Johnny Sexton became Ireland's record points scorer as he scored 16 in their romp over Tonga in the Rugby World Cup Pool B match on Saturday.
The Irish scored eight tries to earn a 59-16 win, man of the match Bundee Aki scoring a second successive brace in front of 15,000 raucous Irish fans in Nantes.
Sexton opted to go for goal early on when Tonga infringed and he slotted it over after taking so long to do so that the Tongans raised their arms to suggest he had gone beyond the time limit.The Tongans’ natural ball-handling skills were nullified by their lack of discipline and poor lineouts. However, Ireland too were getting on the wrong side of Barnes and William Havili levelled the match with a penalty just inside the Irish half.Caelan Doris broke through the Tongan defence and offloaded to Tadhg Beirne whose momentum carried him to the line. Sexton converted for 10-3.
Havili reduced the deficit with another long-range penalty but then Doris had his day as he was bundled over the tryline and Sexton added the extras.The backs getting in on the act found Mack Hansen who still had work to do. The Australia-born wing cut inside fullback Charles Piutau and accelerating left the Tongans in his wake as he went over to touch down.It was the Sexton show next up as Garry Ringrose found space and set up his captain who touched down under the posts.
Normally poker-faced even when scoring, Sexton rose with a grin on his face and ran to the crowd with his team-mates mobbing him.
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