Samoa made a remarkable comeback to clinch their first victory over the USA in nine years, securing third place in the Pacific Nations Cup.
Luke Carty started the scoring with an early penalty and followed up by extending the Men’s Eagles’ lead to 10-0 within the first eight minutes, thanks to a conversion of Toby Fricker’s try. Fricker, playing at full-back, took advantage of a poor clearance from Rodney Iona, making an impressive catch and running in for a try without any opposition. However, this strong start was the highlight for Scott Lawrence’s team.
Iona redeemed himself before halftime by converting two penalties, closing the gap to just four points. Carty missed a long-range penalty just before the break, leaving the score at 10-6.
Samoa then took control, with Iakopo Petelo-Mapu showcasing his skill by powering through tackles to score a remarkable individual try.
As the match neared its conclusion and appeared set for a draw, USA’s Jason Daam received a yellow card for collapsing a Samoan maul just five meters from the try line. With Daam in the sin bin, Samoa capitalized on the situation, and with only three minutes left, Melani Nanai scored in the left corner, sealing the victory for his team.