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Argentina’s World Cup Quarter Final hopes are officially over as France narrowly defeated Tonga 23-21 at Kumamoto on Sunday. The Ikale Tahi outscored Les Bleus three tries to two but the boot of Romain Ntamack proved the difference in a bruising encounter.
The young flyhalf landed an early penalty to calm the nerves and a try followed soon after. France’s Fijian duo of Alivereti Raka and Virimi Vakatawa combined with the latter racing away for for a seven pointer from a counter-attack.
It was Raka who started and finished the next move. First a huge line break put the Tongans on the retreat with Telusa Veainu saving a certain try. It was only a temporary reprieve, however, as Baptiste Serin took a quick tap and Raka regathered his own chip ahead to make it 17-0 just beyond the half-hour mark.
Tonga looked down and out but a try in the last minute of the first half from scrumhalf Tane Takulua, who converted his own, brought the Pacific Islanders back from the dead. It left the score 17-7 at the interval and the gap would soon be reduced to just a single score.
Les Bleus came out firing and Charles Ollivon looked to have crossed, but the final pass was forward and Tonga were let off the hook. They would again fine fortune at the other end of the pitch as Cooper Vuna’s kick ahead bounced perfectly for Mali Hingano, who broke away for a stunning try and left Takulua with a routine conversion.
With the tension rising, Ntamack landed two penalty goals to restore a mildly comfortable lead heading into the final quarter. France looked to have scored again through Maxime Médard but for a second time their score was called back by the TMO, with a knock-on the ruling.
Time looked to have run out for Tonga but a last-gasp break from captain Siale Piutau gave them a chance. After the ball was recycled, the cross-kick from Latiume Fosita found Zane Kapeli and the flanker’s try was converted by the replacement flyhalf. It was too little, too late, however and with just seconds to go France killed off the clock to make it official.
The final placing in Pool D will be decided on Saturday when Les Bleus take on England in Yokohama in the Japanese rendition of ‘Le Crunch’. Tonga can take great credit from their commitment and will have a week to prepare for their last match of the tournament against the USA in Osaka on Sunday.
SCORING
FRANCE 23
Tries – V. Vakatawa (5’), A. Raka (31’)
Cons – R. Ntamack 2 (6’, 32’)
Pens – R. Ntamack 3 (3’, 51’, 59’)
TONGA 21
Tries – T. Takulua (39’), M. Hingano (46’), Z. Kapeli (78’)
Cons – T. Takulua 2 (40’, 47’), L. Fosita (79’)
TEAMS
FRANCE
1 Jefferson Poirot (capt.), 2 Camille Chat, 3 Rabah Slimani, 4 Paul Gabrillagues, 5 Sébastien Vaha’amahina, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 7 Charles Ollivon, 8 Grégory Alldritt, 9 Baptiste Serin, 10 Romain Ntamack, 11 Alivereti Raka, 12 Sofiane Guitoune, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 14 Damian Penaud, 15 Maxime Médard
Replacements: 16 Guilhem Guirado, 17 Cyril Baille, 18 Emerick Setiano, 19 Bernard le Roux, 20 Yacouba Camara, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Camille Lopez, 23 Pierre-Louis Barassi
TONGA
1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 3 Ma’afu Fia, 4 Sam Lousi, 5 Leva Fifita, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Zane Kapeli, 8 Ma’ama Vaipulu, 9 Tane Takulua, 10 James Faiva, 11 David Halaifonua, 12 Siale Piutau (capt.), 13 Mali Hingano, 14 Cooper Vuna, 15 Telusa Veainu
Replacements: 16 Sefo Sakalia, 17 Vunipola Fifita, 18 Siua Halanukonuka, 19 Steve Mafi, 20 Nasi Manu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Latiume Fosita, 23 Afa Pakalani
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistants: Paul Williams (New Zealand) & Matthew Carley (England)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
