Tonga have made four changes to the side that beat Samoa for the top-two clash with South Africa in Pool A in Lens on Saturday.

 

Scrum-half Sione Tu’ipulotu comes in for Enele Taufa in the only change to the back line.

Up front, Viliami Vaki, ‘Emosi Kauhenga and Aleki Lutui replace Hale T Pole, Inoke Afeaki and Ephraim Taukafa.

Blind-side flanker Pole was sent off for violent conduct against Samoa and received a one-match ban.

“We are going to enjoy this game. If anything the pressure is on South Africa. If you were a bookmaker you would probably put all your money on South Africa to win.

“But when we came here our realistic target was to beat United States and Samoa and we have achieved that.

“Now it’s a matter of enjoying the game and we are here to win, there’s no doubt about that,” ,” said centre Epi Taione.

“As players we always want to test ourselves against the best and we are looking forward to it.

“We are expecting to play a full professional side and that’s what we are playing for, the challenge for ourselves as players is to perform against the best.”

Tonga trail South Africa by one point in Pool A with England four points adrift in third.

England meet Tonga in their final match on 28 September with the top two sides qualifying for the quarter-finals.

---

Tonga: Lilo; Tu’ifua, Hufanga, Taione, Vaka; Hola, Mone; Tonga’uiha, Lutui, Pulu, Hehea, Kauhenga, Vaki, Latu (capt), Maka.
Replacements: Taukafa, Filise, Afeaki, Filipine, Havea, Tupou, Havili.

Tonga shocked Pacific Island neighbours Samoa to throw the race for Pool A qualification wide open.

Four penalties from Gavin Williams gave Samoa a 12-6 half-time lead.

But an Epi Taione try and five points from Pierre Hola, who had kicked two first-half penalties, put them 19-12 up in Montpellier.

A fourth Williams penalty trimmed the gap but Tonga held on to consolidate their second place in the group despite despite losing two men late on.

Samoa, who are England’s next opponents on 22 September, had been expected to provide the greatest threat to the floundering world champions’ hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

But this result means England must now be dreading their meeting with Tonga, who beat USA in their opening game, on 28 September in Paris as well.

Tonga and Samoa have a reputation for being among the two most explosive sides in the world game but anyone expecting a pulsating opening to the encounter was to be disappointed.

Samoa had battered South Africa for 40 minutes in their opening match in France before running out of steam in the second half.

But they started slowly against Tonga, who drew first blood through Hola’s penalty.

Samoa soon hit back through a penalty from Williams, the son of former New Zealand legend Brian, and were also denied a try when the televison match official ruled out a score from Elvis Seveali’i.

Samoa’s territorial advantage led to two more Williams penalties, the second after a trademark charge from powerhouse Leicester winger Alesana Tuilagi.

When Tonga saw former Newcastle and Sale player Taione sin-binned after yet another infringement at a ruck, a fourth Williams penalty made it 12-3 after 28 minutes.

Tonga, ranked four places below Samoa, reduced the deficit through a second Hola penalty as the half ended 12-6.

Hola then added another three points before Tonga took the lead when Taione finished off a powerful forward drive.

Hola converted to make it 16-12 before edging his side further ahead with a fourth penalty.

Hale T Pole conceded a silly penalty to enable Williams to trim the gap to four points.

And the Tongan blind-side then put his side in deep trouble as he was red-carded following a forearm smash to the face of a Samoan with nine minutes to go.

Things went from bad to worse for Tonga as replacement Toma Toke was shown a yellow card for a high tackle to reduce the Sea Eagles to 13 men.

But Samoa could not take advantage as Tonga produced a series of big hits in defence to claim a shock victory

Tonga got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start with victory over a battling USA in Montpellier.The Americans found themselves 13-0 down after 26 minutes thanks to an early try from Toulouse flanker Finau Maka and two Pierre Hola penalties.

Eagles prop Mike MacDonald made the score 13-8 with a try in the corner but Tonga responded through Joseph Vaka.

USA flanker Louis Stanfill then crossed from close range but Viliami Vaki’s superb score sealed victory for Tonga.

The United States Eagles will inevitably soar with superfluous confidence into their clash against Tonga at Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier on Wednesday.

After restricting World Cup holders England to a mere 18-point margin, the Eagles would have been perfectly content to bask in the glow of their most recent performance for a few more days.

However, it’s Brian Ashton’s men who must ponder until Friday, when they face the impressive South Africa in what could be a worrying non-event.

Yet, with just three full days’ recuperation, USA coach Peter Thorburn will surely not allow his charges to find themselves in the clouds, as the fresh Tongans present an especially stern test.

So, it will be the Eagles versus the Sea Eagles, with the latter opening their World Cup account six days after the ceremony.

The Islanders’ population of 100,000, roughly the same as Bath, means that they are the smallest country to reach the finals.

However, coach Quddus Fielea is in no mood to celebrate that fact as he intends to hit the ground running in Montpellier.

“This is the best team we’ve ever had. It is the first time we have all the players available for the World Cup,” he said.

And there will be some familiar faces on show with former Sale and Newcastle Falcon Epi Taione – Paddy Power to those pandering to sponsorship larks, and the affectionately-known ‘Tongan Torpedo’ Nili Latu in their ranks.

But what can the World Cup expect from a side tipped to hover under the Pool heavyweights?

They arrive in France on the back of a 26-14 warm-up win over Edinburgh in Scotland, but are sure to hit new heights with a squad full of promise.

The Teams:

United States: 15 Chris Wyles, 14 Salesi Sika, 13 Paul Emerick, 12 Vahafolau Esikia, 11 Takudzwa Ngwenya, 10 Mike Hercus (c), 9 Chad Erskine, 8 Henry Bloomfield, 7 Todd Clever, 6 Louis Stanfill, 5 Mike Mangan, 4 Alec Parker, 3 Chris Osentowski, 2 Owen Lentz, 1 Mike MacDonald.
Replacements: 16 Blake Burdette, 17 Matekitonga Moeakiola, 18 Hayden Mexted, 19 Inaki Basauri, 20 Mike Petri, 21 Valenese Malifa, 22 Albert Tuipulotu.

Tonga: 15 Vungakoto Lilo, 14 Tevita Tu’ifua, 13 Sukanaivalu Hufanga, 12 Epeli Taione, 11 Joseph Vaka, 10 Pierre Hola, 9 Soane Havea, 8 Finau Maka, 7 Nili Latu (c), 6 Hale T-Pole, 5 Paino Hehea, 4 Lisiate Fa’aoso, 3 Kisi Pulu, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Soane Tonga’uiha.
Replacements: 16 Ephraim Taukafa, 17 Toma Toke, 18 Viliami Vaki, 19 Lotu Filipine, 20 Sione Tu’ipulotu, 21 Isileli Tupou, 22 Aisea Havili.

Nili Latu will lead Tonga in their opening match of the World Cup, when they face the United States in their Pool A match at Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier on Wednesday.

The team shows several changes from that which recorded a 26-14 win over Edinburgh in their final warm-up match in Scotland last month.

The only change to the backline sees Soane Havea at scrum-half in place of Sione Mone Tu’upulota.

There is a reshuffle among the loose forwards, with Finau Maka coming in at number eight and Hale T-Pole moving to the blindside flank – in place of Viliami Vaki, who drops down to the replacement bench.

The other changes see Lisiate Fa’aoso at lock for Inoke Afeaki and Kisi Pulu at tighthead prop for Taufa’ao Filise.

With victories a rare feat for Tonga at World Cup tournaments, the Pacific Islanders sense a victory in the offing against the US Eagles.

The Tongans are ranked one spot higher than the Eagles, at No.14 on the International Rugby Board (IRB) world rankings.

The Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles), who have a large proportion of European-based players in their squad, are chasing their third win at the World Cup after downing Ivory Coast 29-11 in 1995 and Italy 28-25 in 1999.

Their physicality is their forte and they fancy their chances of rattling the Americans with what they believe is the strongest squad they have ever assembled.

“This is the best team we’ve ever had. It is the first time we have all the players available for the World Cup,” said coach Quddus Fielea.

Assistant coach Ellis Meachen said the team’s challenge was to get all the overseas players on the same wavelength as the home-based squad members.

“We have a lot of overseas players so it is important we get everyone into the same mentality,” Meachen said.

“Players focus on different things at their clubs so getting the boys together for the national team is something to focus on.”

Tonga: 15 Vungakoto Lilo, 14 Tevita Tu’ifua, 13 Sukanaivalu Hufanga, 12 Epeli Taione, 11 Joseph Vaka, 10 Pierre Hola, 9 Soane Havea, 8 Finau Maka, 7 Nili Latu (c), 6 Hale T Pole, 5 Paino Hehea, 4 Lisiate Fa’aoso, 3 Kisi Pulu, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Soane Tonga’uiha.
Replacements: 16 Ephraim Taukafa, 17 Toma Toke, 18 Viliami Vaki, 19 Lotu Filipine, 20 Sione Tu’ipulotu, 21 Isileli Tupou, 22 Aisea Havili.