Tonga stun France
1 Oct 2011
Tonga picked up a shock 19-14 win over France, but it wasn’t enough for a quarter-final qualifying spot in Pool A.
Just like Samoa’s showing against the Springboks on Friday, Tonga delivered a brave performance in their final World Cup fixture in Wellington. However, they’d be kicking themselves for their disappointing upset defeat to Canada earlier the tournament as it proved costly at the end of their campaign.
Tonga had to achieve a bonus-point win with a deficit of more than seven points against France to advance to the second round. While they recorded a win, they couldn’t score four tries and a late Vincent Clerc try secured France a losing bonus point. Tonga had the opportunities to achieve their goal, but poor finishing and decision making in the French red zone – especially in the second half – saw them fall short.
This will see France go through to the quarter-finals – but you’ll have to question how far Marc Lievremont’s men will go. They’ve failed to impress against the stronger nations in Pool A while there have been talks of team infighting. The defeat to Tonga will intensify criticism.
Tonga performed well in the first stanza to hold a 13-6 lead at half-time. After flyhalf Kurt Morath and scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili traded penalties, it was wing Sukanaivalu Hufanga’s try in the corner that was the telling score in the opening 40. But Tonga finished the first stanza with 14 men after Hufanaga was yellow carded in the 39th minute for a dangerous tackle.
France could only add one penalty with their one-man advantage in the second half. Once Tonga returned to 15 men, they regained the ascendancy and created numerous scoring opportunities – which mostly came through Morath’s boot.
France also picked up a sin binning when reserve flyhalf Fabrice Estebanez was punished for a tip tackle – which made Tonga’s task of sealing the win easier. Wing Clerc dotted down in the final movement of the match, but it wasn’t enough to stop one of the big upsets of this year’s World Cup.
By Gareth Duncan
190 Comments
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1 Oct 2011, 06:55 am
Sacre bleu !
1 Oct 2011, 07:27 am
Ignore the mathematical morons in the commentary. The French only need 1 point to qualify for the quarters not 2.
If France are even on points with Canada then the win over Canada will put France in front.
Damn that is poor. Are these people really paid to do this.
1 Oct 2011, 07:29 am
Tonga really need to win or lose with 2 bonus points to get more IRB funding. Maybe they should have gone for a more open game.
1 Oct 2011, 07:31 am
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Tonga score
1 Oct 2011, 07:33 am
3 tries still required for Tonga to have a shot at the quarters.
1 Oct 2011, 07:35 am
Yellow card coming here.
1 Oct 2011, 07:37 am
Amazing no yellow.
Obvious double movement for French attempt … seen by everyone except Murray Mexted
1 Oct 2011, 07:41 am
Tonga given away 3 cynical penalties inside their 22 inside 15 minutes.
Walsh is missing a good game.
1 Oct 2011, 07:41 am
Moa I thought a bit lucky there as he appeared to get up and run on after the tackler let go.
Great game so far
1 Oct 2011, 07:45 am
Never went past 90 degrees. That is lame
1 Oct 2011, 07:47 am
Hold on. Did the linesman say ‘driven to the ground’ ?
This is like the South Africa game where the linesman said “Hit in the face”. The open hand punch clearly hit the guy in the headgear.
Linesmen on drugs are effecting decisions
1 Oct 2011, 07:47 am
Harsh.
1 Oct 2011, 07:50 am
Okay. So France have decided they want to do this the hard way.
1 Oct 2011, 07:50 am
We live in an age that is all about sensationalist bollocks. Our media continually make up stuff that is not true and it seems sport is not exempt either. These linesmen reports are craap
1 Oct 2011, 07:53 am
Nowadays if you lift a players legs above his head in a tackle you are asking for trouble.
1 Oct 2011, 07:53 am
@chch(chch)-11: Are you serious. Do you not see that as a tip tackle.(most likely think Brad Thorn’s wasn’t one either). Why should there be a different set of rules for the Islanders?
1 Oct 2011, 07:56 am
@chch(chch)-14: I do however agree with you that there are a lot of stupid rules at present. This is clearly a cace where the ref should be able to say “No it was not not dangerous”. But the rules do not allow for that .Thus everybody should be judged the same.
1 Oct 2011, 07:57 am
@optiplay(optiplay)-17: case=cace
1 Oct 2011, 07:59 am
@optiplay(optiplay)-16:
Yes I am serious. It (in the South Africa game) was still worth a card but why did the linesman need to lie about where the punch landed?
Did he really see what happened?
@optiplay(optiplay)-17:
Agree
1 Oct 2011, 07:59 am
@optiplay(optiplay)-17:
The problem is that it was dangerous.
The players neck hit the ground first.
Not ideal.
1 Oct 2011, 08:03 am
If they were just going for a quarter final spot they would kick for the corner here. Looks like they need to ensure the money before going for anything else.
1 Oct 2011, 08:08 am
@chch(chch)-19: I think more happened between Brussow and Williams than what we see. His ” punch” was sissystuff and that should have earned him a red card.(Or hanging on to Brussow’s crotch. just joking).Worse infringements have gone unpunished.
@Gunther(gunther)-20: I dont think it was dangerous(potentially dangerous).But against the rules.
1 Oct 2011, 08:10 am
@chch(chch)-14:
what? like you made up an ‘open hand hit tothe headgear’?..
1 Oct 2011, 08:14 am
Red Zone. That was two cynical Froggie infringements in one move. are we going to have warnings?
1 Oct 2011, 08:15 am
That sucked. Not much advantage after two infringements
1 Oct 2011, 08:15 am
@optiplay(optiplay)-22:
Potentially dangerous is dangerous.
That’s the whole point.
If you lift a player up and introduce him to the ground neck first you are asking for trouble.
Another poor tackle.
Late high no arms.
Saturday night special.
1 Oct 2011, 08:16 am
Tonga, like Fiji and Samoa, are dirty players. Bakkies can only wet dream about being as dirty as these Islanders. Ban them all
1 Oct 2011, 08:16 am
@reechie maak so lank die pan warm, bakkies bring die wors…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-23:
I watched the replay many times.
What is your usual ‘user name’ on here?
1 Oct 2011, 08:18 am
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-27:
The English are the most dirty team so far.
1 Oct 2011, 08:20 am
@chch(chch)-29: We’re talking about foul play here. Not hygiene.
1 Oct 2011, 08:24 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-30:
In that case the french must be the fowlest.
1 Oct 2011, 08:28 am
When do the ABs play again?
Have they got a week’s rest?
1 Oct 2011, 08:28 am
Zut alors! The fromage-eating surrender minkeys are surrendering! Again! Mon dieu! Embarrassement grande!
1 Oct 2011, 08:28 am
@Gunther(gunther)-31: Strangely enough, not. The IRB bathed them all less than a week before the WC started. They’re one of the three or four cleanest teams now.
1 Oct 2011, 08:28 am
Exciting stuff.
The commentator is seriously exaggerating about the French being in big trouble after another try. Tonga still need 4 tries and a 8+ win.
1 Oct 2011, 08:29 am
Is this game fixed?
1 Oct 2011, 08:30 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-32:
Tomorrow
1 Oct 2011, 08:30 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-36: Was it broken?
1 Oct 2011, 08:30 am
Tackler your French is sommer kuk!
1 Oct 2011, 08:30 am
Send him off.
1 Oct 2011, 08:31 am
@chch(chch)-29: For tactical cheating I agree. They should be dropped from the RWC for that planned cheat. The Island teams unfortunately have disgraced themselves. This morning I see Samoa are calling Nigel Owens a racist!
Nice. They were lucky to get one red the filthy cheats.
1 Oct 2011, 08:32 am
@chch(chch)-28:
you see what you want see.
i love you bakkies.
@chch(chch)-29:
its hard to say between the samoans and the english but if we go on the total number of dirty play incidents then the samoans beat them hand down.
englands only manged a knees to the ribs/head incident and one ball switching through idiotic ignorance of the rules by their support staff. samoa have ii one game pretty much taken the cynical/dirty play to a whole new level.
1 Oct 2011, 08:32 am
Like the BOD tackle, haha
1 Oct 2011, 08:33 am
I don’t care what Nisbet and Smith say about the Islanders, they are filthy and they steal jobs from decent kiwis
1 Oct 2011, 08:33 am
The French are coached by an idiot. A constant problem with French rugby. Playing specialist players out of position…will never understand. France to eet frogs in France by tomorow night.
1 Oct 2011, 08:34 am
Lawes has tainted the whole English team!
1 Oct 2011, 08:35 am
Why oh why did Tonga lose to Canada
1 Oct 2011, 08:35 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-46: Indeed, but he hardly compares to ball swapping by management, TWICE. They should be going home and banned
1 Oct 2011, 08:36 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-34:
They are still fowl though.
Nobody can take that away from them.
Cluck cluck.
1 Oct 2011, 08:36 am
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-48: That’s story is only topped by the (Leicester?) fake blood capsule incident.
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