Summary

  • Scotland 45-17 Tonga: Turner gets early try for Scotland; Kata then sneaks in at the corner but Van der Merwe & Steyn promptly reply;

  • Darge darts in between posts just before break; Tameifuna storms over just after break to give Tonga hope with Horne & Kinghorn responding as Graham runs in at death

  • Scotland face Romania on Saturday 30 September (20:00 BST)

  1. converted try

    Converted try Scotland 24-17 Tongapublished at 44 mins

    Ben Tameifuna

    Tonga's captain smashes his way over to score - that's the start to the second half that they would have wanted.

    Far from ideal for Scotland.

    It was Finn Russell that the giant prop ran straight over on his way to the line, and once he'd built up momentum, no-one could haul him down.

    William Havili adds the extras.

  2. Boos for Taumoepeaupublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Andy Burke
    BBC Scotland at Stade de Nice

    Boos from the crowd as Tonga wing Afusipa Taumoepeau returns to the field having escaped a red for that sickening high shot on Jamie Ritchie.

    A lot of bemusement in the stadium at that decision.

  3. Postpublished at 41 mins

    Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Amid all that red card discourse, we are back under way in Nice.

    Tonga win a penalty at the breakdown, which William Havili kicks into the Scotland 22.

  4. 'Mind-blowing' decisionpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Johnnie Beattie
    Former Scotland back row on BBC Radio Sports Extra

    There is a dip in height but it is a straight up shoulder charge to the head. That is mind-blowing.

  5. 'Clear red card'published at 17:50 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    John Barclay
    Former Scotland captain on ITV

    This is as clear a red card as you're going to see. It's head-on-head contact, clear line of sight in open play, high degree of danger, no mitigation. It ticks all the boxes.

    Those are the exact collisions we're trying to get out of the game.

  6. Just a yellowpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Wow.

    Referee Karl Dickson calls the captains together before the restart to inform them that Afusipa Taumoepeau's yellow will stay as just a yellow, because Jamie Ritchie ducked slightly into the tackle.

    That is baffling. Incidentally, Ritchie has failed his HIA.

  7. get involved

    Get Involved - your thoughts on action so farpublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    HT: Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Well then, what did you all make of that first 40 minutes?

    Get in touch with us here.

  8. Postpublished at 17:47 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    HT: Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Fraser Brown
    Glasgow and Scotland hooker on BBC Radio Scotland

    I was a bit frustrated watching it. Scotland have done well to get the bonus point, but we're playing too much rugby in the middle of the pitch.

    I thought Scotland would look to turn them more, try and put Tonga in their own 22m and make them play out. The tempo is high - that must be the Scottish tactic, looking to make the Tongans tire later on.

    There's a looseness around the Scottish contact, and it's created a frenetic pace to the game. There's some things to tidy up, contact around the breakdown mainly.

  9. 'Brutal stuff'published at 17:44 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    HT: Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Tom English
    BBC Scotland's chief sports writer on Sportsound

    It's brutal stuff. There's whiplash all the time, heads shooting back in contact. That yellow will have to get turned into red, and I thought there were two more dodgy ones.

    This is the thing with Tonga, they're all in on physicality - and sometimes that physicality turns into dirty play. I'm not sure they mean it, they just want to put a big hit on somebody.

    It was a horrible hit on Jamie Ritchie - I'd be amazed if he passes that HIA.

  10. Postpublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    HT: Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    A job well done so far for Scotland.

    Gregor Townsend's side haven't been at their electric best, but have scored the four tries necessary for that essential bonus point.

    You would imagine that Afusipa Taumoepeau's yellow card will be upgraded to red, and so now it's about Scotland maximising their margin of victory.

    Scotland celebrateImage source, Reuters
  11. How's stat?published at 17:41 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    HT: Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    StatsImage source, BBC Sport
  12. 'Terrific' work by Scotlandpublished at 17:34 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 24-10 Tonga

    Johnnie Beattie
    Former Scotland back row on BBC Radio Sports Extra

    Terrific work from Rory Darge that comes from nothing really.

    Darge tryImage source, Reuters
  13. converted try

    Converted try Scotland 24-10 Tongapublished at 42 mins

    Rory Darge

    Bonus point secured!

    Rory Darge breaks a tackle, and scampers over to score under the posts after Jack Dempsey was wrapped up at the back of the scrum.

    Finn Russell knocks over the simplest of conversions, and that will be the last action of the first half in Nice.

  14. Postpublished at 40 mins

    Scotland 17-10 Tonga

    Scotland go wide knowing that they have a penalty advantage to fall back on, but Duhan van der Merwe can't quite get over to score his second try of the game.

    We go back for the penalty, and Scotland opt for a scrum just five metres out.

    Finn Russell is lurking...

  15. Postpublished at 39 mins

    Scotland 17-10 Tonga

    Brilliant stuff from Scotland right on the verge of half-time.

    Ben White's kick sends Salesi Piutau back into his own 22, and Scott Cummings and Matt Fagerson haul the Tonga full-back into touch.

    Can Scotland wrap up a bonus point before the break?

  16. 'Appalling' challengepublished at 17:27 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 17-10 Tonga

    Johnnie Beattie
    Former Scotland back row on BBC Radio Sports Extra

    That is absolutely appalling. It will have to be a red.

  17. Sin-bin Afusipa Taumoepeau (Tonga)published at 34 mins

    Scotland 17-10 Tonga

    Afusipa Taumaepeau is in serious bother here.

    He leads with his left shoulder in a tackle on Jamie Ritchie, and the Tongan winger is shown yellow by referee Karl Dickson.

    That will go to the bunker for review, and I'd say it's pretty likely that yellow will become red.

    Ritchie is off for a head injury assessment, with Matt Fagerson on in his place.

    Jamie Ritchie stays downImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Jamie Ritchie is attended to by Scotland's medical team

  18. Postpublished at 33 mins

    Scotland 17-10 Tonga

    Tonga are on the front foot immediately from kick-off, but the ball goes to ground and George Turner pounces to get Scotland back on the attack.

  19. Postpublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 17-10 Tonga

    Scott Hastings
    Former Scotland player on ITV

    Look at that zip pass from Russell.

    When he gets his game working, he can manipulate defences, which South Africa didn't let him do.

  20. 'Lovely' play from Scotlandpublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 24 September 2023

    Scotland 17-10 Tonga

    Johnnie Beattie
    Former Scotland back row on BBC Radio Sports Extra

    A lovely piece of play by Finn Russell, he has picked out Steyn perfectly.