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Tonga's 'physical brutality' is the thing Scotland fear most
While Tonga succumbed to a powerful Ireland unit on Saturday, suffering a 59-16 defeat, they now look forward to a crunch challenge with Scotland, who themselves need to win to keep their knockout hopes alive.
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Tonga’s defence coach, Dale MacLeod, spoke on Tuesday about what Scotland will fear, and what the Tongan side learned from the number one ranked team.
“How good, how well drilled they were and from one to 15 they knew their roles. They executed really well, they are a very good side.”
Tonga now move on to Scotland, who they will face in Nice on Sunday, 24 September.
“I expect Scotland to attack us in similar positions. We showed a few areas that cost us. They are a team who like to play edge to edge, they have a very good kicking game. They’re going to chance their arms, they’re going to play and they’re going to enjoy not having South Africans run at them.
“What will they fear from us? What everyone probably fears is just contact, the physical brutality the boys can bring, so they will be looking to humble that early and look to play their game.”
On the question of whether Tonga should have had more powerful opposition in their tournament warm-up games, such as SANZAAR or Six Nations teams, MacLeod was emphatic in his response.
“One hundred per cent. I think we are the only team who didn’t play a tier-one nation or come early and play a game. We tried to organise one but then they couldn’t do it. I suppose we got two games against Canada. You have to do what you have to do. It probably didn’t set us up for where we needed to be but when you go into a World Cup and you’ve had a month off that is tough for anyone.
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“We’ll be better next week and the week after, we’ll be probably hitting [our stride] by our last game which is not quite right.”
He feels his side learned some good lessons against Ireland and they can repeat the feat of beating Scotland 11 years ago.
“The boys believe and I think if we go back to Ireland, we were probably too eager so we don’t really want to fizz the boys up too much. We want to keep them cool, calm and collected, for them go out and do their jobs. They are all very good rugby players.
“The boys believe we can beat anyone on the day but if we don’t take our lessons from last week then we are going to get the same result.”
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On his interesting path to being at the Rugby World Cup, MacCleod, an automotive and marine engineer, explained his story.
“I was self employed, I had 12 staff, so how you interact with them and how you treat them is no different to a rugby team – being well organised and well planned. I used to race boats, that was the same; everything had to be right.
“So everything I was learning then I can apply here. I suppose it was the earthquakes that really made me have to choose one, as the earthquakes in Christchurch brought my businesses down. So from there I was at a rugby club and they said ‘we want you to come here full-time’. Once I found my staff new jobs, that was it and I turned to rugby.”
