Fetu Samoa has made history, reaching its first Rugby League World Cup semi-final with a 24-6 win over England in Wollongong on Friday night.
Five tries to one in Samoa’s favour guaranteed their spot alongside Australia in the last four next weekend.
They will meet New Zealand in the semi-finals, as the runner-up from Pool A.
Players and fans celebrated the historic moment as the final whistle went at the WIN Stadium, as England were denied making their third straight semi-final appearance.
Captain Evania Isa’ako said the job was not done yet and praised the team for the historic win.
“It’s pretty cool to be honest,” she said post-match.
“Just so proud of all the girls, They really showed up for one another and they just keep turning up. Thank you to everyone who turned up to support us, to watch us go and make history.
But the jobs is not done. You know you realty wanna play for the people and those standing in front of you.”
She also paid tribute to head coach Frank Pritchard, who she said has done so much for the team and the game in Samoa.
Pritchard said he was proud of the team and pointed to starting well as the key for them.
“Very overwhelming. Yeah, it definitely hasn’t sunk in yet but I think once again, it’s changing with the team, and we speak about it,” he said at the post-match press conference.
It was important for us to start strong in that second half, and you know we got the penalty, we worked our way down, and we scored the try.
So, it was just a very focused thing for us and we spoke about that all week, being about us, and I thought the team done it really well.”
Co-captain Annetta Nuuausala said England gave them a tough time in the match.
“Honestly, it didn’t feel dominant because they were like, running into them, was like running into a brick wall,” she said.
“They really gave it to us in that first half. They just kept coming back, no matter how hard we were running or whatever structure we threw at them.
“They still kept coming at us, and they made it really hard for us.”
First half dominance
Samoa laid the challenge with their siva tau and then rocked England in the first 35 minutes spell, leading 12-0 at half-time.
Winger, 18 year old Freedom Crichton Ropati scored three tries in the half, as Samoa dominated play with the wind behind them.
Playmaker Pauline Piliae-Rasabale missed her three conversion attempts.
England kicked off proceedings through Georgia Roche, as the two teams went into battle, looking for the win to push them into the semi-finals.
Fetu Samoa completed their first set of six, but England showed intensity on defence early as they threw some big hits.
However, Samoa kept their cool and Pliae-Rasabale switched the attack button on deep inside the English half, sending a high kick up towards England’s Fran Goldthorp, who knocked the ball on, presenting Samoa with an early opportunity.
But Destiny Mino-Sinapati lost the ball over the line as she dived over in the corner.
Samoa’s consistent pressure saw Ropati claiming her first try in the eighth minute, before she also got over the line in the same right hand corner in the 18th and 30th minutes.
They led 12-0 at half-time.
Christabelle Onesemo-Tuilaepa, Ivana Lolesio, Tavana Papalii and Annetta Nuuausala led their forward pack on attacks through the middle of the field.
Isa’ako said at half-time that the pressure was on, and England did not hold back.
“They matched us on physicality,” Isa’ako said after the first half.
“We just need to go back and get better in the second half.”
Wrapping up
England had the wind behind them in the second spell but Samoa claimed the first try of the second spell and wrapped up the game with two tries at the end of the second spell.
That first try came through Mercedez Taulelei-Siala, who got over in the corner after another impressive Samoan attack.
England claimed their try in the 42nd minute, with Evie Cousins reaching over the line to score, after failed Samoan attempts to stop her near the line.
Piliae-Rasabale kicked a penalty after England were penalised for stripping the ball in a tackle just outside the England 10 metre line before Fanua Rimoni dived over between the posts and under the crossbar to seal the deal for Samoa.
The conversion by Piliae-Rasabale added the extra two points as Samoa marched into the semi-final for the first time.
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea Kumuls have ended their campaign at the world cup following their 34-12 loss to England last night.
PNG trailed 24-0 at half-time in the clash before they scored two of their own tries through Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro, which were both converted by retiring captain Rhyse Martin.
England scored six tries in the match
England will now wait for the result of the Samoa vs Tonga clash on Sunday to see if they will qualify for the semi-finals.
