Samoa captain Ofisa Treviranus yesterday led from the front as the Pacific islanders opened their World Cup campaign with a 25-16 win over the US in Pool B.
Treviranus scored a battling try and Tusi Pusi kicked four penalties as Samoa stayed comfortably ahead of the US throughout the game in Brighton.
“Our discipline was excellent today and the boys were brilliant,” the captain said after both teams knelt and said prayers together following the final whistle.
Predicted big hits quickly materialized after the start, with US center Thretton Palamo leaving his Samoa counterpart Rey Lee-Ho shaken on the turf in less than a minute. Lee-Ho was sent for a medical assessment.
A scrappy opening few minutes, with the Samoans largely testing the US defense, resulted in a penalty to the Pacific islanders and flyhalf Pisi slotted it over for 3-0.
Pisi turned creator in the 20th minute. He produced a delightful grubber kick behind the US defense for fullback Tim Manai-Williams — cousin of All Blacks great Sonny Bill Williams — to run onto and touch down for his first try for his country.
Pisi failed to convert to leave the score 8-0, but added a penalty seven minutes later for 11-0 with the US once again penalized. The famously ill-disciplined Samoans by contrast had yet to attract referee George Clancy’s ire.
However, when Samoa came under pressure for the first time, Clancy awarded the US a penalty after a Samoan went offside. Ireland-born flyhalf A.J. MacGinty converted it for 11-3.
The Pacific islanders extended their lead early in the second-half, with Manai-Williams ripping the ball free of wing Takudzwa Ngwenya close to the US try line.
Pisi and MacGinty exchanged penalties to see the score tick to 22-11 with about 20 minutes to go.
Samoa left the US needing two converted tries to even force a draw with 10 minutes remaining, as Mike Stanley — who had replaced Pisi — kicked a superb penalty from wide out on the left for 25-11.
They scored one try as replacement Chirs Baumann went over, but MacGinty failed to convert.
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