Tonga in dazzling four star debut
Tonga made a big impression on their Churchill Cup debut, blowing the USA Eagles away 44-13 thanks to left wing Viliami Iongi who scored four tries at Esher on Wednesday.
The dangerous outside back showed the touch of class that has seen him make the Brumbies Academy with two tries in each half as Tonga turned a 13-10 half-time lead into a comfortable canter.
He commented: “I am very happy – I just thank God for the opportunity to bring me here. We really practised hard and we just hoped that we would win the game.”
Tonga go into Sunday’s game against England Saxons at Kingsholm buoyed by an impressive demolition of the Eagles, whose captain Todd Clever admitted: “I am extremely disappointed. We couldn’t put it together.
“We just switched off and we were not on the same page – that’s partly because we are not together very often. But we have got one game left in the Churchill Cup so hopefully we can re-group and get our attitude right,” he added.
These two last met in the 2007 Rugby World Cup when Tonga won 25-15 but this ranking Test match was far from close.
Tonga got off to a dream start when Iongi sped away from the grasping Andrew Suniula and raced away to the tryline.
Kurt Morath added the extras to an early penalty to give Tonga a 10-0 lead until Nesi Malifa pulled back three points for the Eagles. But Morth restored the 10-point advantage after 21 minutes as USA’s indiscipline cost them again.
Tonga lost prop Tonga Lea’aetoa to the sinbin for a high tackle and the USA capitalised when Louis Stanfill rampaged downfield, Shawn Pittman took the ball on and when the ball was moved left, the experienced Paul Emerick dived over in the corner for Usasz to convert.
Scott Lavalla, consolation try scorer in the 87-8 defeat by England Saxons five days previously, almost got on the scoresheet again but Tongan scrumhalf Soane Havea got his hand in the way and ball was knocked forward from the lock’s grasp to leave Tonga ahead by three at half-time.
Usasz pulled an early second-half penalty wide across the face of the posts and things got worse for them when Eteuni Siua got away from Cornish Pirates-bound Roland Suniula and put Longi away for his second try.
Morath added the extras and then kicked his third penalty for a 23-10 lead when Pittman ended up in the sinbin this time for a high tackle on Ilaisa Ma’asi.
The Eagles rallied, prompted by a probing kick from Usasz, but the attack came to nothing and it was Tonga who tightened their grip when Iongi wrapped up his hat-trick. Pepa Koloamatangi took Havea’s long pass and fed Iongi with the sweetest of balls for the wing to waltz round Swiryn on a sixpence to race home.
Lavalla went close to the line but was held up short and though referee Roman Poite pulled play back for a penalty the Americans still had an uphill battle with a 17-point deficit to claw back in the last 10 minutes.
That proved impossible when Iongi finished off his haul before Pasuka Mapakaitolo got his reward for his workhorse effort and dotted down.
The scorers:
For Tonga:
Tries: Iongi 4, Mapakaitolo
Cons: Morath 5
Pens: Morath 3
For USA:
Try: Emerick
Con: Malifa
Pens: Malifa 2
Tonga: 15 Mateo Malupo, 14 Viliami Helu, 13 Suka Hufanga, 12 Etueni Siua, 11 Viliami Iongi, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Soane Havea, 8 Vili Ma’afu, 7 Pepa Koloamatangi, 6 Pasuka Mapakaitolo, 5 Emosi Kauhenga, 4 Sione Timani, 3 Kisi Pulu (captain), 2 Ilaisa Ma’asi, 1 Tonga Lea’aetoa.
Replacements: 16 Atonio Halangahu, 17 Ta’u Fainga’anuku, 18 Josh Afu, 19 Paula Kaho, 20 Daniel Morath, 21 Edmond Paea, 22 Sillivenusi Kauhea Taumoepeaul.
USA: 15 Roland Suniula, 14 Colin Hawley, 13 Paul Emerick, 12 Andrew Suniula, 11 Kevin Swiryn, 10 Nese Malifa, 9 Tim Usasz, 8 Nic Johnson, 7 Todd Clever (captain), 6 Inaki Basauri, 5 Scott LaValla, 4 Louis Stanfill, 3 Shawn Pittman, 2 Chris Biller, 1 Mate Moeakiola.
Replacements: 16 Phil Thiel, 17 Eric Fry, 18 John van der Giessen, 19 Pat Danahy, 20 Mike Petri, 21 Tai Enosa, 22 Troy Hall.
Referee: R Poite (France)
