Rugby World Cup 2023 | Match Centre | Samoa 43:10 Chile

In their Rugby World Cup Pool D opener in Bordeaux, Samoa secured a bonus-point victory over Chile. Chile initially took the lead with a try by Matias Dittus, but Samoa regrouped towards the end of the first half.

Christian Leali’ifano, former Australia fly-half, made a significant impact with 14 first-half points from his kicks, and Duncan Paia’aua added a late try. In the second half, Samoa dominated, scoring four tries, courtesy of Jonathan Taumateine, Fritz Lee, and two from Sama Malolo.

Samoa, boasting one of their strongest squads to date, sought their first quarter-final since 1995. They showcased their quality in a close 17-13 warm-up loss to top-ranked Ireland in August.

Samoa bolstered their ranks before the tournament by recruiting former All Blacks Lima Sopoaga, Steven Luatua, and Charlie Faumuina due to a change in World Rugby eligibility rules. However, it was Leali’ifano’s precise kicking that played a pivotal role in maintaining Samoa’s scoreboard advantage.

Chile, making their World Cup debut, demonstrated flashes of their attacking style but struggled to maintain consistency. Samoa faces tougher challenges ahead, likely needing wins against Argentina, Japan, or England to secure a knockout stage spot. Their next match is against Argentina, while Chile faces England in their upcoming fixture.

Match Summary

Pool D | Samoa 43:10 Chile

Samoa Scores:

TRIES Duncan Paia’aua (41′), Jonathan Taumateine (42′), Fritz Lee (47′), Sama Malolo (52′, 81′)
CONV Christian Leali’ifano (42′, 53′), Lima Sopoaga (81′)
PENS Christian Leali’ifano (4′, 10′, 14′, 36′)

Chile Scores:

Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux

Referee:

Paul Williams

Man of the match:

Theo McFarland (Samoa)

Highlights

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