Heartbreak for Sāmoa as Tonga and Fiji left to rue missed chances in Rugby Nations Cup

The margins were painfully small for Manu Sāmoa and Tonga as both Pacific nations finished the opening stage of the World Rugby Nations Cup with narrow defeats after letting promising positions slip away.

For Sāmoa, the disappointment was cruel.

Leading Romania 31-14 midway through the second half, the Sāmoans looked on course to finish the tournament with a second victory before the Oaks produced a remarkable fightback to snatch a dramatic 38-37 win with the final play of the match in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Sāmoa had started strongly through the boot of AJ Alatimu before Alamanda Motuga crossed from a driving maul.

Romania stayed within reach, but tries to Abraham Papali'i, replacement Iakopo Petelo-Mapu and captain Miracle Faiilagi appeared to have put the result beyond doubt.

Instead, Romania launched an extraordinary comeback.

A series of late tries brought the Europeans back into the contest before Sāmoa appeared to have sealed victory when Danny Toala calmly kicked a penalty with just a minute remaining.

But one final penalty handed Romania field position deep inside Sāmoa's 22. After wave upon wave of attack, replacement Alexandru Savin forced his way over for the match-winning try.

A disappointed Faiilagi pointed to one key reason for the collapse. "Discipline, which let us down," he said after the match.

Manu Sāmoa captain Miracle Faaiilagi led his side during the Nations Cup thriller against Romania, with the skipper later admitting that discipline had “let us down” after the last-minute defeat. Photo/Photosport/file

Across in Winnipeg, Tonga also came within touching distance of victory before Portugal held on for a 32-28 win in another entertaining contest.

Moana Pasifika playmaker Patrick Pellegrini's accurate boot helped the 'Ikale Tahi into an early lead before tries from Otunuku Jr Pauta, Telusa Veainu and Solomone Kata kept the Pacific side in the contest throughout.

Portugal twice looked to be pulling away, only for Tonga to respond each time.

When Portuguese captain José Madeira spent 10 minutes in the sin bin, Tonga seized the momentum and levelled the scores through Veainu's brilliant individual try.

But Portugal regained the lead with a penalty before Andre Cunha crossed for what proved to be the decisive try.

Tonga could not find a final breakthrough against Protual in Winnipeg, Canada, despite relentless pressure in the closing stages. Photo/World Rugby

Kata's late score ensured a tense finish but Portugal's defence stood firm under relentless Tongan pressure to secure victory.

For both Pacific teams, the final standings tell only part of the story.

Manu Sāmoa showed they can match physical sides but paid heavily for lapses in discipline and game management. Tonga demonstrated attacking spark and resilience without quite finding the finishing touch.

The performances leave both sides with encouraging signs to build on but also clear lessons about closing out tight Test matches.

For more Nations Cup acation, click here.

Fijians let first-half lead slip as Scotland rally in Edinburgh

Meanwhile, the Flying Fijians were also left frustrated after surrendering a 17-7 half-time lead against Scotland in their Nations Championship match in Edinburgh on Sunday (NZT).

Fiji dominated the opening 40 minutes before Scotland's bench inspired a second-half comeback with the hosts scoring 26 unanswered points to claim a 33-17 victory.

For more action in the Nations Championship, click here.