The race for second spot in Pool A has suddenly been thrown wide open after Tonga ended seven years of hurt, by beating their Pacific cousins at the tenth time of asking.

How did they do it?

They stood up to be counted in defence and their forwards refused to be forced backwards in contact for the full 80 minutes.

Such physicality didn't go unpunished, collecting the first red card of the tournament with a peach of a punch from Hale Pole. They even had to endure the final minutes with just 13 men after Toma Toke found himself in the sin-bin.

However, Samoa's inability to spread the ball with any incision meant that it is now Tonga in with the best chance to steal second place from England and face Australia in the quarter-finals.

Of course, the current scenario means that three teams in Pool A could end up on the same number of points at the end of the group stages, with the statisticians deciding the final outcome.