By Kath 26/10/03
October 27 2003

Once again England started this match looking out of sorts and not at ease on the park! Samoa were fantastic, they tackled ferociously with hearts like lions and defended superbly!

England 35 v Samoa 22

Once again England started this match looking out of sorts and not at ease on the park!

Samoa were fantastic, they tackled ferociously with hearts like lions and defended superbly!  Although England won the match Samoa were the best team on the day, they outplayed England over and over again!  They hassled England to the last, their players falling down with cramp but still playing on to the end.  Samoa can be proud they also scored the first try against England in the World Cup - something the South Africans could not do!

It is a disgrace the way the Samoan's have been treat by other countries by not releasing their top players to the Samoan National side and lucky for England that they were not there, because at one point the whole England team were looking down the barrel of a gun!

Every team playing England now are out to beat the World's No.1 Team therefore, every game will be like a World Cup Final Match - surely England must know this!  Let us hope they travel well to Brisbane because they certainly have not travelled well from Perth!  

England need to wake up, alarm bells should be sounding quite deafening now - Again basic errors, line outs, not getting to the break down fast enough, out of position, missing tackles (20 in the first half alone), kicking the ball away endless simple errors.  

Martin Johnson is correct when he said after the match "We won't win the World Cup playing like that"! 

Match facts:-  Three mins., in Samoa got a Penalty taken by Earl Va'a, 6mins Samoa Try by their Captain Sititi , converted by Va'a.  11mins Jonny Wilkinson misses penalty for England, 25mins rolling maul try for Neil Back, conversion Jonny.  28mins penalty England taken by Jonny.  Match all square - 30, 32 mins Earl Va'a put over another two penalties then on 35 mins Jonny missed another England penalty right in front of the posts but  managed to get the next on the 39 min mark.

Half Time Score:   England 13 v Samoa 16

Second Half: Again England came out a bit shaky but when down in the Samoan half went for points with a drop goal on 41mins - missed by Jonny.

Clive made changes off went Leonard, Worsley and Regan and on came Thomson, Vickery and Moody.

52mins again England developing a rolling maul on the Samoan 5meter line, moving towards the try line but Samoa collapsing - Penalty Try given, Jonny converting.  Samoa then got back two more penalties taken by Earl Va'a

62mins England again in the Samoan half  went for points with a drop goal (the referee having already awarded a penalty to England) but Jonny got the drop goal!  Abbott went off injured and Mike Catt came on and looked quite sharp!

70mins Jonny put up a lovely kick to the corner for Balshaw to run onto and score his first try of the World Cup. Jonny missed the conversion.  England's 4th bonus point try came from non other than Phil Vickery 75mins and Jonny converted.

Final Score:  England 35 v Samoa 22

Unofficial England's Man of the Match:  Martin Johnson.