Wales battled hard for second win

FT: Wales 27 Tonga 20

Wales were forced to battle hard for their second World Cup victory by Tonga, but eventually came through 27-20.

It took a late cameo from replacement flanker Martyn Williams and some desperate defence to complete a crucial win.

Williams landed a drop goal and then scored only his second Test try against a Tongan outfit whose threat was undermined by a hefty penalty count.

It was a crucial riposte for the Welsh, who had been driven backwards nearly 20 metres by the Tongan pack, with captain Benhur Kivalu in the middle to dot down.

Gareth Cooper had given Wales the ideal start with an opportunist's try down the blindside while Stephen Jones finished with a personal haul of 14 points.

But his kicking was wayward at the beginning of the second half and it could have proved costly.

Tonga ran in three tries in all, through Pierre Hola, Kivalu and prop Heamani Lavaka just minutes from the end.

But Hola missed four of his six goal attempts and Wales survived a late onslaught to remain unbeaten.

The success keeps them on course for a possible quarter-final showdown with England.