THE redeeming feature of only having two Tests is that the series is still open for this Saturday’s clash in Leeds, and there was enough entertainment and admirable performances in the first encounter to provide sufficient intrigue for the second.
The clash was billed as revenge after the World Cup semi-final clash in 2022 at Arsenal but, rather, mutual respect was part of the build-up, perfectly illustrated by the brilliant battle between the skippers, George Williams and Jerome Luai.
“I’m very pleased, there are things that need to improve for next week but with the talent they’ve got I’ve got to be happy with that,” said England coach Shaun Wane after a 34-18 success.
“We never mentioned the previous game or revenge, it was all about winning that match, all we talk about in camp is our standards and what we’re about.
“A lot of good things went with us in the first half, but we knew wouldn’t get all our own way against such a talented team.
“To get a series win on the back of last year’s means everything, we need to give them the respect they deserve but we want to put on a show and need to be better.”
It would have been easy to focus on some of the Samoa players missing – the likes of gamebreakers Stephen Crichton, Brian To’o and Spencer Leniu – but with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jeremiah Nanai and Deine Mariner switching to the nation of their heritage among seven debutants, there was no lack of threat among the tourists, with Leeds recruit Keenan Palasia named as their 18th man.
England, who had boxer Josh Warrington give out their shirts and former Lebanon head coach Michael Cheika in their camp, surprisingly, left out Junior Nsemba, meaning there were no debutants in Wane’s team.
Instead he elected to go with the tried and tested, with Harry Smith starting in the halves and Mikey Lewis on the bench.
In overcast conditions, Luai laid a shirt in tribute to former Wigan and Samoa star Va’aiga Tuigamala and the men in blue performed a typically intimidating Siva Tau, ending forehead to forehead with the England players on the half-way line, leading to a ferocious first defensive set that was spoiled when Samoa gave away the opening penalty,
The game seemed to be settling into a midfield stalemate before Daryl Clark made a break up the middle that brought a set restart and, on the last, Smith, Radley and Williams sent Herbie Farnworth over, with Smith goaling.
Samoa continued to kick to ever-safe Dom Young, who’s catch and instant pass allowed Jack Welsby to make a half break, with Ashton again poking his nose through and gaining another penalty.
Ethan Havard and Kai Pearce-Paul made ground and Williams again gave the scoring pass for Ashton to step inside and go over. This time Smith wide with the conversion attempt.
Samoa received their first penalty for a high shot before Jeremiah Nanai’s strong charge was halted by Kai Pierce-Paul.
Smith did well to cut off Tuivasa-Sheck’s kick and Ashton again elicited a penalty and, with a second set restart, Welsby found Harry Newman back on the inside, his fine ball releasing Williams to pull out of Tuivasa-Sheck’s tackle to score the third try.
Somehow, the visitors stayed in the contest, surviving Tuivasa-Sheck dropping a Smith high kick on his own 15-metre line, another set restart and Newman’s kick forcing a goal-line drop-out.
Luai took it short and Nanai gathered brilliantly, but Samoa then lost the ball offloading coming out of their own end.
Clark’s pass to Mike McMeeken, which saw him stroll over between the posts, was ruled forward, and Deine Mariner then picked off Clark’s long ball from half way and raced clear to the posts to cut the deficit to ten points.
Inside the last minute of the first half, Jeral Skelton got his hand to Welsby’s pass to deny a try, sending the ball into touch, and Ashton was denied as the ball swung left.
Samoa had been penalised four times and conceded as many set restarts in the opening forty, but with HIA’s to Jazz Tevaga and Nanai reversed at the break, they started the second half brightly.
Lazarus Vaalepu made a rumbling charge from an offload, before Luai and Tuivasa-Sheck combined and Young pulled off a ball-and-all tackle on Junior Pauga. Anthony Milford then knocked on with a chance begging after Luai, Shaun Blore and Tevaga had run on the last.
Their first penalty they conceded in the second half proved to be their undoing, as Radley, Williams and Smith combined, and Farnworth gave a superb flat pass to send Radley over.
As the game opened out, however, Samoa looked increasingly dangerous running on the last tackle, which bore fruit when Luai instigated a move that saw the ball flash through the hands of Vaalepu, Milford and Tuivasa-Sheck, with Luai’s reverse pass sending Mariner in for his second try.
Williams grubbered for Newman, who found Young, but his pass was forward. McMeeken then gave a midfield offload and Luai got a hand to Clark’s pass.
Welsby hacked on and regathered and was just brought down by Tuivasa-Sheck, but Ashton again twisted over from a quick play-the-ball.
Luai again created havoc and Smith did well to cover his chip kick, with Williams matching his opposing skipper and just spilling Smith’s dink into space.
Welsby was superb shadowing Skelton, causing him to delay his pass to Pauga and the ball was lost.
Young didn’t make a similar error when set clear and away, with Mikey Lewis – on around the hour at hooker – in support on the inside to touch down.
Samoa refused to throw in the towel as Pearce-Paul, who was otherwise solid, lost the ball coming out of his own quarter, with Gordon Chan Kum Tong gathering and holding off Ashton to get the ball down between the posts.
A game that had been played in great spirit otherwise erupted in midfield with plenty of wrestling, pushing and shoving with a minute left involving all the players, with England getting the penalty and Luai seeing off the danger from Smith’s chip.
Samoa coach Ben Gardiner commented: “We didn’t take opportunities when we needed to.
“We didn’t make it difficult enough for them to come out of their own end in the first half, which put us under pressure. We need to control the momentum for longer.
“If you’re going to give penalties away, you’ve got to defend them. We’ve travelled a long way to play this game so, of course, there’s going to feeling on the field and that’s just how games should be played.
“I thought England played really well and nothing changes for us if we can get the start of the game and our discipline right.”
GAMESTAR: The battle between the respective skippers and halves, George Williams and Jerome Luai was a joy to watch, the England man shading it in an imperious display that led his side to victory.
GAMEBREAKER: Mikey Lewis’s try from a Dom Young assist as the game entered the last ten minutes gave England a safe buffer.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Deine Mariner’s second try for Samoa came from some outstanding offloading by several of his team-mates.
ENGLAND
1 Jack Welsby (St Helens)
2 Dom Young (Sydney Roosters)
3 Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos)
4 Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
5 Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves)
6 George Williams (Warrington Wolves) (C)
7 Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors)
8 Ethan Havard (Wigan Warriors)
9 Daryl Clark (St Helens)
10 Matty Lees (St Helens)
11 John Bateman (Warrington Wolves)
12 Kai Pearce-Paul (Newcastle Knights)
13 Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters)
Subs (all used)
16 Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons)
17 Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
15 Morgan Knowles (St Helens)
14 Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)
18th man (not used)
18 Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves)
Also in 19-man squad
19 Junior Nsemba (Wigan Warriors)
Tries: Farnworth (7), Ashton (14, 58), Williams (20), Radley (48), Lewis (71)
Goals: Smith 5/6
SAMOA
1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand Warriors) (D)
2 Jeral Skelton (Wests Tigers) (D)
3 Izack Tago (Penrith Panthers)
4 Junior Pauga (Sydney Roosters) (D)
5 Deine Mariner (Brisbane Broncos) (D)
6 Anthony Milford (Dolphins)
7 Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers) (C)
8 Francis Molo (St George Illawarra Dragons)
9 Jazz Tevaga (Manly Sea Eagles)
10 Terrell May (Sydney Roosters)
11 Shawn Blore (Melbourne Storm) (D)
12 Jeremiah Nanai (North Queensland Cowboys) (D)
13 John Asiata (Leigh Leopards)
Subs (all used)
15 Luciano Leilua (St George Illawarra Dragons)
18 Gordon Chan Kum Tong (Manly Sea Eagles)
17 Lazarus Vaalepu (Melbourne Storm) (D)
14 Blaize Talagi (Parramatta Eels)
18th man (not used)
16 Keenan Palasia (Gold Coast Titans)
Also in 19-man squad
19 Paul Roache (New Zealand Warriors)
Tries: Mariner (33, 51), Tong (75)
Goals: Pauga 3/3
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
England: George Williams
Samoa: Jerome Luai
Penalty count: 6-1
Half time: 16-6
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 15,137
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 16-0, 16-6; 22-6, 22-12, 28-12, 34-12, 34-18
