Samoa 15 Tonga 19: England received a boost ahead of their crunch clash with Samoa on Saturday after they lost their Group A clash with Pacific Island rivals Tonga, who finished the match with 13 men.

The Samoans are expected to pose a stiff test to Brian Ashton's stuttering side but they were far from formidable in a match littered with ill-discipline and a host of penalties for each side.

Epeli Taione scored the only try of a match dominated by the boots of Pierre Hola and Gavin Williams but it was a fine rearguard action from the Tongans — who lost Hale T Pole to a red card and Toma Toke to a late yellow — which sealed the win.

Hola and Williams exchanged early penalties as the game started at a brisk pace before Samoa's Elvis Seveali'i burst through a pack of bodies on the far touchline and went to ground, with his team-mates claiming the try.

The decision was referred to the video referee and after a lengthy wait it was not given, with Seveali'i adjudged not to have grounded.

With 18 minutes gone Samoa were still keeping the ball high in the opposition half with Kane Thompson breaking and Tekori also receiving some quick ball.

The pressure eventually resulted in a pair of penalties, with Williams slotting both home to make it 9-3.

A stray boot then led to another penalty for the Samoans and Williams continued to collect points with another straight-forward effort in front of the posts.

Taione found himself sin-binned for kicking the ball away in the loose but remarkably it seemed to invigorate his team and for the first time Tonga put sustained pressure on their rivals.

Their pressure resulted in a second penalty for Hola, who reduced the difference to six points at halfway.

Taione earned a penalty as the ill-discipline from both sides continued and Hola was on hand to chip through the posts to make it 12-9.

Then, seconds before the hour mark, Taione capitalised on a fine lineout routine to burst through and touch down, Tonga going further ahead with the conversion.

Hola confidently kicked another three points with 13 minutes to go but a indiscretion from Hale T Pole soon gave Williams the chance to cut the deficit to four.

Pole was red carded in the closing stages for striking Leo Lafaiali'i before Toke was handed a yellow with just minutes to go. But their remaining team-mates held on for a wonderful win that will brighten English hearts ahead of Saturday's meeting.