IRB Rugby World Cup 2007 - Pool A - Match Review

Samoa 15 vs. Tonga 19

16 September 2007 - 16:00(Local Time), Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier 

Tonga sprang a surprise on Samoa holding on with 13 men to beat them in Montpellier.  Playing in the last quarter of the match with two men down, they potentially have snookered Samoa's chances of reaching the Rugby World Cup Quarter finals.

Having won against the USA 25-15 they remain unbeaten in the tournament and lie second in Pool A - who would have thought it or even predicted it?

Tonga now have a great opportunity and will be looking forward to meeting England in their last group match in Paris on September 28 after they next play South Africa.   Which I must admit I am now relishing the thoughts of.

The winning break came midway through a grimly-fought second half off a driving maul.   Eplie Taione came up with the try under a pile of bodies to Tongan jubilation as they sensed the breaking of a seven-year losing sequence against their great rivals.

Fly-half Pierre Hola converted for a 16-12 lead with 20 minutes.  Hola kicked another penalty to stretch the lead to seven points before the Samoa clawed it back to 19-15 after Pole was cautioned for a head-high tackle on opposite number Daniel Leo.

Pole was sent off by South African referee Jonathan Kaplan shortly afterwards after another incident when he elbowed a Samoa forward in the face at a ruck and he was followed to the sidelines by Toke with a yellow card.

Pool A

		P	W	D	L	PD	TD	PF	TF	BP	PTS
	South Africa	2	2	0	0	88	10	95	11	1	9
	Tonga	2	2	0	0	14	2	44	4	0	8
	England	2	1	0	1	-18	-1	28	3	0	4
	Samoa	2	0	0	2	-56	-8	22	1	1	1
	USA	2	0	0	2	-28	-3	25	3	0	0

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