ENGLAND 6 SAMOA 24
LORRAINE MARSDEN, WIN Stadium, Wollongong, Friday
A FIRST-HALF hat-trick from Freedom Crichton Ropati not only dumped England out of the World Cup, but saw Samoa make the semi-finals for the first time and set up a clash with New Zealand in the knockout stages.
It was just rewards for Samoa, who were the better team throughout. England did show improvement from their game against Australia, but the victors were just stronger, faster and able to take advantage of errors more effectively.
With a World Cup semi-final at stake, England coach Stuart Barrow returned to a halfback combination of Georgia Roche and Isabel Rowe, with Woman of Steel Jenna Foubister dropped to 18th woman, whilst Georgia Wilson and Evie Cousins, for her tournament debut, replaced Molly Jones and Amelia Brown respectively.
Hollie-Mae Dodd moved into the second row in place of the injured Eva Hunter, with Mary Coleman returning to the side at prop.
Samoa, by contrast, were much more settled as a side, making just one change from the side that beat Wales 76-0 last time out. Jaydika Tafou was brought onto the bench in place of star forward Amber Hall, who picked up a hip injury in that big win.
Having suffered a horror start against Australia last week, England started much stronger against the Pacific Island nation, with positive opening defensive sets restricting Samoa’s field position. But they almost found themselves behind after just four minutes when Cousins couldn’t take a high bomb and Destiny Mino-Sinapati went over in the corner, but was ruled to have knocked on over the line.
Samoa did get the opening try though five minutes later when the forwards set the platform before Ivana Lolesio spotted space out on England’s left and found Crichton Ropati with a cut-out ball for the winger to fly in at the corner.
As the half progressed, Samoa started to increase the pressure on England and were soon in again when strong footwork from Leilani Wilson moved them up-field once again, before a neat flick pass from Tyra Ekepati put Crichton Ropati in for her second.
When Samoa were penalised for holding down, England finally had a genuine attacking opportunity in the opposition half, but when Roche was unable to take Rowe’s pass, the chance was lost.
When Cousins couldn’t get out of her own in-goal area, the resulting drop-out was followed by a repeat set that ended when another offload from Ekepati put Crichton Ropati in for her hat-trick.
Cousins struggled to take another high ball with minutes left of the half, but a Samoa knock-on saved further blushes for her.
After the break, Samoa got off to the perfect start when they went straight on the attack with their first set, before another repeat set cost England once again when Mercedez Taulelei-Siala found space down the left to go in and increase the lead.
But England recovered well and a break from Dodd took the deep into Samoa territory and when Cousins wasn’t held in an attempted tackle, she recovered from her previous errors, which had left her clearly emotional at the break, to regather her feet, play on and stretch over the line to get England on the scoresheet and give them some hope of getting back into the game.
But when Lucie Sams was penalised for a ball steal, Pauline Piliae-Rasabale, who had failed with all four conversion attempts from out wide, put Samoa into a twelve-point lead from in front of the sticks with the kick.
When Samoa were caught offside from Rowe’s high bomb, England had the perfect opportunity to reduce the deficit when Anna Davies was in space on the right, but Fran Goldthorp’s final pass was deemed forward, and then when Roche’s penalty didn’t find touch just moments later, it was becoming clear England’s World Cup journey was over.
And that was confirmed with five minutes remaining when Samoa took full advantage of their penalty to work the ball up field for Evania Isa’ako to find Fanua Rimoni, who went in untouched for their fifth and final try of the game.
The defeat means it is the first ever time England have failed to make the semi-finals and brings the curtain down on retiring Jodie Cunningham’s career after a record-breaking 38 international caps.
GAMESTAR: Freedom Crichton Ropati stole the headlines with a well-taken hat-trick.
GAMEBREAKER: Pauline Piliae-Rasabale penalty kick on 50 minutes meant England had to score three times in the final 20 minutes to make the semi-final – and that proved too much of a challenge for them.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Tyra Ekepati’s neat flick pass for Crichton-Ropati’s second was a sight to behold.
MATCHFACTS
ENGLAND
1 Fran Goldthorp
2 Anna Davies
3 Georgia Wilson
4 Connie Boyd
20 Evie Cousins
6 Isabel Rowe
7 Georgia Roche
8 Mary Coleman
9 Keara Bennett
10 Liv Wood
11 Lucy Murray
12 Hollie-Mae Dodd
13 Megan Williams
Subs (all used)
14 Jodie Cunningham
15 Vicky Whitfield
16 Hope Millard
17 Lucie Sams
Tries: Cousins (42)
Goals: Rowe 1/1
SAMOA
1 Destiny Mino-Sinapati
2 Mercedez Taulelei-Siala
3 Monica Tagoai
4 Tyra Ekepati
5 Freedom Crichton Ropati
6 Evania Isa’ako
7 Pauline Piliae-Rasabale
8 Annetta-Claudia Nu’uausala
9 Mary-Jane Taito
10 Laikha Clarke
11 Leilani Wilson
12 Ivana Lolesio
13 Tavarna Papalii
Subs (all used)
14 Jetaya Faifua
15 Fanua Rimoni
16 Jaydika Tafou
17 Christabelle Onesemo-Tuilaepa
Tries: Crichton Ropati (9, 18, 30), Taulelei-Siala (39), Rimoni (66)
Goals: Piliae-Rasabale 2/6
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-8, 0-12; 0-16, 6-16, 6-18, 6-24
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
England: Fran Goldthorp; Samoa: Freedom Crichton Ropati
Penalty count: 4-5
Half-time: 0-12
Referee: Chris Kendall
