France beat Tonga to set up England Rugby World Cup showdown
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union

2019 Rugby World Cup Pool B |
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France (17) 23 |
Tries: Vakatawa, Raka Cons: Ntamack (2) Pens: Ntamack (3) |
Tonga: (7) 21 |
Tries: Takulua, Hingano, Kapeli Cons: Takulua (2), Fosita |
France will play England to decide who tops Pool C on Saturday after they finally subdued a battling Tonga.
France put in a characteristically fitful display - racing into a 17-point lead before being reeled in, then rallying before a late Tonga try set up a frantic finale.
However, Damian Penaud reclaimed Camille Lopez's restart to end the underdogs' hopes of snatching a win.
Pool C's winners will face the runners-up in Pool D in the last eight.
Australia look the most likely to finish second in Pool D, while Wales will top that group if they can negotiate matches against Uruguay and Fiji.
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France head coach Jacques Brunel said his side would "need to go back to basics" before facing England to determine who will top the pool.
"We wanted a bigger scoreline but because of handling errors we were not able to achieve that," he said.
Those comments were echoed by stand-in captain Jefferson Poirot, who said his side "have a lot of work to do".
"England are tough and we know how difficult it will be," he said.
France make it three from three
France, with a third different half-back combination in as many matches, started the game at a canter as powerful centre Virimi Vakatawa went over from Alivereti Raka's one-handed pass.
When scrum-half Baptiste Serin spotted a unmarked Raka and the chance to tap and go for a second score, Jacques Brunel's side were 17-0 up after 35 minutes.
But, just as in their opening match against Argentina - when they allowed the Pumas back in the match from 20-3 down - France's concentration wavered.
Newcastle's Sonatane Takulua dived over from close range just before the break as Tonga's forwards wrestled their way into the ascendancy.
France full-back Maxime Medard paid the price for allowing the ball to bounce early in the second half as Malietoa Hingano pounced to power over.
With their advantage shaved down to three points, the sense that a repeat of Tonga's upset victory in the 2011 pool stages may be brewing stung France back into life.

They tightened up their play and fly-half Romain Ntamack landed two penalty goals to put his side 23-14 in front.
Penaud dived over to seemingly put the game beyond doubt, but that was to be more drama as referee Nic Berry - belatedly, but correctly - ruled out that score for a knock-on by Medard, and then Tonga flanker Zane Kapeli claimed a cross-field kick and dotted down.
Replacement Latiume Fosita slotted the conversion putting Tonga within two points as they prepared to receive kick-off with less than a minute to go.
But Penaud tapped the kick-off back to a team-mate and France booted into touch to end the game.
A threat to England?
Despite only scraping past an opponent his own side saw off 35-3 in the tournament opener, England head coach Eddie Jones will have seen how France can threaten his team.
Raka and Penaud both showed their quality as strike runners capable of undoing a defence with moments of individual brilliance, while scrum-half Antoine Dupont was lively around the edge of the breakdown after he came on with 25 minutes to go.
The prospect of playing their Six Nations rivals might also bring the consistency, concentration and 80-minute performances France have not yet put in at the tournament.
However, with Pool C's runners-up set on a path that would see them avoid tournament favourites New Zealand until a potential final, they may also feel the meeting with England is one they can afford to lose.
Match stats
- This was the sixth meeting between France and Tonga in Test rugby, but the first time either side had recorded consecutive victories, with France winning their meeting in 2013 before victory in this match.
- France have now reached the quarter-finals of this year's World Cup. They are one of four teams - and the only northern hemisphere side - to have never failed to progress from the group stage of the tournament.
- This was France's 23rd match against non-tier one opposition at the World Cup - they have won 22 of those, with Tonga inflicting their only defeat (in 2011). Sunday's scoreline was their narrowest winning margin.
- Alivereti Raka gained 142 metres against Tonga, the most by a France player in a World Cup match since Clement Poitrenaud gained 155 metres against the USA in 2003.

'A really, tough tough game' - what they said
France coach Jacques Brunel: "Today it was different to what we wanted to do -- it was quite a hard game,
"The most important thing is that we got our ticket to the quarter-finals, so I'm happy about that."
On positives France can take from the match: "Our engagement and the intensity we put on the Tongans, and we'll get back to work next week to face England."
Tonga coach Toutai Kefu: "Definitely frustrated, again we didn't get off to the best of starts and that probably told in the end.
"The guys dug in there, there was a period in the second half when the game was in the balance and the guys hung in and hung in. You can't question their effort."
Teams
France: Medard; Penaud, Vakatawa, Guitoune, Raka; Ntamack, Serin; Poirot, Chat, Slimani, Gabrillagues, Vahaamahina, Lauret, Ollivon, Alldritt.
Replacements: Guirado, Baille, Setiano, Le Roux, Camara, Dupont, Lopez, Barassi.
Tonga: Veainu, Vuna, Hingano, Piutau, Halaifonua; Faiva, Takulua; Fisi'ihoi, Ngauamo, Fia; Lousi, Fifita, Kalamafoni, Kapeli, Vaipulu.
Replacements: Sakalia, Fifita, Halanukonuka, Mafi, Manu, Fukofuka, Fosita, Pakalani.
Comments
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I don't think France will be a real gauge of where England are in the next game. They aren't great and I have a feeling they'll play a 2nd fifteen and gladly take 2nd place in the group. Some seem to think England would be better to lose that game but I don't think they'll play it that way.
First job is to beat France convincingly, then focus on the QF. Beyond that is irrelevant at this stage.
"Everybody knows which 8 teams are going to be in the second stage BEFORE the groups begin. "
Enlighten us Scotland or Japan?
SA NZ AUS ENG will beat France 99/100 if they played them now....what’s ALL the hype about seriously....they just squeezed past Tonga!
England, looking strong, will beat France comfortably to top the group.
Also fancy Wales to beat France in the quarters.
Also hope England batter sour losers Aus in the quarters. Expect cheap late shot on Farrell from Hooper - his and Cheika's last hurrah.
“Serious question and not a wind up - what exactly have England done in the past 2 years, for their fans to believe they are going to win the World Cup. “
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Serious question, what makes you think England fans believe their team is going to win the World Cup?
They only hope, and there’s nothing wrong with hope otherwise there’s no point in turning up.
I'm pretty sure Japan a side who were getting thrashed by 80+ points 15 or so years ago by the big sides, and not one of the 8 teams you'd expect in the last 8 are in a great position to make the last showing how uninformed your opinion is
Does this over staffed, over funded institution that is the bbc operate with no quality control whatsoever??
How many times has this happened now in a tournament only 2 weeks old???
Wales play Fiji, they’ve already beaten Georgia! Show just a little bit of professionalism to justify our enforced licence fee payments please!!
Meanwhile can somebody tell me why, with the Pacific Islands providing well over 20% of the players at RWC, we are yet to hear a Pacific Island voice on commentary of as pundit in the studio?