All Blacks survive Samoan battle

Manu Samoa couldn’t quite pick up the win, but they gave the All Blacks all they could handle in front of a thoroughly entertained sellout crowd in Apia. The first forty minutes didn’t produce much in the way of running rugby, but there were plenty of bone-jarring tackles and no shortage of passion from both sides.

All the points in the first half came via the boot, with Dan Carter knocking over four penalty goals and Tusi Pisi slotting one for Samoa. Both sides were a little too anxious to close down the space in defense, and referee Jaco Peyper awarded a number of penalties as a result.

After a ten minute respite from the heat, the two combatants emerged with renewed vigor and the game opened up. Carter found George Moala wide open on the wing with a picture perfect cross kick and the strapping winger powered over to score a try on debut. The conversion made the score 19-3, but Samoa were anything but dead and buried.

The Manu started to control possession and with the All Blacks on the back foot the offside penalties returned. Pisi put two kicks over in a span of five minutes and rang another long-range effort off the crossbar. Carter returned fire with one of his own to bring it back to 22-9, and there was just a hint that New Zealand might creep away.

As the noise in the stadium rose, so did the ferocity of the Samoans at the breakdown, and a turnover from Kahn Fotuali’i gave Alafoti Fa’osiliva a chance to rumble. The big fella offloaded to Fotuali’i, who in turn gave it back, and Apia went mad as Fa’osiliva blasted over the line. Pisi’s conversion would be his final act of the game, but it put the Manu within a single score, and the All Blacks back on high alert.

A tense ten minute stalemate ended with another Carter penalty, which put the game out of reach but credit to the players, they played on through the final whistle, much to the delight of viewers worldwide. The final whistle sounded and the players embraced, bringing a close to a terrific event and a wonderful occasion for rugby, and especially the people of Samoa.

SAMOA 16
Tries – A. Fa’osiliva (65)
Cons – T. Pisi (66)
Pens – T. Pisi 3 (23, 50, 55)

NEW ZEALAND 25
Tries – G. Moala (47)
Cons – D. Carter (48)
Pens – D. Carter 6 (6, 17, 27, 34, 59, 75)

SAMOA
1 S. Taulafo (V. Afatia 73) 2 O. Avei (M. Leiataua 56) 3 C. Johnston (A. Perenise 56) 4 F. Paulo (J. Tekori 64) 5 K. Thompson 6 A. Fa’osiliva 7 J. Lam 8 O. Treviranus (capt.) (M. Fa’asavalu HT) 9 K. Fotuali’i 10 T. Pisi (P. Cowley 66) 11 A. Tuilagi 12 J. Leota (F. Afamasaga 73) 13 P. Perez 14 A. Alofa (K. Pisi 63) 15 T. Nanai-Williams

NEW ZEALAND
1 T. Woodcock (W. Crockett 49) 2 K. Mealamu (H. Elliot 64) 3 O. Franks (N. Laulala 57) 4 L. Romano (B. Retallick 21-34) 5 S. Whitelock (B. Retallick 60) 6 J. Kaino (M. Todd 60) 7 R. McCaw (capt.) 8 K. Read 9 A. Ellis (B. Weber 64) 10 D. Carter 11 C. Piutau 12 S.B. Williams 13 R. Crotty 14 G. Moala (C. Ngatai 71) 15 I. Dagg (C. Slade 53)