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Tongans Arrive With Seven Try Boost From French Trip

Whatever Wales side Warren Gatland decides to pick for round three of the Under Armour Series on Saturday, they will face a Tongan team who have hammered out a seven try warning.

Tonga prepared to face Wales by beating the French Barbarians 49-38 in Bordeaux, last weekend.

It was the perfect run out for Toutai Kefu’s side as they prepared for their big day in the Welsh capital this weekend. They go on to play Georgia a week later.

The Tongans totally dominated up front against the scratch French Baa-Baas side that featured five of the French side that won the Junior World Cup in June.

They scored four tries in a blistering opening 40 minutes to lead 28-7 and eventually led 49-14 before leaking some late tries as the home team mounted a late surge.

Newcastle Falcons scrum half Sonatane Takulua was the star performer for the Tongans as he grabbed two tries and converted all seven to end with a match tally of 24 points.

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Prop Siegfried Fisi’ihoi scored the first of the game’s 13 tries when he picked the ball up from a teammate held up on the line and found a small gap.

Takulua then got his first followed by a try from rampaging No. 8 Sione Vailanu. Scrum half Thibault Daubagna ran in the first of the French Baa-Baas’ six tries, but centre Alaska Taufa broke through to score the fourth for the visitors on the stroke of half-time.

A second try from man of the match Takulua at the start of the second half, as he dummied his way through from a ruck with the home side down to 14 men, allowed the Tongans to resume normal service and the scrum half then set up replacement utility back Latiume Fosita for the sixth score.

The seventh try came from full back Vunga Lilo from a turnover and it looked as though the tourists were going to romp even further clear.

But a try from teenage centre Romain Ntamack gave the home side a lift and they ended the game with four successive scores from Pierre-Louis Barassi, Martin Laveau, Yvan Reilhac and Clement Laporte.

If the game highlighted a few defensive weaknesses in the final quarter for the Tongans, the power of their pack, which included Ospreys tight head Ma’afu Fia, will certainly have raised a few eyebrows among the Welsh coaching team.

The fight back from the Springboks in Paris to earn a 28-21 victory over the full French team will also have caught their attention. Hitting back from their one point defeat to England at Twickenham, the Boks snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with an 85th minute try from hooker Bongi Mbonambi at Stade de France.

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The Springboks stole possession with less a minute left and went almost the entire length of the pitch, with the help of four penalties that they kicked into touch to gain ground, before driving over for a smash and grab success.

Two tries in the space of five minutes from the Toulon duo of Guilhem Guirado and Mathieu Bastareaud either side of the interval eased the French side into a 23-9 lead.

The visitors hit back with a try by Sibusiso Nkosi and the boot of Handre Pollard brought them ever nearer as he ended with five penalties and two conversions for a match tally of 19 points.

Tonga (v French Barbarians): Vungakoto Lilo; Viliami Lolhea, Alaska Taufa, Siale Piutau, Daniel Kilioni; Kurt Morath, Sonatane Takulua; Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, Paula Ngauamo, Ma’afu Fia, Sam Ulufonua, Leva Fifita, Dan Faleafa, Fotu Lokotui, Sione Vailanu
Reps: Sosefo Sakalia, Otukolo Fahamokioa, Ben Tameifuna, Valentino Mapapalangi, Zane Kapeli, Leon Fukofuka, Latiume Fosita, Latu Vaeno

 

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