, 18 Mirtskhulashvili, 19 Nodar Cheishvili, 20 Lasha Lomidze, 21 Vazha Khutsishvili, 22 Lasha Malaghuradze, 23 Giorgi Pruidze

Referee:  Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant referees:  Pascal Gauzère (France), Faa’vae Neru (Samoa)