Tonga player ratings: Plenty of positives in bruising loss to the Springboks

Dylan Coetzee
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Tonga celebrate after scoring against South Africa.

Tonga celebrate after scoring against South Africa.

Following Tonga’s 49-18 loss to the Springboks in their Rugby World Cup Pool B clash, here are our player ratings for the Pacific side.

Ratings

15 Salesi Piutau: The silky full-back was involved in a lot of good in Tonga’s attack as he looked to spark the outside backs. He was solid under the high ball and made a clutch interception on his line just before the break. 6

14 Fine Inisi: A great performance, complete with a try from the winger, who looked dangerous with ball in hand throughout. He made a whopping four clean breaks against a good Springboks defence. 7

13 Malakai Fekitoa: The former All Black’s name might not be in lights, but he was responsible for restricting the Springboks’ width on attack, particularly in the first half, through clever reads. Carried hard and made most of his tackles. 6

12 Pita Ahki: A key star in how he is a second playmaker who pops up as first receiver. The centre is a strong carrier but also made 13 tackles in a bruising outing. 8

11 Anzelo Tuitavuki: The winger was not quite as prominent as Inisi but was solid under the high ball but was decent enough otherwise. Only missed one tackle whilst making six on the night. 6

10 William Havili: Showed some classy touches and bits of game management in key pieces for Tonga. The fly-half also kicked well and looks to be a complete option at pivot. 6

9 Augustine Pulu: A difficult game to be a half-back, and Pulu was up to the challenge on defence, making a whopping 11 tackles without missing one. On attack, he controlled the tempo well in the red zone, hitting his targets with the big ball carriers. 7

Working pack

8 Semisi Paea: He was not as busy as his back-row partners but still a workman outing with seven tackles and six carries in a decent effort. Was a general physical presence. 6

7 Sione Havili: The hardest-working defender in the entire game, notching up a ridiculous 21 tackles on the night in an outstanding outing. What makes that even more impressive is that he did not miss one tackle all night. Brilliant. 8

6 Tanginoa Halaifonua: Another hard worker in the evening with 16 tackles, complete with some crucial interventions for his side. He also made nine carries in a bruising game. 8

5 Sam Louisi: The second-row was mostly neat against the Springboks, making most of his tackles and getting the ball in hand, too. 6

4 Leva Fifita: Had some clever moments of maul defence which proved important for his team, whilst also making an impressive 11 tackles and 13 carries from the second-row. A shift he would be happy with. 7

3 Ben Tameifuna: ‘Big Ben’ was absolutely outstanding as he put up his hand throughout to carry hard at the South Africans, where he broke four tackles in 13 carries. He also scrummed very well and made five tackles. 8

2 Paula Ngauamo: Like most of the pack, the hooker spent most of the evening defending. Ngauamo went on to make 14 tackles and six carries in a good effort. 7

1 Siegfried Fisiihoi: Like his captain, the loosehead scrummed well but had less to offer in the carry. However, Fisiihoi was neat on defence, notching up eight tackles with none missed. 6

Replacements: The bench was well utilised, with the forwards making a good impact and powering a mini-surge late on from the Tongans, which resulted in a deserved try for Patrick Pellegrini late on. 7

READ MORE: Springboks claim maximum against Tonga as they await knockout fate

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