Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Recap: England vs Tonga LIVE | Rugby World Cup

England enter their World Cup campaign against Tonga at the Sapporo Dome on Sunday as overwhelming favourites to make a winning start to Pool C.

ADVERTISEMENT

Follow all the action from the game on the RugbyPass live blog.

Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).

Tonga: Road to Japan – The Documentary:

Video Spacer

Here, the PA news agency examines five talking points ahead of the game.

Time to deliver

Four years ago Eddie Jones was appointed with one purpose in mind – to take the Webb Ellis Trophy back to Twickenham. After the inexperience of his predecessor Stuart Lancaster, England made Jones the highest paid coach in international rugby in the hope he would provide the expertise needed to transform a team that had bombed in 2015 into world beaters. There have been some outstanding successes and undoubted failures, but Jones can only be judged by the team’s performance during the next six weeks.

A question to be answered

The big concern over England is their tendency to collapse when in front. It is a frailty seen time and again since the start of the 2018 summer tour to South Africa and it cost them dear in the recent Six Nations when they threw away a lead against Wales before imploding when confronted by a remarkable comeback from Scotland. Do they now know how to react when a game must be changed? Only the next few weeks will show if Jones has pressed the right buttons.

All guns blazing

England want to start the tournament with a statement and to that end have named their strongest available side that shows only two changes to the team that flattened Ireland in record fashion at Twickenham last month. The key selection is the midfield where the twin playmaker option of George Ford and Owen Farrell is now back in favour after being abandoned last year.

Kingdom of Tonga

A source of enormous pride to Tonga is their history of successfully fighting off invaders – they are the only one of the three Pacific Island nations playing at the World Cup to escape being colonised. The ferocity they once showed in repelling attackers has shaped their national psyche and, having been passed down through the generations, exists to this day through the warrior spirit displayed on a rugby pitch.

ADVERTISEMENT

Princes versus paupers

For all their courage, there is no hiding the cold, hard fact that Tonga enter only the third meeting between the rivals as huge underdogs who can be backed as high as 80/1 to complete one of the World Cup’s greatest upsets. England stars receive £25,000 for each match, a sum that dwarfs the measly £330 earned by the Islanders that makes it so hard to stop their talent being plundered by clubs and richer nations.

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 6 | Le Crunch

The Unexpected Journey to USA 7s Glory | Aaron Cummings | Sevens Wonders

USA vs Japan | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JO 28 minutes ago
URC teams aren't proving Stephen Donald wrong

BREAKING: NZ Rugby Launches National "Rebuilding Era" Hotline for Devastated Fans Calls triple after another loss to a Tier 1 nation with a functioning lineout.

In a bold move aimed at tackling a growing national crisis, New Zealand Rugby has unveiled a new 0800-REB-UILD hotline to offer emotional support to fans still trying to cope with the fact that the All Blacks are no longer the indestructible force of yesteryear.

Following yet another "promising" performance that ended in tears and post-match excuses, the hotline will be staffed by former All Blacks who’ll gently whisper “It used to be better” and play reruns of Richie McCaw highlights to soothe callers through the pain.

From Dynasty to "Developing Nation"?

Once feared like a Haka in a silent room, the All Blacks have now become the international equivalent of a banana peel — occasionally threatening, but mostly stepped over by teams with better coaching and a functioning scrum.

Rugby pundits are beginning to ask the real questions:

Should New Zealand be classified as a Tier 1.5 nation?

Is “We’re building for 2027” the new national anthem?

And most importantly: How many more assistant coaches do they need before they stop blaming the weather?

Fans Feeling the Burn

Die-hard Kiwi fans, long used to smugly reminding the world of their World Cup count, now find themselves angrily Googling the phrase "how to handle sporting mediocrity." Even the most loyal supporters have been caught muttering the unthinkable: “Maybe South Africa is just better now.”

In response, social media has been flooded with support messages like:

“At least you’re not Australia.”

“Remember 2011?”

“Hey, there’s always the Crusaders... oh wait.”

A Look to the Future (Or Just the Past Again)

New Zealand Rugby has reportedly asked Peter Jackson to create a new fantasy trilogy titled "The Return of the Glory Days," with Sam Cane playing Frodo — a brave but slightly out-of-depth hero wandering through the Northern Hemisphere hoping someone still respects him.

Meanwhile, the NZRU has committed to innovation, announcing a new strategy based on ancient Maori wisdom: when the canoe is sinking, blame the oars.

Conclusion: Still Dangerous, But Not Scary

Let’s be clear — the All Blacks can still turn up on their day. But these days, "on their day" feels more like a national holiday than a regular occurrence. Until then, enjoy the trolling, stay humble (unlike them in 2015), and remember — world rugby is more fun when New Zealand isn't always winning.

48 Go to comments
P
Pablo King 36 minutes ago
Don't get out over your skis on the Highlanders

It started as an ordinary Tuesday. I was checking my Bybit portfolio when an email popped up that looked like a legitimate alert from the exchange, warning of suspicious activity. Without thinking, I clicked the link and entered my credentials. The moment I hit submit, a sinking feeling hit me. Within minutes, my Bitcoin wallet was completely drained.Losing 3.2 BTC, worth nearly $200,000 at the time, wasn’t just a financial blow. It felt like a personal violation. I couldn’t believe I had fallen for a phishing scam. I spent days digging through forums, contacting Bybit support, and even filing a police report. But the responses were disheartening and repetitive. Crypto transactions are irreversible. Scam victims rarely recover their funds. The helplessness was crushing.I barely slept. I kept replaying that moment over and over in my head. Why did I click the link? Why didn’t I double-check? The guilt and frustration consumed me. Friends tried to be supportive, but most didn’t understand the emotional and financial weight of what had happened. I had always been cautious with security. Yet in one distracted moment, everything disappeared.Weeks later, while scrolling through Reddit threads on crypto scams, I stumbled upon several mentions of GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES . At first, I was skeptical. It sounded too good to be true. But the testimonials felt genuine, and I was desperate. I decided to reach out.Their response was fast, professional, and surprisingly empathetic. They didn’t promise miracles. Instead, they explained their method: tracing blockchain transactions, identifying potential exchange cash-outs, and working with legal and crypto entities to freeze and recover funds.I sent them everything I had wallet addresses, transaction records, screenshots and waited. Just a few days later, I received an email that left me speechless. They had successfully traced and recovered all of my stolen Bitcoin.I couldn’t believe it. After being told repeatedly that the funds were gone forever, here they were, back in my wallet. It felt like waking up from a nightmare. GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES didn’t just help me get my money back. They restored my sense of security, my trust, and my peace of mind.I share my story now in case someone else out there is feeling the same panic and hopelessness I once felt. There is help. And sometimes, there is even a second chance.You can reach them on whatsapp +18582759508, web at ( https://graywaretechservices.com/ )    also on Mail: (contact@graywaretechservices.com)

4 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Elegant or turbulent? Can Les give the Wallabies the Kiss of Life?   Elegant or turbulent? Can Les give the Wallabies the Kiss of Life?  
Search