Record-breaking Sexton sets up Ireland for statement win

Ireland justified their status as the world No.1 ranked side with a brilliant bonus-point win over a physical, if disjointed Tonga side. 

 

Driven on by fly-half Johnny Sexton, Andy Farrell's team did a lot of the hard work during a the first 40 minutes, scoring four tries to build up a 31-13-point lead. The pick of the first half scores was a free-flowing team move finished off by Sexton himself, enough to take the 38-year-old past Ronan O'Gara as Ireland's all-time record point scorer.  

 

A number of substitutions, combined with some strong defensive work from the star-studded Tonga side, slowed Ireland's progress after the break. But tries from winger James Lowe, a second from standout Bundee Aki and a final-minute score from Rob Herring took the Irish beyond the 50-point mark, underlying their status as one of the tournament favourites.