Rugby League World Cup knockout stages continues on Sunday with the huge Quarter Final 4 Tonga v Samoa clash, which will be one of the biggest clashes in Pacific Rugby League ever.
Our Tonga v Samoa Match Centre has a preview, stats, team lists before the game and a summary of the match afterwards with thoughts and stats. More than you could ever need or want.
If you want more information on all the results from the Group Stages and beyond – follow this link here.
Tonga v Samoa Match Summary
Samoa have progressed to the semi finals after a 20-18 win over Tonga in an entertaining bu tough encounter.
Samoa struck the first blow of the night through Jaydn Su’a, who ran the perfect line from a short Anthony Milford pass and split the Tongan defence from 30 metres out, skipped around the fullback and powered to the line. Stephen Crichton added the two points for a 6-0 lead.
The next set saw Samoa give up a penalty in attack when Joseph Suaali’i was penalised and put on report for leading with a knee while taking a hit up. His knee did get Felise Kaufusi flush on the head.
Tonga took advantage of the free pass and scored in the next set. Daniel Tupou got the try, finishing in the corner with the slickness you expect from him, but he was put into free space on the wing by a bullet cut out pass from Will Hopoate. Isaiya Katoa missed the sideline conversion and the score remained 6-4.
After a sustained attacking push from Samoa, a little Jarome Luai magic saw Samoa score their next try. Luai avoided a charging Tonga defender sprinting out of the line, then danced his way around more defenders to score near the posts. Stephen Crichton kicked the conversion for a 12-4 at the 20 minute mark.
Tonga hit back in the 33rd minute when a grubber from dummy half two metres out on the last tackle by Soni Luke was pounced on by the chasing Siosiua Taukeiaho under the posts. The extra two points were added and the score was now 12-10 to Samoa.
That remained the score until half time in a very entertaining 40 minutes of rugby league with few errors and a handful of penalties. But the next forty minutes decides who goes to the semi final, so the game may tighten up.
HALF TIME – TONGA 10 SAMOA 12
Tonga opened up the scoring in the second half with a penalty kick to draw the scored level at 12-12, a small reward for multiple sets on the Samoan line.
Samoa replied with a penalty of their own a few minutes later for an illegal steal. Samoa were earlier handed the ball and territory with dubious obstruction penalty call against Tonga in attack. We wonder if the rules will be applied as strictly in the NRL next season. For the record, the score was now 14-23 to Samoa with 25 minutes to go.
Samoa extended the lead with the very next set when Brian To’o scored after picking up the crumbs of a loose bomb that the Tongan side failed to attempt to catch. The play that mattered though was the earlier 40 metre line break from Joseph Suaali’i. Crichton converted for a handy 20-12 lead with the last quarter left to decide the semi finalist.
After the two teams traded attacking blows without scoring, Tonga landed the actual blow on the scoreboard in 72nd minute when Sione Katoa scored under the posts. The play was set up by Keaon Koloamatangi trapping a Jarome Luai grubber then making a 30 metre break up field. From the play the ball Mosese Suli made a line break and Sione Katoa was in support to score. The easy conversion added two point and the score was 20-18 with seven minutes to play.
After Tuimoala Lolohea dropped the ball in a good attacking position for Tonga, Samoa then got the chance to pressure the Tongan line with multiple sets, a try would seal the game with just a few minutes to go. With Samoa looking capable of stealing the game, they were penalised in attack, Junior Paulo for using a forearm to repel David Fifita. It gave Tonga one last chance to steal the game.
Tonga pressured the Samoan line, and were rewarded with a set restart with sixty seconds remaining. Sadly for Tonga the attacking raid ended in an error, and Samoa had won the massive clash. It was an exciting ending to a great international match.
For Samoa they have the chance for revenge after their first game humiliation against England – their opponents in the semi finals. For Tonga, it is another missed opportunity in the World Cup, but it could be said, that aside from their flogging of the Cook Islands they haven’t been overly impressive in this tournament.
Tonga v Samoa Final Score
TONGA 18
Tries: Daniel Tupou 8′ Siosiua Taukeiaho 33′ Mosese Suli 72′
Goals: Isaiya Katoa 3/4 (1 pen)
SAMOA 20
Tries: Jaydn Su’a 5′ Jarome Luai 17′ Brian To’o 58′
Goals: Stephen Crichton 4/4 (1 pen)
Tonga v Samoa Player of the Match
3 Pts – Anthony Milford
2 Pts – Jason Taumalolo
1 Pt – Joseph Suaali’i
Tonga v Samoa Points of Interest
- If you didn’t enjoy the pre-match war cry challenge between the two sides then you are very hard to please or an AFL fan.
- One thing aside from the actual game on the field has been the local rivalries seen around the suburbs in Australia, as those of Tongan and Samoan hertiage flew their respective flags from houses and cars in the lead up to Sunday night’s game.
- Josh Papali’i made a good impact coming off the bench for Samoa. And hopefully you saw the deft grubber kick for the corner he laid on in the first half. Geeat skills from the big man. No try, but still.
- Contender for tackle of the tournament in the first half around 38th minute, as Taylan May rushed off the line and stopped Keaon Koloamatangi in his tracks as he charged towards the line. Not quite as good but more surprising was a big hit Anthony Milford put on early in the second half. Keaon Koloamatangi tried to join the big tackle club late in the second half and managed only to hurt himself.
- You could forgive Samoan coach Matt Parish for a little smug satisfaction with Samoa winning, after a proposed takeover coaching arrangement with Matthew Johns was floated during the year.
- The game was a great advertisement for why letting the NRL starts choose to represent their heritage rather than Australia, it has grown international rugby league, and who knows in a few years time the quality could build to rival the rugby union world cup for competitiveness. Despite what the dinosaurs at Fox League think.
Tonga v Samoa Match Stats
Tonga v Samoa Teams
TONGA
1 Will Hopoate
2 Daniel Tupou
4 Will Penisini
19 Mosese Suli
5 Sione Katoa
24 Isaiya Katoa
7 Tuimoala Lolohea
8 Addin Fonua-Blake
9 Siliva Havili
17 Moeaki Fotuaika
11 Felise Kaufusi
12 Keaon Koloamatangi
13 Jason Taumalolo
10 Siosiua Taukeiaho
14 Soni Luke
18 David Fifita
21 Ben Murdoch-Masila
SAMOA
1 Joseph Suaali’i
2 Taylan May
4 Stephen Crichton
25 Tim Lafai
5 Brian To’o
6 Jarome Luai
7 Anthony Milford
10 Junior Paulo
9 Danny Levi
15 Royce Hunt
11 Ligi Sao
12 Jaydn Su’a
23 Oregon Kaufusi
8 Josh Papali’i
17 Martin Taupau
20 Chanel Harris-Tavita
22 Kelma Tuilagi
Tonga v Samoa Preview
This game arrives a week early if you believed the pre-tournament hype. Tonga and Samoa were both meant to dominate their groups and beat England on their way to a semi final date and passage to the final.
Now this game is being played in the first week of the knockout stage after England thrashed Samoa in the first game of the Rugby League World Cup.
But it still should be a great contest, the one before the kick off with the pre-game rituals and after the kick off as one of big Pacific nations gets a step closer to the big time.
Both teams have started off the World Cup a little slow to be fair, Tonga needing a very late try and a lucky ref call to get past PNG, and Samoa lost to England as previously mentioned. But Tonga and Samoa do come into this massive H2H with big wins under their belt for confidence. Tonga thrashed Cook Islands by 92-10 and Samoa beat France by 62-4.
We still think Tonga are the team going slightly better overall, and despite all the firepower in the Samoan side, still trust Tonga’s experience more. Using their history and end result at 2017 Rugby League World Cup to their advantage.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brian To’o is an easy one to pick but he does tops the players stats for the World Cup so far for Run Metres (774) Post Contact Metres (294) and is third best for tackle breaks too. He gets involved so much in every game that he is hard to ignore, but even with all his stats if Samoa play like they did against England there’s not much he can do.
The occasionally maligned Jarome Luai is another player to watch. He is the driving creative force in the Samoan team, more so than Anthony Milford, so if he fires for Samoa they are a chance.
Isaiya Katoa has made quite the impression so far in this World Cup and without seeing the confirmed Team List for Sunday’s game, we’ll presume he is playing and will be one of the stars. Wayne Bennett and his Dolphin friends have certainly got themselves a goodun’.
Jason Taunalolo is another obvious choice, but he is the key for the go forward for Tonga in the middle of the field dominated by power forwards.
We also love Keaon Koloamatangi who must be due a big game for Tonga. Maybe it will take the hype of the game against Samoa to bring out a big performance.
PREDICTION
Tonga 30 Samoa 20
Tonga v Samoa RLWC2021 Stats So Far
