Scotland 45-17 Tonga: Scots keep Rugby World Cup quarter-finals hopes alive with bonus-point win
George Turner, Duhan van der Merwe, Kyle Steyn, Rory Darge, George Horne, Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham all score tries for Scotland in important bonus-point Rugby World Cup win vs Tonga; Gregor Townsend's side play Ireland in their final pool game, needing to win
Last Updated: 25/09/23 6:43am
Scotland kept their Rugby World Cup quarter-final hopes alive with a 45-17 Pool B bonus-point victory over Tonga in Nice.
Placed in this year's 'group of death' alongside Ireland and South Africa, and having already lost to the Springboks, Scotland could ill-afford a second slip-up, and pulled away in the second half to confirm victory.
Gregor Townsend's side scored seven tries through hooker George Turner, wings Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn, back-row Rory Darge, scrum-half George Horne, full-back Blair Kinghorn and replacement-back Darcy Graham.
Scotland 45-17 Tonga - Score summary
Scotland - Tries: Turner (5), Van der Merwe (26), Steyn (30), Darge (42), Horne (54), Kinghorn (68), Graham (80+2). Cons: Russell (6, 43, 55, 70, 80+4).
Tonga - Tries: Kata (20), Tameifuna (44). Cons: Havili (21, 45). Pens: Havili (10).
Tonga scored tries through wing Solomone Kata and prop Ben Tameifuna, but must now beat South Africa next weekend to stand any hope of progression.
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Scotland made a strong start and went ahead in the fifth minute when hooker Turner pushed over following a rolling maul, with Finn Russell adding the extras.
Tonga responded well to reduce the arrears with a William Havili penalty and the Pacific Islanders then got themselves in front through Kata's try, converted by Havili.
After trailing 10-7, the Scots regained control with scores in the closing 14 minutes of the first half from Van der Merwe, Steyn and Darge.
The last of those tries came at a time when Tonga back Afusipa Taumoepeau was in the sin-bin for a high challenge on Jamie Ritchie, waiting to learn if his yellow card would be upgraded to a red.
Scotland maintained their 14-point lead over Tonga up to midway through the second half, with the two teams exchanging tries after the break.
Shortly after Taumoepeau was allowed to return to the field, with his yellow card not upgraded to a red for his first-half indiscretion, Tonga reduced the deficit when Tameifuna bulldozed his way over on the left, with Havili on target with the conversion.
But Scotland reasserted themselves when substitute Horne touched down in the 53rd minute after brilliant play by Van der Merwe to set him up.
Russell converted, and a little over 10 minutes later, Scotland had a fifth try when Kinghorn got in on the act after another enterprising Russell assist.
That looked to be the end of the try scoring, with Scotland struggling to convert a wealth of territory and possession, but once Tonga back-row Vaea Fifita was yellow carded for a high tackle, they had one last chance.
That appeared to pass by when Tonga forced two penalties within their 22, but their intent to play on and get a third try unwittingly let Scotland in for a seventh, as replacement wing Graham displayed his lightning pace to streak clear past the 80-minute mark and score by the posts.
Hooker McInally forced out of Scotland squad
After the Test, confirmation came that hooker Stuart McInally has been forced out of Scotland's World Cup squad with a neck injury just over a week after being given a late call-up.
Glasgow's Johnny Matthews has been added in place of the 33-year-old Edinburgh forward, who was due to retire from rugby after the tournament.
McInally has had a rollercoaster few months after being included in the provisional 41-man training squad, then cut when Townsend trimmed his pool to 33 in August before being called back out to join the squad when Dave Cherry suffered concussion after falling down the stairs at the team hotel a week past Monday.
What's next?
Scotland next face Ireland on Saturday October 7, in their crucial final Rugby World Cup Pool B game, at the Stade de France in Paris (8pm kick off BST).
Tonga are next in action vs South Africa on Sunday October 1, for their third Rugby World Cup Pool B game, at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille (8pm kick off BST).