I think most New Zealanders will be happy to see either team win this because both squads have that underdog X factor we respond so positively to. If there was a way for them both to win, many would opt for that.
As always in our house my wife Megan's Tongan ancestry means we are rooting for the Nation described by Spiro Zarvos (in his excellent book How to Watch the Rugby World Cup 2011) as "reputed to produce the biggest people on earth".
And the Tongans are on fire - out of the blocks like a heavyweight boxer, assaulting the Japanese line with intent. Amazingly a tiny Japanese man Hirotoki Onozawa manages to hold up the rampant rampaging #8 Viliami Ma'afu as he storms over the line.
The Japanese will need to bring that intensity for 80 minutes to stay with the bigger Tongans. 5 minutes gone and it is all Tonga, but no score. This is highly courageous from the Brave Blossoms. But the bravest ant cannot stop an elephant, on 7 minutes the Tongans draw blood as this time Ma'afu will not be denied by the TMO. Conversion missed 5-0 Tonga.
While the Tongans are certainly bigger, the Blossoms are nimbler, and manage to get more players around the park. As soon as they get the chance they are hot on attack themselves, fanning great numbers out wide and darting at the Tongan line. Awesome! They even manage to maul with intent and surprise the Tongans by squeaking over the line. They've gone upstairs and will miss out I'm afraid a clear double movement there.
Hang about, they've awarded the try with the crazy phrase "I do not see there is any reason you may not award the try. You may award the try". I'm sure this sentence structure will create a disaster by the end of the Cup. No conversion 5-5 after 15 minutes .
From the kickoff the Tongans attack a Japanese maul, and quickly spin the ball left. The big lock Tukulua Lokotui dots down in the corner, so exciting. Kurt Morath slots a tricky conversion 12-5 Tonga. My fingers are nearly bleeding here. 16 mins gone.
It's all-action hurly-burly end-to-end craziness, and the Japanese are very lucky to not concede a third try at 19 minutes, as Blossoms' open side Michael Leitch manages to snatch the ball when four Tongans were waiting for it. A get out of jail card for John Kirwin's team.
The little Blosssoms' halfback Fumiaki Tanaka is very impressive. He's tiny but sturdy, very quick with a lovely pass on him. He reminds me a lot of Byron Kelleher.
What a try to open side flanker Michael Leitch! The Blossoms are running the Tongans ragged and stretching them back and forth cross the park. He's saved a try and now scored one. Again no conversion 12-10 Tonga. James Arlidge is having a shocker with the boot.
Kurt Morath quickly makes the Blossoms pay by nudging over another penalty to Tonga. They lead 15-10 thirty minutes into the match. Then Arlidge is unfairly yellow carded, to allow Morath to make it 18-10, but even worse the Blossoms have to finish the half with 14 men. The Tongans could put the game out of reach in this time.
But instead the Blossoms mount plenty of pressure while down to 14 players, and are rewarded with a penalty which is slotted by replacement kicker Shaun Webb - he can keep the job then! They head to the break 18-13 Tonga, and the 15 man Japan will have a real sniff in the next half.
The Tongans hit the second half with a vengeance, and do everything but score a try, only for Onozawa to steal an intercept on his own goal line. They get a good consolation within moments as Morath slots another penalty to put them 21-13 ahead. The work is all for the Blossoms from here.
Tongan wing Fetu'u Vainikolo surely puts the game out of Japan's reach by scoring on the 55 minute mark. Another Morath conversion is slotted and 28-13 sounds like a winning scoreline to me. Until, the 60 minute mark when Tongan Halani Aulika is sent to the sin bin for consistent infringing. The Blossoms will have to score quickly if they are going to surprise the Tongans here.
They get over the line but are held up, and from the resulting scrum, center Alisi Tupuailai, crashes back towards the scrum and barges over for a great try. The score is 28-18 and this could go either way, but the 3 missed Japanese conversions may well prove costly. Within moments Morath underlines his contribution for Tonga by slotting his 4th penalty, his kicking separates the teams. 31-18 Tonga.
Japan are on fire, and so is something behind the grandstand, but their spirit is doused when they concede possession, and territory when the 15th Tongan returns. The gap of 13 between the teams with just 7 minutes left, is surely impregnable.
As predicted earlier I actually want both teams to win, but I guess Tonga deserve this more. With just 2 minutes left another Tongan is yellow carded. Japan need to score quickly, but don't. They've given their all against their bigger opponents all night long. The Blossoms couldn't have been any braver, but this match belongs to Tonga. The final score ends up 31-18 to Tonga.
Final score: Tonga 31 - Japan 18
21 games 114 tries.
Tweet of the match - "love the japanese, for their size they pack a punch. totally fearless but u dont see any dirtiness from em" @domesticate_me
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