Rugby League World Cup: Tonga 32-6 Wales - Tonga cruise to victory after early scare

Wales v Tonga highlights

By Bruce Pope
BBC Sport Wales

Rugby League World Cup 2021

Tonga (16) 32

Tries: Tupou 3, Fifita, Koloamatangi, Niu Goals: Lolohea 3, Talakai

Wales (6) 6

Try: Evans Goal: Fozard

Tonga put one foot in the Rugby League World Cup quarter-finals but were made to work hard by a gutsy Wales side.

Wales initially rattled Tonga at St Helens and led for most of the first half thanks to Kyle Evans' fine try.

But after Daniel Tupou crossed to get Tonga going, two quick tries just before half-time from David Fifita and Keaon Koloamatangi put them in charge.

Tonga clicked into gear after the break, with Tupou completing his hat-trick around a Tesi Niu try.

A win over Cook Islands in their final pool game next week will confirm Tonga as Group D winners and a quarter-final game against the Group A runners up - likely to be either Samoa or France, with hosts England set to top the group if they win their final match against bottom side Greece.

Wales' hopes, meanwhile, are hanging by a thread having already lost their opener to Cook Islands five days ago as they continue to search for a first win at a World Cup since 2000.

To have any chance of remaining in this tournament, John Kear's side need Papua New Guinea to beat Cook Islands on Tuesday night and then manage to pull off a shock result against PNG in their final group encounter in Doncaster next Monday.

Kear freshened up his side by bringing Gavin Bennion, Kyle Evans, James Olds and Luke Thomas into his 19-man match squad in place of Will Evans, Rhodri Lloyd, Mike Butt and the injured Ben Evans - out of the competition with a throat injury.

Tonga welcomed back Konrad Hurrell but were again without the injured Will Hopoate and captain Jason Taumalolo, who is suspended until the final group game.

Kristian Woolf's side were again playing at the Totally Wicked Stadium, his home-from-home since 2020 where he coached St Helens to the club's first Challenge Cup in 13 years plus three successive Grand Final victories.

Wales entered Woolf's den as huge underdogs, with their largely semi-professional pool of players fronting up to a Mate Ma'a Tonga outfit packed full of NRL and Super League talent.

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After Tonga laid down a stirring Sipi Tau, Kasey Badger - making history by becoming the first woman to referee a men's Rugby League World Cup game - blew her whistle to begin what was a first meeting between the two nations at any level of rugby league.

Wales started sloppily, putting themselves under pressure with poor handling and poor discipline, but survived and then clicked to cross the tryline first - only for Dalton Grant to be held up in the tackle by Talatau Amone and Niu.

But there was no denying Kear's side when wing Evans put in a crunching tackle to knock the ball free and then scamper away to the line from Josh Ralph's well-timed pass, with Matty Fozard converting.

Evans is a recent convert to league from union, with just three games for Wakefield Trinity under his belt, but underlined his potential in the 13-man code with a high-class performance against high-class opposition.

Tonga, stung, soon replied to put Tupou over on the left with a swift passage of passes from a scrum, but Tuimoala Lolohea missed the tricky kick at goal.

Woolf's side should have taken the lead when Sione Katoa broke through on the right, but the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks wing juggled the pass before letting the ball slip through his grasp.

PA Media

Kasey Badger took charge of Tonga v Wales to make history as the first woman to referee a men's Rugby League World Cup game

Wales put their bodies on the line as Tonga upped their intensity, but conceded two tries minutes before half-time that turned the match on its head.

First Fifita worked a mismatch against Ollie Olds to just break the whitewash, before Koloamatangi seized on a disjointed defensive line to go over.

Lolohea kicked both goals to give Tonga a 16-6 advantage at half-time.

Niu showed stepping prowess and power to break Wales' sliding defence for the second half's opening try and Tonga's fourth of the night - with Lolohea again on target with the kick.

Joe Burke did brilliantly to get two hands under the ball as Lolohea tried to dot down, but it was only a temporary reprieve as Wales ran out of numbers on their right to allow Tupou in for his second of the night.

A smudge of sideline whitewash prevented Toluta'u Koula conjuring what would have been a sensational try for Lolohea, the interchange diving to scoop a kick back into the arms of his waiting half-back - the video referee's no-try decision attracting good-natured boos from the crowd.

But as Wales tired, pride and bravery were not enough to keep Tonga at bay and Tupou completed his hat-trick, with Siosifa Talakai taking over kicking duties to add a further two points.

An obstruction denied Tupou a fourth, but the Sydney Roosters winger had already secured his player of the match award.

Wales suffered further disappointment with a late shoulder injury to Olds that could potentially rule the stand-off out of next week's Papua New Guinea showdown.

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf:

"It's a little bit like last week, we've got a bit of improvement in us - we left a lot of points out there tonight just with our basic catch-pass and execution.

"But I thought we defended really well, we gave up one try with the ball there being a bit loose, so I think our discipline with the ball was a little bit of an issue for us all night.

"We looked like we thought it was going to be easier than it was I suppose, and you tend to get a lesson when you go out there thinking like that."

Wales coach John Kear:

"I don't think it [the scoreline] does us justice. The players are all heart aren't they and you've got to take your hat off to them.

"They commit totally against a big, physical, good rugby league team and again I'm proud of them but we've lost, we're in defeat but the resilience is tremendous.

"We've got to realise they're the full-time outfit. We're playing an NRL team - and a good NRL team - and that's why I'm so pleased with our effort."

Tonga: 22. Tesi Niu, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Siosifa Talakai, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 5. Sione Katoa, 6. Talatau Amone, 7. Tuimoala Lolohea, 8. Addin Fonua-Blake, 14. Soni Luke, 17. Moeaki Fotuaika, 11. Felise Kaufusi, 12. Keaon Koloamatangi, 10. Sio Siua Taukeiaho (capt).

Interchanges: 16. Tevita Tatola, 18. David Fifita, 20. Toluta'u Koula, 21. Ben Murdoch-Masila.

Wales: 1. Caleb Aekins, 22. Kyle Evans, 5. Dalton Grant, 6. Elliot Kear (capt), 2. Rhys Williams, 14. Ollie Olds, 7. Josh Ralph, 8. Anthony Walker, 9. Matty Fozard, 24. Gavin Bennion, 12. Chester Butler, 17. Bailey Antrobus, 16. Joe Burke.

Interchanges: 10. Dan Fleming, 15. Curtis Davies, 21. Tom Hopkins, 18. Connor Davies.

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