Tonga leaves the Rugby World Cup with a win after overpowering Romania 45-24 in their pool finale on Sunday. Both teams were drowned by Ireland, South Africa and Scotland in the deepest pool of the tournament, but against each other the ‘Ikale Tahi and Oaks found a contest in which they could express more of themselves and triggered an entertaining 10-try farewell. Tonga blasted to 21-3 and Romania came back to close within four points twice. Tonga pulled away in the last quarter when its zippier backs added three more tries for seven in total. The Tongans’ highest score and biggest margin in Rugby World Cup history ensured a win at a fifth consecutive tournament.
Portugal pulls off stunner
Portugal pulled off a Rugby World Cup stunner to beat Fiji 24-23 with a try two minutes from the end and a match-winning conversion for a storming finish to the tournament’s pool stage on Sunday. Fiji was the last team to qualify for the quarter-finals with a losing bonus point, but the manner of progression was nowhere near what the Flying Fijians, or the rest of the rugby world, were expecting. It was Portugal’s first Rugby World Cup win and came in the last game of its second World Cup appearance. Left wing Rodrigo Marta scored the 78th-minute try that turned the tournament on its head just for a moment, even if the result had no bearing on the final eight teams left in the competition. But tell the Portuguese that it didn’t meant anything. After flyhalf Jeronimo Portela hoofed the ball out to confirm the victory, Portugal’s players leaped into each other’s arms to celebrate the biggest result in the history of their team.