Rugby World Cup: England 36 - Tonga 20

The English team could have been staring down the empty pint glass of failure tonight.  A humiliating elimination in the pool stages to the tournament darlings Tonga was on the cards.  Instead, after an average Rugby World Cup campaign it looks like the Red Roses have achieved the impossible, they've turned up the heat.  Scrumbag would dare to say accelerated even, but the words accelerate and England don't really belong in the same sentence, so we'll leave it for now.  However, with team talisman Jonny well and truly back for England (i.e. two games without injury), could it be possible to entertain thoughts (or at least dream) of Brian's Brigade giving the Larkham-less Wallabies a fair-dinkum challange?

This was no ordinary night for the Tongans either.  Their tournament has been spectacular and after last week's down to the wire test where they managed to scare the living bejesus out of the Boks, we all knew then they were not a team to be messed with.  The warning signs were sent early to England with the Tongans starting the quicker out of the blocks - a beautiful Sukanaivalu Hufanga try for their efforts.  Sloppy English tackling sent warning bells around the stadium that maybe this would be yet another night of English torment and misery.  But for a change, and to the relief of the thousands of sweet chariot songsters in the Parc des Princes, it didn't come to pass.

England clawed back with Wilkinson showing sparks of his 2003 form.  His goal kicking percentages weren't great (those damn replica match balls) but other things began to spark.  There were drop goals; there was crunching defence; there were clever little cross-field kicks; there was Sackey crossing the Tongan line for two completely opportunist tries; there was more organisation and structure to the English backline working in tandem with a grinding (some might say plodding on the odd occasion) forward pack.  Correy and co grafted away and eventually wearied the spirited but tiring opposition.  And then there was the team white elephant, Andy Farrell.  Joyously celebrating his quite clever little try under the sticks with much hugging, patting of bottoms and general merriment making.   Love or hate Farrell, you would have to be a heartless soul not to have a teeny tear in your eye for the big man.  He has been harangued in the press for his place in the team since his inception into union, so it was nice to see him finally score, against Tonga.  You go Andy.

The last play of the tournament (not including Andy Gomarsall's kick to kill the ball in the final minute for which he was roundly booed) belonged to Tonga.  Another electric backline move resulted in the finished Hale T Pole try, dragging himself (just) over the line.  This gave the Tongans some consolation and a better reflection in the scoreline of the contest.

So for now Tonga pack their bags and wing their way home.  The Rugby World Cup tournament good guys who surprised everyone (especially those Samoans and Boks).  England too can take heart from this game in terms of confidence.  There is still a lot to be done (which can be chewed over on another day), but they made it through when thousands thought they wouldn't and couldn't.