England 35-3 Tonga: Manu Tuilagi notches brace as bonus point sealed late on in World Cup opener

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Will Macpherson22 September 2019

England are off and away at the Rugby World Cup with a win over Tonga and a hard-fought bonus point to boot.

There were two tries for the threatening Manu Tuilagi and one each for the hookers Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie in a 35-3 win that represents a job done, even if with no great style.

England did not get the statement performance Eddie Jones was looking for when selecting such a strong team, because Tonga gave them a real fight. You sense it will be a fright that Tonga give Argentina, France or both before Pool C is settled.

England simply must improve, but there were positives. They did not concede a try, and do not appear to have picked up any serious injuries.

Elliot Daly fizzed at full-back before moving to the left wing when Jonny May was forced off. Tuilagi was excellent and, in the first half especially, Sam Underhill was a menace with or without the ball.

Anthony Watson led an excellent kick-chase effort – built on the fine box-kicking of Ben Youngs – and went on a dazzling late run which should have resulted in a try.

With an eye on the USA on Thursday, Jones was also able to empty his bench early. Seven of his eight changes were made before the hour, and only May, with a possible hamstring issue, left the field looking in any discomfort.

Jonathan Joseph was the last sub on, with 13 minutes remaining, and his fresh legs set up the vital fourth try. Indeed, Joseph’s cameo at outside centre may make Jones rethink the George Ford-Owen Farrell axis, which lacked a little fluency.

Manu Tuilagi bursts through to score his second try against Tonga
Getty Images

It was a stuttering first half in which the Television Match Official (TMO) was too involved for real flow to develop. It took England just a minute to concede a penalty, and there were five more before half-time, again a barrier to fluency.

Tonga defended belligerently too, as Billy Vunipola learnt when smashed by Zane Kapeli after 11 minutes. They hassled and harried England, causing handling errors and body blows.

It took England more than 20 minutes – by which point a single penalty goal each had been traded – to create a chance and when they did, the TMO decided that Underhill, after strong work from Farrell and Tuilagi, had been held up on the line.

Never mind, from the resultant five-metre scrum, Vunipola picked up, and Youngs fed Tuilagi, who burst over. This time, the TMO decided the try should stand.

England's forwards are commended after Jamie George scores off a rolling maul
AP

Farrell missed the conversion, then Sonatane Takulua missed a penalty attempt for Tonga too. Tuilagi was threatening every time he had the ball, and he was soon crossing again.

Finally, there was no need for the TMO as a sweeping move started by Courtney Lawes, and involving Daly and Underhill down the left flank, left Tuilagi to finish.

When they took a penalty either side of the break, England looked ready to pull away. But it never happened. The penalties dried up but the handling errors continued, then Jones shuffled his hand.

Luke Cowan-Dickie dives over to secure England a potentially crucial late bonus point
AP

George, who was having a quiet evening, crossed for the third try, finishing off a move from the Saracens playbook when throwing to George Kruis at the back then marshalling the rolling maul.

For almost 20 more barren minutes, that was it, and it looked like that extra point – who knows how vital it will be? – would evade England. Henry Slade, on at full-back for his first international appearance for six months, could not put Daly in after Watson’s mazy run.

But Daly ran from deep, and Joseph burst through the midfield, before daintily putting Cowan-Dickie in under the posts. With that, England had done just enough.

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