TheBreakdown
Men's Rugby World Cup 1987 · Ballymore, Brisbane | Meeanjin · 3 June 1987Head-to-head
Full-time reportFull time
Ireland won by 23 points.Half-time 13–3 · Tries 5–0

Pitch map

Layers

Swipe the pitch sideways to see it full size.

1636577377
Totals only: no positions in the feed
Tacklesmademissed
IRE2110
TGA5430
Kicks at goalconv.pensdrops
IRE3/32/20
TGA0/03/30
← Tonga attack · Ireland attack →Hover a try for detail · dots = tackles made · dashed = penalty goal · orange = missed · squares = rucks · triangles = line breaks and defenders beaten · rings = turnovers · bars at the foot = zone counts · thin lines = kicks from hand = attacking entries and ball won per band
  • Territory is not in the feed for this match.
  • Zone counts are not in the feed for this match.
  • Tackle positions are not in the feed for this match.
  • Kick positions are not in the feed for this match.
  • Ruck, line break, turnover, lineout and kick-from-hand positions are not in the feed for this match.
  • Tries with a dashed ring have no recorded position, so they sit in the in-goal at the end that side attacked.
Tries and goal kicks as a table
MinTeamWhatScore
16′IrelandTry, Hugo MacNeill7–0
36′IrelandTry, Brendan Mullin, converted11–3
57′IrelandTry, Brendan Mullin, converted20–6
73′IrelandTry, Brendan Mullin, converted26–6
77′IrelandTry, Hugo MacNeill32–9
Sample dataTerritory shares are estimated, and tries without a recorded position are placed in the in-goal. Other positions are as logged by the match feed and approximate.

Score progression

Drag to replay the match on the pitchSwipe the chart sideways for the full match.
010203040HT0′20′40′60′80′
16′Hugo MacNeill36′Brendan Mullin57′Brendan Mullin73′Brendan Mullin77′Hugo MacNeill
IRE

Team stats

TGA
100%Possession0%
93Carries54
416Metres gained262
21Clean breaks11
30Defenders beaten11
113Passes61
13Offloads12
21Tackles made54
10Tackles missed30
19/26Rucks won8/11
18/19Lineouts won19/27
13/15Scrums won12/16
14/14Mauls won4/5
15Penalties conceded7
55Kicks from hand43
Goal kicking
IRE conversions 3/3, penalties 2/2 · TGA conversions 0/0, penalties 3/3. Pale segment = set piece lost.

Match statistics and event positions come from World Rugby’s public match feed, which is unofficial and not licensed for reuse; TheBreakdown reduces them to the figures shown. This feed has team statistics but no positions for this match.

Line-ups

Ireland

  1. 1Job LangbroekProp
  2. 2Terry KingstonHooker
  3. 3Jim McCoyProp
  4. 4Donal LenihanSecond row
  5. 5Willie AndersonSecond row
  6. 6Phil MatthewsFlanker
  7. 7Neil FrancisFlanker
  8. 8Derek McGrathNumber 8
  9. 9Michael BradleyScrum-half
  10. 10Tony WardFly-half
  11. 11Keith CrossanWing
  12. 12David IrwinCentre
  13. 13Brendan MullinCentre
  14. 14Trevor RinglandWing
  15. 15Hugo MacNeillFull-back
  16. 16Philip RaineyBench
  17. 17Michael KiernanBench
  18. 18Tony DoyleBench
  19. 19Paul CollinsBench
  20. 20Des FitzgeraldBench
  21. 21Steve SmithBench

Tonga

  1. 1Viliami LutuaProp
  2. 2Amone FungavakaHooker
  3. 3Hakatoa TupouProp
  4. 4Mofuike Tu'ungafasiSecond row
  5. 5Kasi FineSecond row
  6. 6Taipaleti Tu'utu KakatoFlanker
  7. 7Fakahau ValuFlanker
  8. 8Maliu FiliseNumber 8
  9. 9Talai FifitaScrum-half
  10. 10'Asaeli AmoneFly-half
  11. 11Quddus FieleaWing
  12. 12Samiu MohiCentre
  13. 13Alamoni Liava'aCentre
  14. 14Talanoafuka Kitekei'ahoWing
  15. 15Tali Ete'akiFull-back
  16. 16Manu VunipolaBench
  17. 17Lemeki VaipuluBench
  18. 18Talia'uli Liava'aBench
  19. 19Sione TahaafeBench
  20. 20Takai MakisiBench
  21. 21Latu Va'eonoBench

Match officials

Sample data
Referee
Sample Referee
Assistant referee
Sample Assistant 1
Assistant referee
Sample Assistant 2
TMO
Sample TMO

Sample data Match officials is placeholder content: TheBreakdown has no data source for it yet, so nothing here is real.

Context

All-time, Ireland 3–0 Tonga in 3 scored Tests. Full head-to-head

Ireland going in
Tonga going in

Also on this day

Results to 27 September 2026. Scoring and line-ups come from World Rugby match summaries where available; older Tests may have neither.