Seven-try Tonga bow out with World Cup win over Romania

LILLE, France : Solomone Kata scored two tries as Tonga gave retiring coach Toutai Kefu a winning send-off with a seven-try 45-24 victory over Romania as the two canon-fodder teams of the Group of Death served up a cracker after suffering a month of beatings.

Tonga had too much power and speed as Afusipa Taumoepeau, George Moala, Sione Vailanu, Pita Ahki and Kyren Taumoefolau also crossed for tries.

Romania, who battled back to reach halftime at 21-17 having trailed 21-3, have conceded the most points of any team in France with 287 in four games.

It was the best performance of the tournament by both teams – unsurprisingly given that the other three in the pool were ranked in the world's top five.

Tonga, particularly, showed fabulous attacking intent and invention, combining direct running, crisp passing and a seemingly bottomless supply of offloads.

Both teams will have to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Australia as Tonga finished fourth with five points, while Romania end on zero having also registered an unwanted team record with 43 tries conceded, the most they have shipped at a single tournament. Ireland and South Africa advanced to the quarter-finals, with Scotland finishing third.

For a dead rubber, there was a fabulous atmosphere as the locals turned out in force to fill the 50,000-capacity stadium and they were rewarded with a match of ebb and flow and intense physicality.

Tonga dominated initially and Kata got the first try after 11 minutes after the exceptional Charles Piutau brilliantly offloaded while flat on the turf.

Former All Blacks centre Moala, making his first tournament appearance after a five-game ban for a tip tackle, got the second after more slick handling, and Taumoepeau jogged in the third to make