Samoa staged a comeback to secure their first victory against the USA in nine years, finishing third in the Pacific Nations Cup.
The match began with Luke Carty kicking an early penalty, followed by a try converted by Carty after Toby Fricker crossed the line, giving the USA a 10-point lead within the first eight minutes. Fricker’s try came after he expertly caught a misjudged clearance from Rodney Iona, running in unopposed.
However, Samoa responded before halftime with Iona converting two penalties to narrow the gap to four points. Carty’s attempt at a long-range penalty before the break was unsuccessful, leaving the halftime score at 10-6.
Samoa took control of the match as Iakopo Petelo-Mapu broke through several tackles to score a remarkable individual try. As the game neared its end and seemed destined for a draw, the USA’s Jason Daam received a yellow card for collapsing a Samoan maul just five meters out.
With Daam in the sin bin, Samoa maintained their pressure, and with only three minutes remaining, Melani Nanai scored in the left corner, securing the win for Samoa.