Scotland v Tonga LIVE: Rugby World Cup 2023 result and reaction as Scots claim crucial win
Scotland 45-17 Tonga: Gregor Townsend’s side kept their quarter-final hopes alive with a bonus-point victory
Scotland got their Rugby World Cup campaign back on track with a bonus-point 45-17 victory over Tonga in their clash in Nice on Sunday to keep their quarter-final hopes alive in Pool B.
The win may have come at a cost too with captain Jamie Ritchie forced off in the first half following a blow to the head in a tackle from Tongan winger Afusipa Taumoepeau, who was perhaps fortunate to see the colour of his card remain yellow.
Wingers Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn each crossed for tries, along with George Turner, Rory Darge, George Horne, Blair Kinghorn and Darcy Graham, as Scotland used the width of the field and space left by some poor Tonga defending.
The Pacific Islanders put in huge hits in the tackle, but also showed they have an enterprising attack at times and managed tries through Solomone Kata and giant prop Ben Tameifuna.
Number eight Vaea Fifita was the second Tongan player to receive a bunker yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Finn Russell with three minutes remaining, with the sanction subsequently upgraded to a sending off.
Scotland 31-17 Tonga, 65 minutes
Better from Scotland, injecting a bit of pace on the left. Ashman dents a Tongan chest with his carry but a fumble on the floor costs the Scots, with their protestations of a misdeed by a Pacific Islander not heard by Karl Dickson. Just a scrum, as Sam Skinner joins the fray in Richie Gray’s place.
Scotland 31-17 Tonga, 63 minutes
Ewan Ashman is the latest hooker to lose a lineout, he and the lifted player a half-beat off in the choreography and the ball tumbling forwards off Scottish fingers. This game has become a little bit stop-start after quite a fluent first half.
Scotland 31-17 Tonga, 61 minutes
Sharp breakdown work from Leva Fifita, drawing a penalty out of the tackled Scotland player with a well timed jackal.
But Tonga’s lineout woes cost them again. Sam Moli has taken over for Paula Ngauamo but the dart is off-line and called as much by the officiating team.
Scotland 31-17 Tonga, 59 minutes
Tonga maul but Takulua gets his hands in a tangle as he tries to extract, and the replacement scrum half can’t quite regather. Scotland kick long to flip the field as the Tongan kick is skewed shallowly into touch.
Scotland 31-17 Tonga, 57 minutes
Sonatane Takulua is on to try and steady things at scrum half for Tonga, the now France-based nine’s first job feeding a scrum inside his own 22. Malakai Fekitoa and Pita Ahki combine to take Tonga out of their own red area, but Matt Fagerson wrestles Charles Piutau to the ground as the full back tries to build on his centres’ hard work.
Scotland infringe at the breakdown. Adam Coleman is on in the Tonga second row, too - that’s a second international debut for the former Wallaby, who won 38 Australia caps between 2016 and 2019.
TRY! SCOTLAND 31-17 Tonga (George Horne try, 54 minutes)
A piece of individual brilliance from Duhan van der Merwe and George Horne slides over in the corner!
Magnificent from Scotland’s Mr Incredible. There appears nothing on as Van der Merwe takes a pass on the hop with four Tongan defenders coming across to him, but Van der Merwe has other ideas, throwing Solomone Kata aside, powering free from Charles Piutau and fending away Vaea Fifita. Horne has the bright idea to stay in the juggernaut’s slipstream, taking his pass and slipping free of the last defender. Finn Russell adds the extras.
Scotland 24-17 Tonga, 52 minutes
Scotland’s own attempts to throw to the back of the lineout are disrupted, with Leva Fifita getting a big right paw to the ball. His volleyball spike goes forward, though. Scotland’s scrum on halfway.
Scotland 24-17 Tonga, 51 minutes
That’s why Pierre Schoeman’s on - the loosehead grinds Ben Tameifuna down in an extended scrum to win a penalty and allow Scotland to exit in comfort.
Scotland 24-17 Tonga, 50 minutes
Overthrown! Ah, Tonga, that’s not what you need, calling to the tail with Scotland frontloading but finding slightly too much amplitude on Paula Ngauamo’s toss. A flick of the fingers is deemed to have travelled forward - it’ll be Scotland’s scrum feed.
Scotland 24-17 Tonga, 49 minutes
A penalty to Tonga, 15 in, 22 out. Ben Tameifuna gathers his senior leaders together...and calls for the corner. William Havili finds it.
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