Irish joy shook the streetcars of Nantes, western France, on Saturday, September 16. Buoyed by their team's dazzling 59-16 victory over Tonga, supporters cheered, shouted, sang, and even danced as they returned to the city center from the Stade de la Beaujoire. This time, they believe Ireland will become rugby world champions. The curse that has hung over the "Irishmen" since 1987, unable to progress beyond the competition's quarter-finals, is now water under the bridge. Saturday's game confirmed the team's status as competition favorite as they lead the World Rugby rankings.
After crushing Romania last week (82-8), the Irish led by Jonathan Sexton outclassed the Tongan team in a demonstration of strength, solidity, and determination. With Bundee Aki scoring two of Ireland's eight tries, the men led by Andy Farrell secured a bonus point, enabling them to lead a demanding Pool B. The message to their three most dangerous opponents – France, New Zealand, and South Africa – is crystal clear: Ireland is on top form and ready for battle.
It was not until the 21st minute, however, that the Irish, sometimes struggling and a little sloppy, managed to control the density coming from Tonga. Though the Pacific archipelago is known as the "Friendly Islands" because of the reputed hospitality of its residents, it is a different story on the pitch. The players of Tonga, in red, did not spare themselves, tackling and bursting out – although this was to become all too rare later – from the back lines at incredible speed, slaloming through the opposing defense.
These sparks were indeed short-lived, due to countless clumsinesses and mistakes, not to mention the disastrous touches lost to the Irish, who were unexpectedly playing in white shirts and black shorts on Saturday evening. "We were our worst enemy. We made some poor execution mistakes, poor decisions, which probably inflated the score more than we would have liked," Tonga's coach Toutai Kefu told reporters at the post-match conference. On many occasions, the Irish invaded Tonga territory, replicating moves rehearsed a thousand times in training sessions.
Sexton was on top of the game throughout the first half, scoring a try in addition to the points he scored with his invaluable kicking foot. With this performance against Tonga, Sexton, who is playing his fourth and final World Cup before retirement, became Ireland's top points scorer ahead of Ronan O'Gara, a record he had long been waiting for. Irish fans cheerfully saluted their idol, who left the pitch at half-time with a score of 31-13. Farrell deliberately opted to spare Sexton and avoid any possibility of injury.
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