So that’s that ... Ireland go into the South Africa game with 20 tries in two big bonus point wins. There doesn’t appear to have been any major injury picked up there aside from an apparent concussion for Finlay Bealham, a big physical test passed in flying colours. A historic night for Johnny Sexton, now Ireland’s leading scorer. So far, so good.
Thanks for joining us, we’ll be back for that one against the Springboks. Until then, match report, talking point, and player ratings to follow from Nantes with John O’Sullivan, Gerry Thornley and Johnny Watterson. Keep an eye on the homepage for those.
FT Ireland 59 Tonga 16
Johnny Sexton: “It’s not about personal acheivements for us, it’s just about winning the next game and it’s on to next week for us now against the reigning world champions. Look around at the support it’s insane. It means so much to us and eventually we gave them something to cheer about.
“It’s a greasy ball when it get shumid like this, we got the five points now to move on.”
Bundee Aki: “Huge respect for Tonga they came out firing. Good things tonight, a lot of things we can work on. A lot of dumb penalties and we weren’t as clinical as we wanted. The next one will be an even bigger test for us.”
FT Ireland 59 Tonga 16 Eight tries, Sexton’s record secured, bonus point by half-time, no major injuries, lots of the key players pulled off early on, and loads of others getting their opportunity. Hard to ask for more than that.
Ireland 59 Tonga 16 (80′) The Tonga lineout in their own 22 is a mess and Herring pounces on the loose ball for a try. Tired heads. Byrne adds the conversion.
Soft hands in the midfield with Hansen pulling the strings coming off the right wing. Lowe then makes a good break. Tonga concede another penalty and Byrne kicks to the corner. The lineout maul makes ground but the pass out to Lowe in the left corner beats him. (79 mins)
Five minutes left as Ireland lose their own lineout on halfway. Up to then they’d been perfect from their own lineout, which will be a big boost for the team ahead of the bigger tests to come. The Irish fans are in full party mode in the stands. Great to see.
Ireland 52 Tonga 16 (70′) Ireland awarded another penalty as Tonga fail to roll away. Byrne with another big penalty kick into the corner. Henderson claims the lineout and this time the maul is well defended. But Henshaw and Aki make some ground. Casey moves it on. Henderson and Herring both try to force their way over, then eventually Aki makes it across. Try number seven. Tonga look exhausted.
Ireland 45 Tonga 16 (65′) Ireland win a penalty at scrum time. From which they kick to just outside the Tonga 22. Clean lineout, off the top, it’s worked into the centre and back inside from Byrne to Aki who runs a great line to score a sixth Irish try. Tap over conversion follows.
Ireland 38 Tonga 16 (60′) Penalty Ireland as Tonga fail to roll away. Ireland kick for the corner. Pushing for their first score of the half. Replacement Ryan Baird gathers the lineout and the maul draws in the attention of the Tonga defence. Then Casey delays his pass for Lowe to come onto it like a train and power over. Ross Byrne adds the conversion. Water break
Brilliant stuff by Fifita, the former All Black steps two Irish tacklers and then opens up those big legs but with a two on one opening up he somehow dropped the ball. A lot of Tonga players down with cramp.
Ireland opt for a tap penalty and for the second week in a row Rob Herring gets down remarkably low and squeezes under for a try. However, this week the TMO thinks he’s propelled himself with his knees. No try.
Tadhg Beirne steals the Tonga lineout on halfway. Ireland exchange kicks then work their way inside the Tonga 22. Hansen’s pass to Ryan is knocked on in contact. Tonga look to counter with a big kick chase but Keenan is alive to it, gathers, steps around two tackle attempts and brings Ireland back to halfway. Bealham is off for a HIA so Furlong is back. Iain Henderson is on for Ryan and Robbie Henshaw for Ringrose. (50 mins).
Havili fails to find touch with a penalty from his own half. Then after fielding Lowe’s kick he kicks out on the full. A sequence to forget for the Tonga outhalf.
Ireland 31 Tonga 16 (44′) His easiest kick so far, Havili makes it 4/4. Minutes later Piutau provides one of the moments of the game with a behind the back pass. Wonderful skill.
Ireland 31 Tonga 13 (41′) Ross Byrne gets the second half underway. He’s one of four Irish changes at the interval. Dave Kilcoyne, Rob Herring and Finlay Bealham are also on. Murray knocks on and Tonga win a penalty from the scrum against the new frontrow.
Ireland lead at half-time by 18 points, four good tries with bonus point secured, Sexton breaks the record. No injuries. It was looking very good before the concession of that late Tonga try and they’ll start the second half with 14 players. A strong start is needed and Andy Farrell can then make some early changes.
HT Ireland 31 Tonga 13 Wayne Barnes calls it back for the penalty. Another scrum ... Try! Vaea Fifita powers over. He’s been limping around with an injured ankle but there was no sign of it there. The conversion is good. A bad time to concede for Ireland. Last play of the half.
No release from Aki gives Tonga another penalty advantage, they are making very little ground ... but have moved out from the centre to the right corner. This is the final attack of the half, nine phases in ...
Penalty Tonga, for a high tackle. They kick for the corner. Their lineout maul collapses early but they are awarded another penalty at the breakdown after Furlong kicked the ball at a ruck. From the next attack O’Mahony is shown a yellow card (Ireland’s first this season) after coming in from the side. Another scrum coming up ...
Ireland 31 Tonga 6 (39′) Johnny Sexton breaks the Irish scoring record with a try! Conor Murray made the initial gap with a skip pass. He then pops it to Ringrose who sends a smiling Sexton under the posts. Before kicking the conversion between them.
Superb pressure by Mack Hansen and the forwards then put on a squeeze at the breakdown to force a turnover. Ireland kick the subsequent penalty into the corner. Lineout maul once more. Kelleher takes it at the back and powers over the line but he’s held up. (37 mins)
Ireland 24 Tonga 6 (34′) Try number three. Keenan offloads before being smashed, Ringrose’s pass out wide to Hansen bounces into him. He stands up Piutau, steps him and then just mazes his way through the Tonga defence to score a brilliant try. Sexton converts.
Porter does brilliantly to win a penalty for Ireland at the breakdown. Ireland had been put under pressure after Conor Murray’s attempted box kick was blocked down. The subsequent lineout to the back is ovethrown but van der Flier gathers. Ireland lose it in contact, however the clearing kick is out on the full. And Ireland’s lineout maul this time brings them into the Tonga 22 again. (32 mins)
Ireland 17 Tonga 6 (24′) Lowe is taken out after his clearing kick, giving Ireland a penalty outside the Tonga 22. They kick for the corner. The lineout maul powers over. Doris gets the slaps on the back. Really bad indiscipline by Tonga. Sexton slots the conversion.
Ireland 10 Tonga 6 (24′) Charles Piutau leaves Hugo Keenan for dead after gathering Lowe’s clearing kick from the restart. Tonga win the penalty at the breakdown and from distance Havili punishes it with a brilliant penalty.
Ireland 10 Tonga 3 (21′) Ireland put pressure on the Tonga scrum and their clearing kick is sliced. Ireland’s lineout just outside the 22 is slick and they go from left to right before Sexton comes back inside to Caelan Doris. The Irish number eight runs a great line and pops it to Beirne who powers through and reaches for the line. Sexton converts. Water break.
Scrum Ireland as Tonga had knocked on first. Murray does well initially, he picks and goes and offloads to Garry Ringrose but with the line in sight Ireland are denied by another knock on. (20 mins)
A really poor knock on under the hanging ball spills to Hansen in the Tonga 22, who picks up and pops it to Beirne in one movement. He feeds Andrew Porter. But the TMO spots a slight knock on by Hansen to deny Ireland the opening try.
Ireland 3 Tonga 3 (17′) Peter O’Mahony penalised for obstruction just inside his own half after Ronan Kelleher had done well to gather a Garryowen. Havili backs himself with the kick and nails the penalty between the posts from a decent distance.
James Ryan and Tadhg Furlong do well to win the Tonga lineout. Ireland are back in the opposition 22 after a lineout maul. Lowe does well to stay in touch but Ireland lose it at the breakdown and again Tonga clear.
Penalty Tonga. Tadgh Beirne not releasing as Ireland drove back into the Tonga 22 off the lineout. Scrappy stuff so far. (12 mins)
This time Ireland look to run it out after the restart but then at the second time of asking James Lowe clears. Josh van der Flier picks up a spilt ball and then on halfway Ireland win another penalty. Offside. Sexton kicks into the Tonga 22.
The lineout is a good one and Bundee Aki then makes some ground but Ireland knock it on and the clearing kick pushes them back into their own half. Ireland take a quick lineout and with Tonga switched off Mack Hansen nails a 50/22. Brilliant.
Ireland 3 Tonga 0 (6′) Another good Irish lineout and they work their way into the Tonga 22. A poor pass is just about salvaged by Sexton on the ground but Tonga give away another penalty for going off their feet. That’s the third. Sexton points to the posts. And nails the penalty from close range. Six points off Ronan O’Gara’s record now.
Johnny Sexton kicks to halfway. Ireland’s first lineout is good. Bundee Aki makes a strong run but loses it in contact. Tonga though are penalised for a forward pass, but before that Ireland had knocked on at the breakdown. The first scrum is a solid one for Tonga, but after some good Irish defence they are awarded another penalty as Tonga are penalised for holding on. (4 mins)
Ireland 0 Tonga 0 (1′) Havili kicks us off. James Ryan gathers and James Lowe clears from his own 22. Penalty Ireland as Tonga go offside. Game on!!
The teams are coming out of the tunnel in Nantes. 23 degrees and no rain. Anthems upcoming and then the action. The stadium is packed with Irish fans!
“It’s going to be tough!” Just over 10 minutes until kick-off and here’s the thoughts of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell talking pre-match ...
In his whistleblower column this week, Owen Doyle writes about a clear and worrying lack of consistency by referees in the application of the game’s laws during the opening series of matches at this World Cup ...
Tonga will not look to subdue their natural instincts in playing rugby. While they have a deserved reputation as fearsome tacklers, it would be wrong to label them as just a destructive force
[ Saturday cannot come quickly enough for Tonga who have Ireland in the crosshairsOpens in new window ]
Talking pre-match, Tonga head coach Toutai Kefu: “We’ve watched Ireland in the last 18 months and they’ve turned into a force to be reckoned with ... but all the pressure is on them.”
Talking to John O’Sullivan, Tonga and former Ulster fullback Charles Piutau recounts his unique path to Saturday’s showdown with Ireland in Nantes.
Being quite young and in my first time out of New Zealand, it was awesome to see club rugby and what it meant in the northern hemisphere. The players that I got to rub shoulders with, it is no surprise for me that the Irish are the number one side in the world
While Gordon D’Arcy focused on the Tonga game and why there can’t be any fall-off tonight ...
Tonga, like Samoa, have added quality to their roster and they will offer substantially more than their traditional physicality through the obvious quality of Charles Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa. The phrase step-up seems apposite, for those handed an opportunity at the weekend, and in the collective performance in Nantes. That’s the way to walk into South Africa week
Matt Williams’ column this week is looking at the Rugby World Cup so far ...
As the festival of rugby tumbles on into its second round, no doubt there will be more of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966) from our game’s vast, complex and highly entertaining showpiece
[ Matt Williams: Expect more of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly at Rugby World CupOpens in new window ]
The thoughts of Ireland forwards coach Simon Easterby talking midweek about Tonga ..
A look back at Ireland’s 82-8 win over Romania in Bordeaux last weekend. The 12 tries to one win was an Irish record at the World Cup and the second-biggest Irish winning margin ever. And, crucially, the squad emerged from the first game unscathed.
If Ireland can use their maul as they did in the second half against Samoa, and build scoreboard pressure, they can make this an altogether more comfortable watch. If they emerge intact with a bonus-point win, it will be a good night’s work
Check out Gerry Thornley’s preview in full below ...
[ Rugby World Cup: Ireland looking to keep up momentum in tricky Tonga testOpens in new window ]
Tongan head coach Toutai Kefu has included four former All Blacks in his starting team. John O’Sullivan has the team news for the Tonga side and a flavour of what to expect from them ...
[ Tonga include four former All Blacks in team to face Ireland in NantesOpens in new window ]
TONGA: S (Charles) Piutau; A Taumoepeau, M Fekitoa, P Ahki, S Kata; W Havili, A Pulu; S Fisi’ihoi, P Ngauamo, B Tameifuna (capt); S Lousi, L Fifita; T Halaifonua, S Talitui, V Fifita.
Replacements: S Moli, T Koloamatangi, S Apikotoa, S Paea, S Funaki, S Vailanu, S Takulua, F Inisi.
Team news
Andy Farrell made just four changes to the team who hammered Romania, with Mack Hansen making his first World Cup start while Conor Murray comes in at scrumhalf.
Ronan Kelleher and Josh van der Flier are also promoted from the bench in the starting pack.
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (capt), Conor Murray; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Craig Casey, Ross Byrne, Robbie Henshaw.
Hello and Welcome ... Ireland face a tricky test against a talented Tonga team tonight, as they aim to pick up their second bonus point victory of Pool B, before taking on South Africa in their third game.
As in their Rugby World Cup opener against Romania, Ireland have again named a strong team, taking no risks with captain Johnny Sexton again leading the team out. Tonga are one of the biggest benefactors of the change in World Rugby eligibility laws and with former All Blacks, fullback Salesi (Charles) Piutau, centre Malakai Fekitoa, scrumhalf Augustine Pulu and number eight Vaea Fifita, they’ll provide a far sterner test than in the first game.
Ireland and Tonga met once before at the Rugby World Cup, with Ireland winning 32-9 during the 1987 edition of the tournament in Brisbane. The two nations have played each other on just one other occasion, a 40-19 Irish win in Tonga on a summer tour in 2003. Nothing less than a third Irish win will do here, with South Africa and then Scotland to come. This is Tonga’s opening game of the tournament.
Wayne Barnes is the man in the middle, and kick-off in Nantes is at 8pm Irish time.
We’ll be providing build-up and updates throughout. Keep in touch via the comments section or on Twitter (@DonoghueEamon) but for now, let’s get started!
