South Africa scare as Tonga's late rally falls short

South Africa survived a terrific late fightback by tenacious Tonga in a World Cup cracker in Lens today to secure a bonus-point victory and stay top of Pool A.

The Springboks were 7-3 ahead at half-time thanks to Ruan Pienaar's try but with 21 minutes remaining, they were locked in a scrap at 10-10.

The South Africans turned on the style, and scores by Juan Smith, Bobby Skinstad and Pienaar - his second of the afternoon - put them 27-10 ahead and cruising.

But the terrific Tongans did not give up, and tries by Sukanaivalu Hufanga and Viliami Vaki in the space of three minutes brought them to within five points.

The final, pulsating minutes were breathtaking, with South Africa down to 13 men at one point, but they just held on for a third successive win.

Pierre Hola finished with 10 points for the Pacific Islanders, who showed they will not give up their second spot in the group to England lightly.

It was a ferocious battle up front throughout, and the Tongans gave as good as they got.

The ninth-minute lead given to them by Hola's simple penalty was not undeserved and served as a wake-up call to the Springboks, who were coming off second best at the breakdown.

Andre Pretorius' off-target goal-kicking was not helping the 1995 world champions' cause either, the fly-half skewing wide all three of his first-half attempts.

He did, however, land the conversion following Pienaar's try, who arrived following a clever quick tap from the full-back.

The Tongan defence was asleep, allowing the Sharks' number 15 to blaze over in the left corner.

South Africa slowly began to assume the momentum, but they were not without a scare or two, Soane Tonga'uiha's charge in at the left corner ruled out for a forward pass by Hola.

Wingers JP Pietersen and Ashwin Willemse saw more of the ball, the later fumbling when trying to ground in the 34th minute, but the Springboks took just a four-point lead into the interval.

That soon became a three-point deficit when former Coventry prop Kisi Pulu barged over after endless phases of rumbling, bludgeoning thrusts metres out. Hola converted and a real game was on.

John Smit, BJ Botha, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and Francois Steyn were all thrown on by coach Jake White, while Pretorius' wretched day with the boot continued when he missed a 48th-minute penalty - his fourth miss of the afternoon.

Steyn was ordered to take over kicking duties and he landed his first attempt in the 54th minute to make it 10-10.

It made for a sensational last quarter and the South Africans looked as though they had tied the game up when Smith, Skinstad and Pienaar scored superb tries in the space of six minutes.

But reduced to 13 men late on following the sin-binnings of Steyn and Habana, they were forced to hold on for dear life.

Hufanga and Vaki went in over for scores within three minutes of each other to make it 27-22.

Montgomery and Hola exchanged late penalties, but Tonga could not find a last try to complete the comeback.