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I think this qualifies as the first true upset of the Cup.
It unfortunately helps the poms but congratulations Tonga!!!
Can you imagine the party going on back home?!
Tonga upsets Samoa
Story by Sportal for the ARU
Monday, September 17, 2007 - 03:21 AM (AEST)
Tonga has caused a huge upset by beating arch rival Samoa 19-15 in a spirited Rugby World Cup match in Montpellier on Sunday night.
After trailing 12-6 at half-time, Tonga showed more enthusiasm to score the only try of the match early in the second half, and despite finishing the game with 13 men, managed to hold on for its first win over Samoa in the past nine matches and remain unbeaten after two matches in France 2007.
The result was also a blessing for Pool A rivals England with the Samoans expected to pose a stiff test to Brian Ashton's stuttering side but they were far from formidable in a match littered with ill-discipline and a host of penalties for each side.
Epeli Taione scored the only try of a match dominated by the boots of Pierre Hola and Gavin Williams but it was a fine rearguard action from the Tongans - who lost Hale T Pole to a red card and Toma Toke to a late yellow - which sealed the win.
Hola and Williams exchanged early penalties as the game started at a brisk pace before Samoa's Elvis Seveali'i burst through a pack of bodies on the far touchline and went to ground, with his team-mates claiming the try.
The decision was referred to the video referee and after a lengthy wait it was not given, with Seveali'i adjudged not to have grounded.
Play started to get scrappy at the Tonga breakdown and Joe Tekori briefly looked to have breached their defence before the referee called him back for a scrum.
With 18 minutes gone Samoa were still keeping the ball high in the opposition half with Kane Thompson breaking and Tekori also receiving some quick ball.
The pressure eventually resulted in a pair of penalties, with Williams slotting both home to make it 9-3.
Tevita Tu'ifua found space as Tonga finally created an overlap in attack but as he was charging for the line his footwork let him down and he slipped to the turf as the danger passed.
A stray boot then led to another penalty for the Samoans and Williams continued to collect points with another straight-forward effort in front of the posts.
Taione found himself sin-binned for kicking the ball away in the loose but remarkably it seemed to invigorate his team and for the first time Tonga put sustained pressure on their rivals.
Their pressure resulted in a second penalty for Hola, who reduced the difference to six points at halfway.
Samoa started the second period strongly, making 15 metres with a powerful rolling maul and allowing Saveali'i room to bound forward on the wing.
He was eventually pushed out of play but scrum-half Steve So'oialo did well to recover the ball from the lineout to keep Tonga on the defensive.
Tonga soon found their feet, though, and looked to feed captain Nili Latu and the returning Taione when they got the ball in attacking areas.
Taione earned a penalty as the ill-discipline from both sides continued and Hola was on hand to chip through the posts to make it 12-9.
Then, seconds before the hour mark, Taione capitalised on a fine lineout routine to burst through and touch down, Tonga going further ahead with the conversion.
Hola confidently kicked another three points with 13 minutes to go but a indiscretion from Hale T Pole soon gave Williams the chance to cut the deficit to four.
Pole was red carded in the closing stages for striking Leo Lafaiali'i before Toke was handed a yellow with just minutes to go.
But their remaining team-mates held on for a wonderful win and Tonga now sets its sights on South Africa and England.
Tonga 19
Tries: Taione
Conversions: Hola
Penalties: Hola 4
Samoa 15
Penalties: Williams 5
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
congrats to Tonga and no disrespect but this will help the poms. The way england are playing Tonga could beat them as well
Not necessarily, Tongans rack up one more win with bonus point and the Samoans beat the poms, the poms will come third(Originally Posted by jargan83
).
BLACK IS THICKER THAN BLOOD
Yeah, on reflection, it may have been helpful to the poms on the ladder this round but Manu Samoa will be coming out all guns blazing now as their pride will be severely dented by this result.
England should be bracing for full blown (legal) assault!
As with the Argentinians against France, many of the Samoans play against the pommy players regularly in Premier League so they will be very familiar with the opposition.
Tonga won't be able to beat the Boks so it will all come down to the best result out of Samoa/Tonga v England as Samoa should be able to win with the necessary bonus point against USA.
Pool A has now become very interesting!
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
i really want to see the poms go out at the group stage..............we saw our cricketers get revenge last season now its time for their rugby side to suffer a similar fate
Sorry but I disagree Burgs.Originally Posted by Burgs
The Argentina win over France was equally a true upset.
when the pools final make up was set - Tonga and Samoa were 5 ranking places apart (SAM 11, TOG 16) with a points difference of 9; France & Argentina were 4 ranking places apart (FRA 2, ARG 6) with a difference of 4 points.
In IRB rankings any team with a higher ranking should, by default, be the better side. Making up 4 ranking points in the top 10 is much harder than making up 9 in teams placed 11 to 30 (for example). When you add in a home ground advantage the ARG win over FRA was a more significant upset.
Whats important is that Tonga have beaten two teams ranked above them to be 2 from 2. Only SAF looks untouchable - a much injury depleted England may be battling to secure a win over them.
But it does look like pools A & D are providing all the excitment.
I went to bed at 1/2 time as it was such a boring 1st half.
DAMMIT!
Ecky you should have learnt by now what most front rowers learned a long time ago : "there's plenty of time to sleep when your dead"
Appreciate your points made hopep and if that was the only criteria then would probably agree however, in terms of history between the sides it is chalk and cheese.
Argentina and France regularly swap results where as Samoa had enjoyed nine consecutive wins over Tonga and has far more elite players as well.
While France were definitely favourites no one who knew the Argentinian players credentials would have been prepared to dismiss los Pumas chance of getting a win.
Conversely, any third party observer who knows the respective Samoan and Tongan players credentials would have had a very hard time of realistically tipping a Tongan upset.
I guess it comes down to your own definitions of an "upset" versus just the lesser team winning on the day.....and my above ground pool just got blown to the shithouse![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.