Rugby Podcast: Tonga could upset Ireland says Tawera Kerr-Barlow

TONGA TEST: Tawera Kerr-Barlow thinks Tonga could cause a few surprises. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Dave Winter

World Cup winner Tawera Kerr-Barlow believes Ireland’s next pool opponents Tonga are capable of causing an upset in France as he backed the Pacific Island nations as a whole to shine at the tournament.

The 2015 All Black, also a two-time Champions Cup winner with La Rochelle, was speaking on the latest edition of the Irish Examiner’s World Cup podcast the day after Fiji fell agonisingly short against Wales in their opening game.

The scrum-half feels the Tongans, who meet Ireland in Nantes this Saturday night in their first game of the tournament, could also provide a scare or two to the Pool B big guns, which also include South Africa and Scotland.

“It’s probably never been a more exciting World Cup in terms of there’s so many teams that have a chance of winning it and the Pacific Island teams have a chance of doing really, really well,” Kerr Barlow told the Irish Examiner.

“Obviously the game between Wales and Fiji was a cracker. But the New Zealand, Irish, South African, Scottish side of the pool is going to be very, very interesting. Pool B, Ireland’s pool, is obviously stacked and you’ve even got Tonga who could cause a few upsets.

“Your game against South Africa is highly anticipated and I don’t think you can really call it at the moment can you?

Asked if Tonga could do some damage against the Irish, Kerr-Barlow said: “Yeah, most definitely.

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"Obviously they’ve got new players who had been representatives of other countries so that’s been extremely cool that they can go back in and represent the country that they were born in or the country that their parents were.

“The Pacific Islands have done so much for world rugby as a whole that it’s really cool that those lads have got the opportunity. But the Tongans, if they get a few bounces of the ball, you give them a lead, they’re a much more high quality side than what they had been in the past.”

That said, Kerr-Barlow was impressed by Ireland’s opening performance in beating Romania 82-8 last Saturday.

“The Irish had a field day against Romania. We’re probably used to the Irish and Leinster teams. The way they play rugby is extremely impressive in terms of everyone is an option.

"I mean, big Tadhg (Furlong), his ability, he threw a short ball to one of the other forwards and I don’t think there’s too many other sides in the world that say their props can handle the ball as well as the Irish do at the moment.”