Furlong: 'Sometimes in scrummaging there’s no replacement for displacement'

Ireland arranged a pre-tournament Test against Tonga’s fellow Pacific Islanders Samoa on August 26 in Bayonne to use a run-through for Saturday’s pool game.

DEFENSIVE STEP UP: Tadhg Furlong during a media conference after the Ireland rugby squad captain's run at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Ireland have been warned they will need to take a big step up defensively when they face an attack-minded Tonga at Stade de la Beaujoire on Saturday night (8pm Irish time).

The Six Nations Grand Slam winners won their opening Pool B game at the World Cup with a 12-try, 82-8 rout of rank outsiders Romania in Bordeaux last Saturday but their next assignment looks to be a lot more of a challenge with the Tongans calling on four former All Blacks along their spine of their team, including former Ulster wing Charles Piutau at full-back and ex-Munster centre Malakai Fekitoa.