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Les Tonga repartent avec leur seule victoire
Qualifiées pour la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023 sur un terrain de la Sunshine Coast en Australie le 23 juillet 2022, les Tonga ont achevé leur campagne au stade Pierre-Mauroy de Lille par une victoire 45-24 sur la Roumanie dans le dernier match de la poule B devant 45 042 spectateurs.
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Le principal enjeu de cette rencontre entre les deux équipes du bas de tableau était de ne pas repartir sans avoir remporter au moins une victoire. Entre la 15e équipe mondiale (Tonga) et la 19e (Roumanie), le niveau était sensiblement équilibré, les deux équipes comptant deux victoires et deux défaites chacune depuis leur première rencontre en 2013.
Les Tonga n’ont jamais quitté une Coupe du Monde sans au moins une victoire, depuis 2003 alors que la dernière victoire de la Roumanie remontait à 2015 (non qualifiée pour l’édition 2019 au Japon) contre le Canada.
Pour sa septième et dernière année à la tête des îliens, l’ancien international Toutai Kefu (champion du monde en 1999 avec l’Australie) aura pu se satisfaire de l’engagement aussi bien de ses avants que de ses trois-quarts, chacun replissant bien son rôle.
Affrontement équilibré
Le profil équilibré des deux équipes s’est senti dès les premières minutes avec un jeu concentré autour de la ligne médiane pendant près de sept minutes. Un premier franchissement du trois-quarts centre de Clermont George Moala, par ailleurs ancien joueur des All Blacks, a permis de basculer dans l’autre camp. Quelques temps de jeu plus tard, l’ailier Solomone Kata déposait tranquillement (10e).
Face à une défense peu résistante, les Tonga ont poussé leur avantage d’abord avec Moala (14e), puis l’ailier Afusipa Taumoepeau (21e).
En retour, les Roumains ont construit avec détermination, tentant des mouvements audacieux comme cette touche captée dans la zone des 5 mètres qui amena à l’essai du troisième-ligne aile Cristi Boboc (29e), seulement le deuxième essai de son équipe dans cette campagne.
L’écart se réduit
Profitant de la suspension de Vaea Fifita pour plaquage haut (32e), les Chênes ont enfoncé le clou avec le demi de mêlée Florin Surugiu chaudement félicité par chacun de ses quatorze coéquipiers (35e) pour sortir à la pause avec seulement quatre points de retard (21-17).
Un écart confirmé au début de la seconde période – essai de Sione Vailanu (49e) auquel a répondu Marius Simionescu (55e) – jusqu’à ce que le centre du Stade Toulousain Pita Akhi ne rouvre une brèche (62e) dans laquelle s’engouffrera Kata pour compléter son doublé (66e), puis Kyren Taumoefolau (71e) pour sceller le score 45-24.
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Relativement actifs et incisifs jusqu’à l’heure de jeu, les Chênes ont progressivement ployé face à leurs puissants adversaires, totalement prisonniers de leur camp. Maigre satisfaction de leur côté pour avoir marqué 24 points en un match, soit leur total le plus élevé depuis 2011 (contre l’Ecosse).
Comments on RugbyPass
That’s really sad, hope everyone involved is ok. At least he had pants on.
1 Go to commentsTo be fair it was nowhere bear the Leinster first team (for which, btw, Leinster copped nothing like the outrage that Jake White did for sending a rotated team to the UK). But it’s fun to watch the Stormers doing their thing. They are attracting big, diverse crowds of young fans, and deservedly so. Great to see.
1 Go to commentsIt might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
4 Go to commentsCan we also show some love for Tane Edmed’s fantastic draw and pass? Put his body on the line and committed the defender before letting go of that pass. Flawless skill.
4 Go to commentsYou forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time. For Rassie, a loss is never a loss because he uses it as a chance to learn and improve. Sometimes during a game, again like the England match in last year's Semi Final.
7 Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
2 Go to commentsJa, why do Bulls get flack for not bringing their best but Leinster never bring their best and it goes “unnoticed”?
3 Go to commentsIt’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
7 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
4 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
11 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
7 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
4 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
7 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
7 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
7 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
11 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
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