Samoa make most of USA errors to claim opening win

Samoa 25 USA 16

Blazing sunshine, a beautiful day and a belting match. Good times in Brighton. Samoa won 25-16 and with Japan playing the way they are, the USA must be wondering where they are going to find a game they can win in Pool B. Cruel thing is, they are still a pretty fine side; fast and physical, if a little rough and ready. They made a few too many rookie errors and conceded twice as many penalties as their opponents. Not that anyone was blaming the referee, George Clancy. Samoa deserved to win.

For the first 20, the two teams played fast, loose and fierce, and men on both sides were reeling after the early collisions. The Samoa centre Reynold Lee-Lo was off to be assessed by the medics before the first minute was up, after he was bumped off by his opposite number, Thretton Palamo. And the USA’s fly half Alan MacGinty was down on the ground for three minutes after he collided with what seemed to be a stone monolith inconsiderately deposited in the middle of the field. It transpired to be the back of the Samoan lock Filo Paulo, as MacGinty discovered when he finally opened his eyes. Paulo, dimly aware that something had nipped at his back, blinked twice and scratched his shoulder.

As the half wore on, Samoa started to batter the USA back into their own territory. In the 19th minute, a lineout on the edge of the USA’s 22. From there, Samoa poured forward towards the posts. The scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i snapped the ball out to the outstanding Tusi Pisi, who threaded a grubber through into the far corner. Tim Nanai-Williams burst through in pursuit to score. Pisi missed the conversion but did kick two penalties. Samoa were 11-0 upand dominating both possession.

The USA rallied, though, with a penalty of their own during one of their rare adventures into Samoa’s half. Then, a superb try entirely against the run of play. Samoa had a lineout inside the USA’s half but Samu Manoa won the ball. Chris Wyles duly booted the ball straight back into the pack.

Luckily for him, the ricochet found its way back to Manoa, who set straight off downfield. He slipped it to MacGinty, who stepped inside the first tackler, then held his nerve to commit another before passing outside to Seamus Kelly. He threw the ball back the other way to Wyles, who crossed to complete a move that spanned all of 60 yards.

Soon after the break, Samoa stretched their six-point lead to 14. Enough, you felt, to put them out of sight. After a short lineout, Tusi Pisi hacked through. Taku Ngwenya fumbled the ball on the bounce, Ken Pisi pounced on it and recycled it back to the onrushing Ofisa Treviranus. Pisi missed the conversion but added another penalty for a high tackle soon after. The USA team are nothing if not spirited, though. They kept banging away and scored another try eight minutes from time. They finally got one of their lineout throws to go straight – they had already been penalised for being wayward three times – and Chris Baumann barged his way over after a series of short drives.

Guardian Service