Ireland 59
Tonga 16
1,090 AND COUNTING. Johnny Sexton is far from finished just yet and this Ireland team believe they’re only really getting started in this World Cup. This was a performance that underlined their credentials as contenders.
Sexton’s record-breaking first-half try, which took him past Ronan O’Gara as Ireland’s all-time top points scorer, was the highlight on a night when things went almost perfectly for Ireland.
They notched their second bonus-point win from two World Cup games and showed lots of their class a week out from facing the Springboks in what’s likely to be the decisive game of Pool B.
This convincing eight-try victory over Tonga justified Andy Farrell’s decision to go full-strength again and he was able to get many of his key men off the pitch early. Sexton went at half time along with the starting front row, while Garry Ringrose, Caelan Doris, James Ryan, and Conor Murray soon followed.
Ireland left the brilliantly in-form Bundee Aki out there for the full 80 and he bagged a brace of tries in a player-of-the-match performance, while Tadhg Beirne, Doris, Mack Hansen, Sexton, James Lowe, and Rob Herring all scored too. Sexton enjoyed an 16-point haul and Ross Byrne added four conversions after coming on at out-half.
The only blip in the plan to wrap some of the big names in cotton wool was Tadhg Furlong having to play 70 minutes after his replacement, Finlay Bealham, was forced off for a Head Injury Assessment from which he didn’t return.
Otherwise, Ireland appeared to come through unscathed and with their momentum hugely boosted. They had the bonus point wrapped up before half time and scored some excellent tries on a night when their lineout fired in a pleasing fashion.
It has been a little unsteady in recent weeks but this was much more like it from Paul O’Connell’s pack. They provided the platform for some of the excellent first-half try-scoring. Hooker Rónan Kelleher delivered an outstanding first half to suggest he’s ready to make a big impact against the Springboks, even if Dan Sheehan is due to return.
The Irish support in Nantes was nothing short of spectacular. There must have been 20,000 of them packing out the Stade de la Beaujoire and they were in party mood from well before kick-off. The Fields of Athenry blasted out umpteen times, there were Mexican waves, and Sexton was given a rapturous reception throughout. Just like last weekend, the win was met with a booming rendition of The Cranberries’ Zombie.
There were bits for the Irish coaches to flag for improvement, including discipline, with back row Peter O’Mahony frustrated to be yellow-carded in the opening half. And Ireland know things will go to a completely different level next weekend against South Africa. Still, it was hard to see this as anything other than a statement of a performance.
As for Tonga, it was a tough opening game in their Pool B campaign. They brought moments of eyebrow-raising physicality but they gave up some cheap penalties that Ireland were always going to punish. Tonga’s pre-match Sipi Tau added to the immense sense of occasion in Nantes but this was Ireland’s night.
After the intense build-up, the Tongans fired some seriously physical shots in the opening exchanges but Ireland drew first blood with a penalty after a string of early slips on the discipline front from Toutai Kefu’s side.
A superb 50:22 kick by Mack Hansen after throwing a quick lineout to himself might have given Ireland the platform for opening try but Tonga’s defence delivered again as Tadhg Beirne was emptied and out-half William Havili pounced for the turnover.
Lowe was turned over next time Ireland visited the 22 and Havili equalised in the 16th minute when O’Mahony was pinged for obstruction as Tonga chased a kick.
Ireland had frustration in the next couple of minutes as Porter had a try disallowed for a Hansen knock-on after Tonga wing Afusipa Taumoepeau had spilled a hanging Conor Murray kick, then Farrell’s men were turned over again a metre from the tryline after Murray’s clever snipe and offload to Ringrose.
But the first try arrived in the 21st minute and it was worth the wait. Murray’s classy pass off the lineout allowed Sexton time on the ball and his long inside pass saw Doris bursting through the Tongan defence, riding a tackle, and offloading for Beirne to stretch out and score.
Havili drew his side back to 10-6 a couple of minutes later but Ireland were in the mood now. A needless late tackle from Solomone Kata on Lowe invited the Irish pack into the 22 and they cleverly took their chance with a transfer off the top of the lineout to form a new maul. Doris dotted down at the tail.
The third Irish score was another peach, with the likes of Beirne and Kelleher carrying strongly in the patient build-up before precise passing from Sexton, Aki, Keenan, and Ringrose resulted in the ball bouncing up to Hansen wide on the right with time and space. He brilliantly slalomed back inside five Tongan tackle attempts to score.
Sexton’s conversion drew him level with O’Gara on the points leaderboard and, fittingly, he broke the record by finishing another impressive score. This time, Murray calmly delayed his pass for Ringrose to scoot through on the fringe of a ruck and Sexton, as always, was running a clever support line to take the pass and slide in under the posts.
His conversion made it 31-6 and Kelleher had been held up over the tryline just before Sexton’s score following another big Irish maul. It was total dominance, although they conceded before the break.
With Tonga pressuring the Irish line, O’Mahony was sin-binned for hands in the ruck and, eventually, Tonga crossed in the 48th minute of the first half as number eight Vaea Fifita broke off a close-range scrum and just managed to finish despite Doris’ tackle.
Having trailed 31-13 at the break, Kefu’s men opted to kick the points early in the second when they won a scrum penalty, but Ireland were soon down the other end very nearly scoring again. Murray’s clever grubber kick just evaded Ringrose over the Tonga tryline.
It looked like they had their fifth in the 52nd minute, replacement hooker Rob Herring seemingly scoring directly from a five-metre tap penalty for the second weekend in a row, but TMO Tom Foley flagged that Herring had been stopped short, then propelled himself forward on the ground.
But there was no doubt at all when Lowe smashed over a few minutes later, arriving late on the right of a close-range Irish maul and powering onto sub scrum-half Craig Casey’s short pass.
Byrne converted, then provided the scoring pass for Ireland’s sixth try. It came directly from a lineout, Byrne dropped a short pass to Aki and he simply scorched through the Tongan midfield defence and all the way to the tryline from 35 metres out. As with last weekend against Romania, he looked very quick indeed.
He had less work to do for his second. This time, the Ireland centre picked a clever line, took a short pass from Casey after a smart bit of subterfuge from Ireland close to the tryline, and finished untouched.
Herring finished the try-scoring with the last passage of the game, forcing his way over from a couple of metres out. This was ruthless stuff from a side who are chasing a much bigger prize.
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Tadhg Beirne, Caelan Doris, Mack Hansen, Johnny Sexton, James Lowe, Bundee Aki [2], Rob Herring
Conversions: Johnny Sexton [4 from 4], Ross Byrne [4 from 4]
Penalties: Johnny Sexton [1 from 1]
Tonga scorers:
Tries: Vaea Fifita
Conversions: William Havili [1 from 1]
Penalties: William Havili [3 from 3]
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose (Robbie Henshaw ’50), Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (captain) (Ross Byrne ‘HT), Conor Murray (Craig Casey ’54); Andrew Porter (David Kilcoyne ‘HT), Rónan Kelleher (Rob Herring ‘HT), Tadhg Furlong (Finlay Bealham ‘HT – reversal ’50); Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan (Iain Henderson ’50); Peter O’Mahony (yellow card ’43), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Ryan Baird ’53).
TONGA: Salesi Piutau; Afusipa Taumoepeau, Malakai Fekitoa, Pita Ahki, Solomone Kata (Fine Inisi ’72); William Havili, Augustine Pulu (Sonatane Takulua ‘); Siegfried Fisi’ihoi (Tau Koloamatangi ’60), Paula Ngauamo (Sam Moli ’50), Ben Tameifuna (captain) (Sosefo Apikotoa ’60); Sam Lousi, Halaleva Fifita (Semisi Paea ’70); Tanginoa Halaifonua (Solomone Funaki ’52), Sione Talitui, Vaea Fifita.
(Sione Vailanu ‘)
Referee: Wayne Barnes [RFU].
