RLWC 2022 | Pool A – England 60 Samoa 6 Match Centre *

The Rugby League World Cup kicks off with England v Samoa – the home side taking on one of the dark horses to win the competition in the game of the round for the first week of the Rugby League World Cup.

Our England v Samoa Match Centre has a preview, stats, team lists before the game and a summary of the match afterwards. More than you could ever need or want.

If you want more information on all the squads – follow this link here.

England 60 Samoa 6 – Match Summary

The Rugby League World Cup kicked off at the famous St James’ Park of Premier League’s Newcastle United, and after a Billy Idol moment inspired delay with the pre-game opening ceremony the big England v Samoa game kicked off. It has been five years since the last World Cup – one more than usual because of Covid – so what’s a few more minutes. It has to be said the Samoa battle cry to start the game was something special.

Samoa are a dark horse for winning the entire World Cup but they were not first to score as England secured the first two points from a 6th minute penalty after interference on a chaser of a grubber kick. England has been pressing the Samoan line and looked well up to the challenge on the NRL heavy Samoan side.

England were well on top in the first part of the game but weren’t able to turn it into points, Tom Burgess went close but dropped it over the line in the best chance for the first 20 minutes. But they did break through in the 22nd minute when Jack Welsby scored. The ytry was set up with a quick dummy half run from Sam Tomkins who found George Williams in support, the former Canberra broke through some ordinary Samoan defense and he drew the fullback to set Jack Welsby up to score. The conversion made it 8-0 and it was the least England deserved.

Then England doubled down with a try with the very next set to extend the lead to 14-0. On the third tackle they went the blind side and Jack Welsby attacked the line and threw a beautiful cut out pass to Dom Young who burned down the touch line, then jinked infield and avoided all Samoan defense to score beside the posts. It was 14-0 and the hype was fading fast for Samoa.

Before the half hour was over England went further ahead. After capitalising on a Samoa error, and stuttering English attack went to the right and the same players combined again Jack Welsby running to the line and then throwing a magic cut out pass to Dom Young who scored his second try. 

Samoa got on the board in the 34th minute when Jack Welsby threw one cut out too many and found Izack Tago who ran the required 50 metres to score. The conversion made the score 18-6 and England’s first mistake of the game gave the Samoans the boost they needed before half time. They almost pinched another 30 seconds before half time but Crichton knocked on chasing a grubber.

HALF TIME – ENGLAND 18 SAMOA 6

A few minutes into the second half Tyrone May was stretchered off with a leg injury, and it seems the Fox League coverage of the Rugby League World Cup also went off on a stretcher. For viewers got an apology message then minute upon minutes of ads.

In the meantime Kallum Watkins scored and Tommy Makinson converted to make it 24-6. Can’t tell you what happened but it appears Watkins made a line break.

Samoa had a great chance in attack just before the hour mark, with repeat sets on the England line, and they held firm until the inevitable error. Samoa, for all their stars and Penrith combinations, looked completely disjointed.

Anthony Milford compounded the Samoan woes in the 63rd minute when he was binned for a late shot on Sam Tomkins. The penalty gave England a 26-6 lead.

Herbie Farnworth topped a fine performance with a try not long after the penalty. Temporary hooker Victor Radley threw an ordinary pass along the ground close to the line but it slid its way to Farnworth who broke through some tiring Samoan defense to score.

And England punished the 12 man Samoan side further with another try, this time to Elliott Whitehead, who crashed over from close to the line. The conversion gave England a 38-6 lead with over ten minutes still to play.

Elliott Whitehead doubled up within a minute as England started to really punish Samoa. The try was set up by a long, floating pass from George Williams to a flying Tommy Makinson, and after burning down the sideline he drew the last defender and Whitehead was one of four options waiting inside for the pass. England were a scarcely believable 44-6 in front.

It was party time now for England, as they scored from the next set again. After Samoa’s kick off went over the sideline, later in the set George Williams laid on the perfect grubber for winger Tommy Makinson to slide in to score in the corner. The sideline conversion gave England the half century with five minutes to go.

After yet another coverage drop-out the action returned with another England try celebration. This time it was George Williams the try scorer, with a run-of-the-mill blind side play that exposed some more tired Samoan defense. 

The thrashing was completed a minute before full time when Tom Burgess just powered over Anthony Milford close to the line to score. The conversion gave England a 60-6 win, a result that will raise eyebrows, and a score line that is hard to believe.

It’s a result that will reshape the way people think of who can win this competition, mainly England to win, but perhaps all the hype of the NRL boosted Pacific Tier Two nations is just that when a World Cup is in the northern hemisphere. We’re not sure any rugby league nation would have stopped England today.

FINAL SCORE

ENGLAND 60
Jack Welsby 21′
Dominic Young 24′
Dominic Young 29′
Kallum Watkins 46′
Herbie Farnworth 64′
Elliott Whitehead 68′
Elliott Whitehead 70′
Tommy Makinson 73′
George Williams 76′
Thomas Burgess 79′
Tommy Makinson 10/12

SAMOA 6
Izack Tago 33′
Stephen Crichton 1/1

PLAYERS OF THE MATCH

3 pts Jack Welsby
2 pts Herbie Farnworth
1 pt Victor Radley

POINTS OF INTEREST

• The Set Restart sound was more like an incorrect game show answer.
• Joseph Suaali’i is some talent, but perhaps not ready to oust Teddy at the Roosters just yet. Errors were poor, and few glimpses of the attack we’ve seen in the NRL. He may well be the best fullback in the game, but not for a few years yet.
• Ashley Klein has done well for himself. Dropped for incompetence in the Bunker in the NRL then goes onto ref the Grand Final and World Cup opener.
• Is the England win one for being used to the home conditions, the English side was barely more used to each other than Samoa.
• The Fox League coverage is off to a bad start. Michael Ennis first up and the coverage went missing in the second half. OK, stuff happens, but don’t go to minutes upon minutes of ads, you have a panel there which have been discussing the game, get them to talk about the game somehow via scores or radio coverage of something. And then don’t show a replay of anything when we get back. Understand they are not in control of the coverage, but to just run ads? Pathetic. Channel Nein pathetic.

England v Samoa Match Stats

England v Samoa Teams

ENGLAND

SAMOA

England v Samoa Preview Stats

• England/Great Britain have lost their last two games v Pacific Nations.
• Samoa are yet to beat England in three attempts.
• Samoa made the knockout stage at the last World Cup in 2017, despite not winning a game.

England v Samoa Preview

What a game to open the Rugby League World Cup – the underrated host nation taking on a team that many are predicting to be genuine chances at winning the whole competition. So anticipation is high for this match.

Previous years this would have been presumed an easy-ish win for the English, but with so many NRL players choosing a nation of Pacific heritage instead of Australia, the Pacific nations teams have been boosted in a big way. Samoa is probably the nation to benefit most ahead of this World Cup.

Samoa disappointed at the last World Cup with L2 D1 record in the group stages, but somehow made the knockout stages where they beaten 46-0 by Australia. Different World Cup – different team. 

England made the final of the last World Cup, losing 6-0 to Australia after sneaking past Tonga in the Semi Final. 

The English have the upper hand 3-0 in the H2H, with the last match part of the mid season Pacific Tests in 2017. But that Samoan side had a lot fewer NRL stars that night.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

You can’t look past the Penrith connection here – Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton who are guiding the best rugby league team in the world right now. Throw in Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Joseph Suaalii for starters and you can see why Samoa are so popular for the win.

Whilst England have loads of Super League talent on show, the man who will get the most interest will be Victor Radley who plays his first ever game for England after turning his back on NSW and Australia.

PREDICTIONS

England 28 Samoa 22