SAMOA head coach Ben Gardiner believes there’s a lot his side can learn from their 44-12 semi-final defeat to Australia.
But he can’t pinpoint how long it will take to close the gap with the Kangaroos and New Zealand.
“We always review the games, and follow up on them for the following tournament – we like to learn things and add to our repertoire,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot of players who will continue and go on; there’s not too many guys who won’t be around.
“We took our learnings into this tournament, we felt we were a lot better than we were last year, but we’ve still got ground to cover to catch up to the top teams.
“We would like to think if we had started well tonight then we would’ve had a good chance of matching Australia, but because we didn’t start as well as we would’ve liked, who knows how far away we are from them.”
Throughout the tournament, Samoa have been backed passionately by their fans, and it was the same again at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.
“It’s been absolutely phenomenal,” Gardiner added.
“The support we have received all over the world; not just in Australia or New Zealand or Samoa – it’s been into the US and the UK, people supporting what we’re doing.
“You saw it again tonight with the flags and people in merchandise. Everyone who comes to the games has something in our colours to support us.
“For the players and the staff it’s been absolutely phenomenal. During the national anthem there were thousands of flags flying, and I don’t think you’d see that anywhere else in any other sport.
“We’ve got to embrace it and keep growing it to make it bigger than it already is.”
