Gregor Townsend’s Side Deliver Bonus-Point Victory to Stay in the Hunt for Knockout Stage
Scotland revived their Rugby World Cup campaign with a commanding 45-17 victory over Tonga at Stade de Nice, keeping their hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals alive. The Scots faced immense pressure after their opening loss to South Africa, and with Ireland’s victory over the Boks, they could afford no further slip-ups.
The match saw Scotland display their attacking prowess, scoring seven tries, with each one coming from a different player. The win not only provided the bonus point they needed but also gave them a foothold in a competitive Pool B.
Blair Kinghorn almost got Scotland off to a perfect start in the second minute, but a knock-on denied him the opening try after a chase of his own kick-through. It wasn’t long before they made the breakthrough, with George Turner diving over from a maul in the 6th minute, Finn Russell adding the conversion.
Tonga responded with a penalty from William Havili in the 10th minute and then took the lead midway through the first half when Solomone Kata capitalised on a Salesi Piutau offload, dotting down on the right. Havili converted, putting the islanders 10-7 up.
Despite the setback, Scotland regained control before half-time, scoring three tries in quick succession. Duhan van der Merwe put them back in front with a well-executed move in the 26th minute, followed by Kyle Steyn’s try on the half-hour mark. A yellow card for Tonga’s Afusipa Taumoepeau after a high tackle on Jamie Ritchie, who was later substituted with a head injury, helped Scotland add a third try just before the break through Rory Darge. Russell’s accurate kicking kept the scoreboard ticking over.
In the second half, Tonga came out strong, with Ben Tameifuna bulldozing over for a try early on. Havili’s conversion brought the deficit back to seven points. However, Scotland responded when George Horne touched down after excellent play from Van der Merwe, with Russell adding the extras.
Kinghorn and Darcy Graham sealed the victory with late tries, both converted by Russell, and despite a yellow card for Tonga’s Vaea Fifita, Scotland ran out comfortable winners, leaving them with a chance to progress from Pool B.
