Samoa achieved a remarkable comeback to secure their first victory over the USA in nearly a decade, finishing third in the Pacific Nations Cup.
The match kicked off with Luke Carty opening the scoring for the USA via an early penalty. He then extended the lead to 10-0 within the first eight minutes by successfully converting Toby Fricker’s try.
Fricker made an impressive play, seizing a poorly executed clearance from Samoa’s Rodney Iona, catching the ball high above pursuing defenders, and scoring unopposed. Unfortunately, for Scott Lawrence’s squad, this early advantage was the pinnacle of their performance.
Iona redeemed himself before halftime, adding two penalties to bring Samoa within four points of the USA. Carty, however, missed a late long-range penalty attempt, leaving the halftime score at 10-6.
Samoa turned the tide in the second half when Iakopo Petelo-Mapu showcased his strength, breaking through several tackles to score a stunning individual try.
As the match neared its conclusion, tension rose when Jason Daam of the USA received a yellow card for collapsing a Samoan maul just five meters from the line.
With Daam out of play, Samoa capitalized on the advantage, and with just three minutes remaining, Melani Nanai crossed into the left corner to seal the victory.