Manusina Samoa showcased a strikingly different performance compared to their previous match against the Netherlands, achieving a remarkable 45-17 victory over the Vodafone Fijiana 15s at The Sevens Stadium during the second round of the WXV3 in Dubai.
The game’s opening score came within three minutes, thanks to a brilliant break by scrum-half France Bloomfield, with Linda Fiafia finishing the play in the right corner. Cassie Siataga missed the subsequent conversion but secured a penalty, extending Samoa’s lead to eight points.
Fiji managed to narrow the gap to just one point ten minutes later when number eight Karalaini Naisewa scored from a powerful scrum. Luisa Tisolo converted the try, but Samoa quickly regained their eight-point cushion with Ana Mamea’s try and Siataga’s successful conversion.
As the first half progressed, Siataga added two more penalties, allowing Samoa to head into halftime leading 21-7. Fiji had a try from Adita Milinia disallowed for obstruction just before the break.
In the second half, Tisolo scored early for Fiji and converted her own try, narrowing the margin to seven points. However, she received a yellow card shortly after, allowing Samoa to capitalize. Manusina notched up tries from Karla Wright-Akeli and Bloomfield during this period, with Bloomfield scoring her second try ten minutes before the end.
Tisolo did add her second try for Fiji late in the match, but it was too late to alter the outcome, as Easter Savelio scored a sixth try for Samoa, completing a strong victory.