Haumole Olakau’atu scores twice as Tonga beat England for the first time and leave Brian McDermott’s side in deep trouble.
Tonga (1.00) beat England 30-12 in front of 18,302 fans in Perth, scoring four tries to two. The result gave coach Kristian Woolf’s side a first-ever win over England and left Brian McDermott’s team facing an uphill battle.
A Defensive Masterclass From Tonga
Both defences held firm in a physical opening 25 minutes. England’s (1.00) best chance came when Kai Pearce-Paul appeared set to score. Latu Fainu made a brilliant tackle to stop him. Fainu then left the field with a pectoral strain, but his side did not fall apart.
Isaiya Katoa set up a rampaging Stefano Utoikamanu for the opening try. Katoa converted and added two penalties for a 10-0 halftime lead.
Tonga captain Jason Taumalolo praised his group: “We knew we were in for a fight for the whole 80 minutes,” he said.
England’s Fightback Falls Short
England finally cracked the Tonga line in the 46th minute. Hugo Savala produced a superb pass, and AJ Brimson stormed into an open try. The hosts of the last tournament had hope at that point. Then Haumole Olakau’atu pounced on a kick that ricocheted into his arms.
Three minutes later, Tui Lolohea cut the defence open with the boot, and Toluta’u Koula reacted fastest. Tonga led 24-6. Dominic Young scored in the right corner after a cracking Williams pass. Olakau’atu then sealed the win in the 71st minute.
McDermott admitted his team gave too much away: “It was too erratic,” he said.
A Format That Punishes Defeat
England now face a hard road. Only two of the six nations across Pools B and C reach the semi-finals. England need Tonga to beat Samoa on 1 November.
They must also pile up points against Papua New Guinea and France. England have reached the semi-finals in all seven tournaments they have played as a separate team.
Captain George Williams stayed calm: “Really disappointing, but we’ve got a long tournament ahead of us,” he said.
McDermott said he saw enough to believe his team is heading in the right direction. Critics still called the format harsh for whoever lost this match.
What Next?
Woolf said the win showed how far Tonga have come: “It’s a big thing to get up and beat tier one nations,” he said.
Tonga now travel to Sydney to face Lebanon (14.00) on 23 October. England stay in Perth for a clash with France (14.00) a day later.
Papua New Guinea also made a statement earlier in the day. They beat Lebanon 42-18 in Port Moresby with seven tries to three. The Pacific nations are making their mark early.
