Samoa beat Australia for the first time in rugby history when they pulled off a shock 23-32 victory in Sydney on Sunday.
The Samoan victory will be a huge confidence boost for Samoa ahead of the Rugby world cup as they are pooled with South Africa and Wales.
Samoa took the lead after three minutes with a penalty and led throughout the match.
The Samoans also scored the first try of the match after Alesana Tuilagi raced down the wing and beat Pat McCabe for the first five pointer of the match.
World rugby’s second-ranked team the Wallabies were outplayed by the big-hearted Samoans just a week away from the Wallabies’ Tri-Nations opener with South Africa and only months before the World Cup in New Zealand.
The Samoans swarmed all over the rattled hosts and outscored the two-time World Cup champions four tries to two for their first win over Australia in five meetings.
“I’m lost for words,” an emotional Samoa skipper Mahonri Schwalger said moments after the final whistle. “We kept at them for the whole 80 minutes and never gave them a chance.
“It’s something special for us and to help create a future for Samoan rugby.”
It was a subdued Australia coach Robbie Deans who surveyed the wreckage after the Wallabies’ first international of the season.
“We got beaten in the physical exchanges, they defended strongly and they attacked the breakdown effectively and turned ball over,” Deans said.
“They are obviously a good combination, we knew that, it was a globally selected side and it’s a World Cup combination.
“We’re just starting and we knew that and it’s given us an awakening in terms of what is going to be required to be competitive within six days (against the Springboks).”
Samoa’s New Zealand assistant coach Brian McLean said it was the perfect riposte after the Pacific Island underdogs were thrashed 74-7 in their last encounter with the Wallabies in Sydney six years ago.
“Today for us was about respect, we wanted to get some respect and hopefully we’ve done that,” McLean said.
Samoa ambushed the Australians with a 17-0 lead inside the opening half-hour and although the Wallabies pulled back to trail 17-13 minutes after half-time, that was as close as they got.
Samoa got off to a flyer when Leicester Tigers winger Alesana Tuilaga raced 70 metres to score off a turnover and crowning it with an extravagant swan dive.
Tusi Pisi added the conversion to his earlier penalty goal to give the visitors a 10-0 lead.
The Wallabies passed up a possible 12 points by electing to run the ball from four early penalties before Giteau missed with a 45m penalty attempt.
The Samoans continued to pressure the home side and were rewarded when debutant scrumhalf Nick Phipps had his clearing kick charged down for fullback Paul Williams to score in the 29th minute and a stunning 17-0 lead.
South African referee Marius Jonker lost patience with Samoa and lock Daniel Leo was yellow carded for hands in the ruck.
The Wallabies used their superior numbers in the scrum to position winger Digby Ioane to score a converted try two minutes before halftime.
Giteau further reduced the deficit to seven points with a penalty on the half-time siren to trail 17-10.
The Australians edged closer after the resumption with Giteau’s second penalty, but Samoa again rocked the home side with their third try minutes later.
Samoa kept the ball alive and number eight George Stowers sent lock Kane Thompson charging over wide out for a 22-13 lead.
The increasingly anxious Wallabies fell further behind when Phipps and Adam Ashley-Cooper fumbled Tuilagi’s kick for centre George Pisi to ground the ball over the try-line under a mass of bodies.
Brother Tusi converted to extend the lead to 29-13 as Deans sent on star backs Will Genia and Kurtley Beale as reinforcements with the game heading into the last quarter.
Tusi Pisi kept Samoa in control with a 66th-minute penalty before Giteau gave the Australians some hope with a try after a kick and regather from replacement forward Scott Higginbotham.
But the hard-working Samoans held on and rejoiced excitedly as the siren sounded to register their biggest rugby achievement.
Final Score Australia 23 Samoa 32
Scorers
Australia
Tries: Ioane, Giteau
Con: Giteau 2
Pen: Giteau 3
Samoa
Tries: Tuilagi, Williams, Thompson, G Pisi
Con: T Pisi 3
Pen: T Pisi 2
Teams
Wallabies: 15 Mark Gerrard, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Adam Ashley Cooper, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 Matt Hodgson, 6 Rocky Elsom (captain), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 TBA, 18 Dan Vickerman, 19 Scott Higginbotham, 20 Beau Robinson, 21 Will Genia, 22 Kurtley Beale.
Samoa: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 13 George Pisi, 12 Seilala Mapusua, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Kahn Fotuali’i, 8 George Stowers, 7 Maurie Fa’asavalu, 6 Taisina Tuifu’a, 5 Daniel Leo, 4 Kane Thompson, 3 Anthony Perenise, 2 Mahonri Schwalger (captain), 1 Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements: 16 Tii Paulo, 17 Census Johnston, 18 Filipo Lavea Levi, 19 Manaia Salavea, 20 Brenton Helleur, 21 Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu, 22 James So’oialo.
Saw the highlites only… but this means 2 things to me…
1. A Wobblies B-Side is seriously under strenght
2. Samoa is in the SAME Group as the Bokke in RWC, we should not underestimate them. We now have both Wales and Samoa to be extremely careful of and our group has suddenly became much harder than we initially thought.
Hello i am back, it seems i picked a good weekend away from home and TV. Kruger National park was busy but great.
Our friend Greg Growden had his bit to say about the Aussie disaster against Samoa, read the next post, for his oppinion.
No, this wasn’t the Wallabies’ worst performance or their biggest upset in a chequered history. The indignity of losing to Tonga in Brisbane in 1973 and Scotland two years ago at Murrayfield remain bigger humiliations because the Wallabies were at full strength on those occasions. They weren’t yesterday because the Test selectors made the error of experimenting with too many newcomers, so they can use the excuse that this was a ”holding pattern” XV.
Nonetheless, yesterday’s shambolic loss is right up there in the Australian rugby embarrassment stakes, and numerous identities – on and off the field – deserve a good kick up the backside for allowing this to happen because it was clear too many took this game for granted.
What was also obvious were the enormous traps that a team can stumble into when the best starting XV is not selected. What occurred at ANZ Stadium showed that Australian rugby’s depth is not as impressive as many had assumed. Several youngsters and some brought back from left field were shown to be off the pace. Some Test careers came to a skidding halt.
Just a week ago, Australian rugby was on an enormous high following the Queensland Reds winning the Super Rugby final. Now those supposed stars have discovered they are the headline actors in the latest Hollywood sequel – The Hangover Part III – after allowing Samoa to enjoy a victory that they will rank as important as their defeat of Wales in Cardiff during the 1991 World Cup. And good on Samoa, they completely deserved this triumph – annihilating the Wallabies in virtually every facet of the game, particularly in the physical battle where they repeatedly smashed their better-known rivals.
At the breakdown, the Samoans – boasting players with European club experience – monstered the Wallabies. At the tackle, the Wallabies wondered what had hit them. As the Wallabies’ replacement flanker Beau Robinson, one of the few new names to actually stand up to the pressure, so aptly said: ”We were outplayed, out-enthused.”
The Wallabies made it bleeding obvious in the opening minutes that they didn’t think much of their Pacific Island opponents. In the first 20 minutes, they had three easy penalty goals on offer, but ignored them, either going for the sideline or a quick tap. It was clear the Wallabies thought that if they just kept the ball in hand, the minnows would soon crumble. They didn’t and the opportunities for nine points were wasted.
By the 25th minute, it was getting desperate. The Wallabies had not looked like scoring, and then received another penalty just inside the Samoan half. They went for the penalty goal, even though it was by far the hardest of the four kicks on offer. And Matt Giteau missed.
For the next 55 minutes it became even more ridiculous, with serious doubts over who was actually leading this Australian rabble. Passes were dropped, the back line crabbed across field and in the end the Wallabies became completely desperate. They looked like complete losers.
Not that long ago we were laughing at Springboks coach Peter de Villiers and South Africa’s feeble excuses for resting a multitude of players for the Tri Nations. But after Samoa showed that a bit of tough love can turn the Wallabies into pussycats, you can only surmise what a full-strength Springboks side would do to such a battered and disoriented team this Saturday night. At least against the Springboks’ B-team, the Wallabies are a bit of a chance.
I would just like to add something… thank you.
In 2011 the record now stand:
Italy beat France
Japan beat Fiji
Samoa beat Australia
Also remember that the REDS (yes, the REDS) won the Super 15.
This may truly just be the year of upsets and surprises. I said this a week ago on another thread, and this weekends result just goes to show there IS something in the air. Or the water. Im not superstitious, however this is getting stranger and stranger.
Watch out for the WC this year.
ON a more serious note. I wonder if we all realise what this could mean for world rugby. Yes, the Aussies send their ‘B’-team. But do you think when (and if) they beat the Boks in 6 days time they will downplay the victory because it was against a second string team???
However, like I said. There is simplyy a glaring gap batween the top 6/7 countries in the world and the rest. And while reading this I have three simple salutions.
*European clubs must be given insentives or have a required qouta of players from second-tier countries (Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Argentinia, Italy or Japan).
* More competitions like the Paific Cup must be sanctioned. And I am NOT talking about the “Kuk of Nations”.
* First tier countries must play at least 2 games a year against 2 tier coutries to give them some decent exposure. At the same time they should reduce the lenght of comps like the 3N and Eu tours.
But of course that will never happen.
Congratulations to a motivated, well-coached and impressive Manu Samoa. On the day, they were head and shoulders a better side than the Wallabies. The win was well-deserved and I give them much respect.
On the other hand, what a farcical exhibition from the Wallabies. Surely this is a lesson for all countries. If you put your national jumper on any 15 individuals and send them out as representative of your country, then all and sundry are entitled to consider those 15 as the best you have to offer. Forget about the excuse: that was our second side or we are protecting our best for future matches. Every test match is just that – a test match. Accordingly, Australia was beaten on the day by the very best team Samoa could muster, and the country deserved the win.
A salient lesson for Robbies Deans and all other national coaches: pick only the best each and every time; afford them every proper pre-match opportunity to train together as a team; respect your opposition and your fan-base.
The record books will now show that on 17 July, 2011, Manu Samoa beat Australia 32-23. Well done to the Pacific Island nation.
Greenpoint-Gunner wrote:
GG, why only European clubs? Why not teams like the SA Super Rugby franchises.
I really like your suggestion as it would indeed go a long way in helping develop Rugby in these countries, but I don’t see why the Europeans should shoulder the full burden.
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Agreed, not sending your best shows that being only a few percentages off your game will be enough for “smaller” teams to dismantle you.
The flipside of this coin is that we may well be on the recieving on of retaliation by the Wallabies.
@ biltongbek:
I also believe that stacking a team with too many aspiring players and not enough battle-hardened test players can result in trauma for those who aren’t yet up to that standard. That can have a negative affect on some (not all) of the future playing careers of the younger players.
Did anyone notice the panicked look on the lightly-built Wallaby winger Rod Davies’ face as he was belted close to the try-line by the Samoan bulldozer? I’ll bet he needed sleeping pills that night just to help him get some shut eye.
As for PDV’s selections for this weekend’s game: Idon’t know whether the Wallabies have a tough, aggressive game in them, so PDV might just be lucky and avoid a disaster similar to that which was experienced yesterday in Sydney. We the Aus fans will not allow Robbie Deans nor his players to easily forget their failures against Samoa, and neither should we. Robbie will be interviewed on Sydney television tonight and it won’t be pretty. He needs to feel a lashing and he’s going to be getting one. As for Rocky Elsom’s performance as captain? Sub-standard – enough said.
9@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Helloooooooooooo
Not a good weekend for you and the Wallabies… but then again not a good weekend for me and the Blue Bulls, who went down 35 / 16 to the Sharks.
I am at the same time afraid for the Wallaby backlash against the Bokke B-side and a bit upbeat that certain Bokke fringe players might put up their hands for future selection….
@ grootblousmile:
Howzit oracle. Bring back the surfer dude!!!
I can’t see the Wallabies causing the B Boks too much grief this weekend. A win might be on the cards for the Wallabies, but it won’t be enough to quell the hysteria over yesterday’s game.
I wish the Boks fringe players good luck – everyone likes to see the underdog win occasionally.
Couple of BIG news items today in SA News…
1 Madiba is 93 today… and 12 million school kids sing for him simultaneously just after 08:00 this morning.
2 Former SA Defence Force Chief and former Minister of Defence, Magnus Malan passed away early this morning… he was one hell of a soldier!
3 Marnus Briedenhahn, Griffons Flanker (23) is highjacked and shot in the neck and left for dead… stumbled to a road where he was spotted and picked up by rescue crew on their way to another incident… he is stable and in high care in hospital.
4 BonzaiGBS was taken to the Airport and is on his way back to George for school… as we speak… damn, we were just in time to check him in early this morning, bloody N12 Highway was bumper to bumper… drove like a man possessed to get there in time. Study wel my son, you have less than 4 months of school left… mock exams start shortly, then a couple of weeks and it’s the finals…
For sure it was a shock…Samoa clubbed us today and it was a bring back down to earth result.
Got to say I loved the result for two reasons….Samoa were good and is great for world rugby and them. secondly…its a snotklap wake up call for the wallabies for many reasons…arrogance, pre world cup, is elsom a good captain…etc etc!
Old Griquas 14 in Sydney wrote:
I agree with you, but there is too much rugby and the most profesional competitions will take over. That is why in some peoples eyes the Super 15 is now the flag bearer of rugby. This whole Tri-nations coming up is a farce, if you lose it is for the good of the WC , if you win you proclaim you are serious about Tests.
Hopefully New Zealand maintains their high regard for Tests. At least they play to win every one. No coach wants to go lower than 75% win ratio.
@ Wallabie.:
Snotklap?
do Wallabies (Australians) no of such things?
@ Scrumdown:
Howsit Scrumdown. Very simple. Euro clubs keep buying guys from SA, NZ and Aus, right? But these players are already developed. In fact, in all but a few cases like Percy Montgomery and Oupe Terblanche, players actually mostly regress in their ability.
Yet for the 2nd tier Nations, Euro club rugby would/could be the perfect step up.
Eu clubs also has the financial backing to do this.
Lastly, and from a SA point of view maybe the most important, ALL clubs and Unions in sport has a limited squad size/budget. So if the Eu clubs are filled up by 2nd tier Nations, maybe there would be less of a need by them to keep poaching our young talent.
Really don’t think Oz has much to worry about. There were quite a few of their top players out for this game.
Read Pocock and Cooper will be back this weekend for the Bok game.
Also reading in the papers there were NO journos to meet us at the airport in Sydney..hehe. Think Oz must be furious with us again for not sending our top team.
Though think this young team could be a suprise to everyone if we play the right gameplan. We could just win it this weekend. If we play the kick and chase we will get a hiding.
Howzit Bos,
See you logged in up there. How you enjoying being back in England?
Hey Puma…all well thanks. Ok being back, but hey, there no place like home. At least I’m having my 3rd summer in a row 🙂 Grats with your Shark boytjies win over rhe BB’s. Heard its was a cracking game. Wish I were there.
Australia dropped down to take 3rd spot on the IRB ranking after their shock defeat by Samoa.
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