Pool D: Wales - 27 Tonga - 20 The reaction of the teams at the final whistle spoke volumes. Tonga, just glad to be at another World Cup, did a little lap of honour. A relieved Wales slunk off to the comfort of showers and less than warm words from their coach Steve Hansen.
Canberra had been suffering a drought until yesterday when steady drizzle and a drop in temperatures made the conditions more like South Wales than the South Pacific. Much good the damp did the Welsh. This was an arid display for a side needing a thumping win to make any progress. Hansen admitted: "If we play like that against Italy we won't win. There's no panic but there's no pretending that this was a top-drawer performance."
Hansen's week will be dominated by reminders of Wales's defeat by Italy in Rome in February.
Tonga threw everything at the Welsh in a frantic last 10 minutes, scoring a try through their prop Heamani Lavaka to secure their first point of the tournament and if Sukanaivalu Hufanga had held on to a pass in the final seconds Wales could have been severely embarrassed.
Wales never really came to terms with the aggressive defence of the Tongans nor posed enough problems through their own three-quarters. The return of Llanelli's Stephen Jones at outhalf was not a success and Hansen will be forced to consider moving Iestyn Harris to number 10 against the Italians.
Jones's 14 points from the boot ultimately separated the sides but after the break he missed three kickable penalties and kicked away too much possession. Harris, so effective in the centre against Canada, was brought on as a late replacement for Sonny Parker, who has a strain in his lower back. But Harris saw too little of the ball to worry Tonga.
Hansen will also worry about the balance of his back row. His captain Colin Charvis was desperately ineffective, as was his fellow flanker Dafydd Jones. Martyn Williams, in his 20 minutes on the pitch, made more impact than both put together.
In mitigation Wales were unlucky to concede a try in the first half when Rhys Williams failed to gather a kick by Pierre Hola, the ball skidding off him in the greasy conditions, and unlucky when the full back's second-half effort was ruled a no try by the video referee. But most of Wales's best attacks came from broken play as they found building any sustained momentum almost impossible. Their lineout worked well enough but the Welsh scrum creaked ominously.
In the final minutes the Tongans sussed this and opted for two scrums rather than kick easy penalties. From the second Lavaka barged his way over. Earlier the Tongan stand-in captain, Benhur Kivalu, crashed over after the Tongan pack had driven two mauls from the Welsh 22.
Wales's tries came from a blind-side dart midway through the first half by Gareth Cooper and a second-half effort by Martyn Williams. Williams also marked his appearance on the hour with a drop goal.
Tonga's coach Jim Love tried to be diplomatic but said Italy, in beating his side by 24 points last week, had been more aggressive up front than Wales.
"We made too many mistakes and we just didn't take our opportunities," he added. "Our dream of the quarter-finals has gone but for us it's all about the credibility of Tongan rugby. We are on a nil budget and we've been together for three weeks. It's not enough in this era of professional rugby."
WALES: R Williams; M Jones, Taylor, Harris, Shanklin; S Jones, Cooper; Thomas, Davies, Jenkins, Llewellyn, Sidoli, D Jones, Charvis (capt), Popham. Replacements: Peel for Cooper (53 mins); Wyatt for Llewellyn (63 mins); M Williams for Popham (60 mins); A Jone for Thomas (63 mins); Bennett for Davies (71 mins).
TONGA: Va'enuku; Fonua, Hufanga, Payne, Tu'ifua; Hola, Martens; Palu, Ma'as, Lavaka, Latu, Vaki, Fenukitau, Afeaki, Kivalu (capt). Replacements: Ngauamo for Afeaki (63 mins); Naufahu for Fenukitau (70 mins); Taukafa for Ma'asi (70 mins).
Referee: P Honiss (New Zealand).
Guardian Service
