Scotland kept their quarter-final hopes alive by beating Tonga 45-17, with seven tries, as the Pacific Islanders picked up a late red card
at the Stade de NiceIt could certainly be said that Scotland were dealt a bad hand when you consider the Pool B draw combined with its scheduling. But it’s all about controlling the controllables, so coaches say, and the possibility remains that Gregor Townsend’s men will play their unforgiving cards remarkably well.
On this sort of form Scotland will back themselves to have a strong chance, at the very least, of surviving the pool of death. To the considerable credit of all concerned they looked like a team who had two weeks of constructive warm-weather training in the tank. Prompted by their uniquely gifted fly-half, Finn Russell, passes were fizzed around with abandon and the dirty work, at the breakdown and set piece, was done plenty well enough to give their talented back division a platform.
Tonga were just as physical as expected, and indeed controversially avoided a first-half yellow card for Afusipa Taumoepeau being upgraded to red for a high hit on Jamie Ritchie, before Vaea Fifita was also shown a yellow card, upgraded to red via bunker review, for another high hit late in the second half. Regardless, only a miracle can now save Toutai Kefu’s team from elimination, with matches against South Africa and Romania to come.
William Havili’s penalty reduced the 7-0 deficit after Rory Sutherland was penalised for collapsing a scrum, and the Pacific Islanders were competing hard. Ben White’s dart after Russell’s brilliant 50-22 saw him turned over, a good chance wasted. That allowed Solomone Kata, the former Exeter wing who is headed for Leicester, to cross on the right wing following a crushing carry by Halaleva Fifita.
The trick, as Italy demonstrated against Uruguay here last week, is to stick to the plan even when the scoreboard isn’t looking too clever. Tonga continued to batter into tackles, with Duhan van der Merwe and Chris Harris coming in for muscular treatment. Havili, the Tonga No 10, was penalised for a no-arms tackle and a beautiful sequence of passes sent Van der Merwe over. It was a nerve-settling score to restore Scotland’s lead, although Russell struck the conversion wide.
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