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Tonga captain Siale Piutau had virtually everything he wanted on his 34th birthday on Sunday.<\/p>\nTonga captain Siale Piutau had virtually everything he wanted on his 34th birthday on Sunday.<\/p>\n
He led his team to victory in his final game of international rugby, a 31-19 defeat of USA at Hanazono to give the Pacific Islanders their first victory of Rugby World Cup 2019 and leave Gary Gold\u2019s side winless for the second tournament running.<\/p>\n
He scored their third try, he was named Player of the Match and, although he would have been happy for the ball to be kicked out in stoppage time, he even landed a conversion \u2013 the first he has ever taken – after full-back Telusa Veainu had gone through for their bonus-point fourth try.<\/p>\n
All that was missing was his sister Ema. She died of stomach cancer in April and amid all the celebrations at the end of the match Piutau, pictured above left being carried off by his team-mates, remembered her. \u201cIt\u2019s been a tough journey,\u201d he said, \u201cbut all this has been done in her memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
The players immediately gathered round Piutau at the final whistle, knowing exactly what it meant to him, and he said: \u201cThe boys have given me the best birthday possible. It\u2019s been a great honor to represent this jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the conversion he said: \u201cI didn\u2019t want to take it, but they insisted, and I certainly didn\u2019t want to miss it because I would have become an online meme.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both teams had been beaten by England, France and Argentina and USA have now equaled their worst-ever sequence of 10 successive defeats in the tournament.<\/p>\n
The Pacific Islanders were themselves trying to avoid a record sixth straight loss and, after coming so close against France last weekend, they thoroughly deserved the win.<\/p>\n
With Osaka, Japan\u2019s second largest city, only on the fringes of the devastating Typhoon Hagibis the match was able to go ahead after an early morning inspection of the venue and associated infrastructure. There was a minute\u2019s silence for those who lost their lives in the typhoon.<\/p>\n
Tonga went ahead after 16 minutes when prop Siegfried Fisiihoi barged his way over.<\/p>\n
USA soon lost captain Blain Scully and prop Eric Fry, but seconds after coming on as Scully\u2019s replacement Mike Te\u2019o broke through the covering defense to score their first try. Five minutes later he was over again when a long pass after a lineout gave him a clear run.<\/p>\n
Fisiihoi was almost celebrating his second try after 34 minutes. He took the pass from Sonatane Takalua but dropped the ball on being tackled just short of the line.<\/p>\n
After the break Takalua added a penalty to his earlier conversion to reduce the gap to two points and although USA did manage to take play down the other end, it led to Tonga\u2019s second try.<\/p>\n
A knock-on gave Veainu the opportunity to kick downfield. He won the race to the ball before finding winger Atieli Pakalani, who had center Malietoa Hingano inside him to score from 25 meters out.<\/p>\n
Takalua\u2019s last involvement was the conversion for 17-12, but he was soon able to cheer from the sidelines as Piutau went through a gaping hole in the defense for a try that was celebrated with some emotion. <\/p>\n
With James Faiva\u2019s conversion it was suddenly 24-12 with 17 minutes left. USA did score again through flanker Tony Lamborn after 77 minutes, but Tonga ended on the attack. Veainu went through for the bonus point and Piutau was allowed to add the conversion with the final kick of the game, and of his international career.<\/p>\n
Gold said: \u201cIt\u2019s pretty raw right now, but if it shows anything it\u2019s just how bloody difficult it is to win a game at the Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe margin is very small between being competitive and getting a result.\u201d<\/p>\n