Samoa proved too strong for Tonga in their final round Pacific Nations Cup encounter in Apia on Saturday as they clinched a deserved 34-9 bonus-point victory.
As the scoreline suggests, the home side were full value for their win as they outscored their visitors by four tries to none with hooker Sama Malolo, flanker Miracle Fai’ilagi, inside centre Duncan Paia’aua and replacement scrum-half Melani Matavao crossing the whitewash.
Fine goal-kicking from Alai D’angelo Leuila
Their other points came via the boot of fly-half Alai D’angelo Leuila, who finished with a 14-point haul after he slotted four conversions and a couple of penalties.
For Tonga, fly-half William Havili added a penalty before his replacement, Otumaka Mausia, also succeeded with a couple of three-pointers off the kicking tee.
The visitors were fastest out of the blocks and opened the scoring in the third minute via Havili’s penalty but Samoa were level by the 17th minute when Leuila landed his first shot at goal.
Five minutes later, Samoa took the lead when Malolo crossed for the opening try from close range before Mausia reduced the deficit when he landed his first penalty in the 28th minute.
Mausia and Leuila then traded penalties during the closing stages of the first half which meant Samoa held a slender 13-9 lead when the teams changed sides at the break.
Strong finish from Samoa
Samoa stepped up a couple of gears on attack after half-time and they were rewarded in the 46th minute when Fai’ilagi scored his try off the back of a rolling maul deep inside Tonga territory.
The next 10 minutes was an arm wrestle as the sides battled to gain the ascendancy but it was the home side who scored next as Paia’aua crossed for a well-taken try and with Leuila adding the extras they were in control of proceedings.
And in the 64th minute Matavao pounced on a lineout from Tonga which went awry deep inside their half and sealed the home side’s win and their bonus point when he crossed for their fourth five-pointer.
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