Pacific Championships: Sāmoa brave in loss to Kiwis, spark excitement for their campaigns

While it was double delight for the New Zealand Kiwis at Go Media Stadium, Sāmoa walked away from Sunday’s thrilling matches with pride and plenty of positives to take from both the men’s and women’s matches.

Cheered on by a sea of Sāmoan flags and chants that brought a home crowd atmosphere, fuelling the pride of the Pacific community during Sunday night’s contests.

Toa Sāmoa co-captain Jarome Luai praised the support of fans, saying the team will channel that to bounce back after their 24-18 loss.

“It’s powerful, you definitely feel that and the energy in the crowd… at the end of the day, the crowd can’t play the game for us, we’re the ones who are out there to get the job done. Obviously feeling a bit of disappointment, but try to make amends of that next week,” Luai says.

Fetu Sāmoa captain Annetta-Claudia Nu’uausala echoed those sentiments, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support in the stands.

“You would think we’re back in Sāmoa with the amount of support we had… they stuck behind us no matter what the score was whether we were six behind, four behind and I think that’s what got us going,” Nu’uausala told reporters.

Fetu Samoa performing the Siva Tau. Photo/Brett Phibbs/Photosport

Both Sāmoan sides embodied the “game of two halves” mantra. The Fetu won the first half, while the Toa fought valiantly in the second.

Toa Sāmoa showcased a courageous second-half performance amid adversity. An unfortunate clash forced interchange player Ata Mariota off, prompting Payne Haas to return to the field after only a couple of minutes of being subbed.

A mammoth performance from Haas saw him end the game with a 100 per cent tackle rate of 53,177, running metres and four tackle breaks.

After two disallowed tries, Murray Taulagi finally crossed in the 69th minute to bring the game within reach, while 20-year-old Blaize Talagi kept Sāmoa in the fight with flawless goal-kicking.

Luai commended his team-mate Talagi’s performance. “We played our best footy in the second half… a lot of credit to Blaize, he came out of his shell a bit, he was around the ball, running the ball, and he really took the game on, I thought in the second half.”.

Despite missed late chances from Brian To’o and Deine Mariner, the Kiwis held on to win, but it was clear that both Sāmoan teams left the field with renewed determination for their upcoming games.

The Fetu now turn their attention to a tough clash against the Australian Jillaroos at Suncorp Stadium, kicking off at 4pm New Zealand time. Later, Toa Sāmoa will take on archrivals Mate Ma’a Tonga in a highly anticipated showdown at 6pm (NZ time).

The Kiwis will play at Eden Park against Mate Ma’a Tonga on Sunday, 2 November. Kick off is 6.05pm (NZ time). Click here for more information on fixtures and results.