Taione features in Tonga win

Exeter Chiefs hooker Elvis Taione helped Tonga to secure a first-ever win over Romania in the two sides' final warm-up match ahead of the Rugby World Cup in Bucharest.

A try from scrum-half Sonatane Takulua proved to the difference in the 21-19 victory with replacement hooker Andrei Radoi only crossing the line late on.

The two sides had only met once previously, at the same venue in 2013, when Tonga were defeated by a single point.

Tonga, who also included former Chiefs winger Fetu'u Vainikolo in their starting line-up, began brightly, scoring through a penalty try after Romania lost second row Valentin Poparlan to a yellow card.

Kurt Morath's conversion and penalty cancelled out two three-pointers from Romania's Florin Vlaicu to give Tonga a 10-6 half-time lead.

Vlaicu's third penalty cut the gap to just a point before Takulua's try. Two more Morath penalties extended Tonga's advantage to 21-9 before Radoi's late converted score.

Tonga open their Rugby World Cup campaign against Georgia at Kingsholm, Gloucester on September 19, while Romania start against France at the Olympic Stadium on September 23.

Both, however, will play World Cup fixtures at Exeter's Sandy Park Stadium with the ?Ikale Tahi' taking on Namibia on Tuesday, September 29 (4:45pm), whilst Romania will face Italy on Sunday, October 11 (2:30pm)