New look Tonga see off Canada

Tonga 28-3 Canada

Tonga ran in four tries and survived a sending off early in the second half en route to a dominant win over Canada on Thursday.

World no.23 Canada, which failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time ever, was seeing its first action since a 43-37 loss to Namibia in November.

Tonga has benefited from a recent World Rugby rule change allowing players who have not represented their country in three years to switch to the country of their birth, or of their parents’ or grandparents’ birth.

Former All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa and George Moala started at centre with Vaea Fifita, another New Zealand veteran on the Tongan bench.

The Tongans did not look especially sharp but had enough power and pace to dispatch Canada.

Tonga had home support in their first test match on home soil since 2017 and went ahead in the fourth minute, taking advantage of a scrum penalty to kick deep into Canadian territory. 

Sam Moli went over at the back of a driving maul from the ensuring lineout with the conversion giving the home side a 7-0 lead.

Peter Nelson cut the lead to 7-3 with a penalty from close range. 

Tonga added to the lead after a line break by wing Fine Inisi, who sliced through the Canadian defence before taking a tackle and passing to an open Sonatane Takulua for a 14-3 lead with the conversion. 

After a penalty against Canada, Tonga kicked for distance and Vailanu, a beefy 20 stone back row, bulled his way over from the ensuing lineout, dragging defenders with him just before the first half ended.

Tonga was reduced to 14 men five minutes into the second half after Moala was sent off for a dangerous tackle that left Canadian centre Ben LeSage dazed.

However, Vailanu’s power at close range produced another Tongan try to round off the scoring. 

Written by Ben Jaycock