This was supposed to be Samoa’s chance to challenge the wilting Kangaroos, whose patchy recent performance made them appear vulnerable – to make up for the loss in the last World Cup final, when Australia kept Toa Samoa scoreless for much of that defeat at Old Trafford.
So when the famed Siva Tau, Samoa’s pre-match ritual, brought the Samoans and the Australians close enough to kiss, the anticipation for this semi-final could not have been higher; the match seemed almost certain to explode.
Instead, it delivered a Samoan implosion, with ill-discipline and errors – amplified by the bunker’s lack of sympathy – making it all too easy for Australia. They romped home in a one-sided contest illuminated by the hat-trick from the never-dull Reece Walsh.
The resurgent Kangaroos answered most of the questions that had hung over them from three unconvincing performances, with their forward pack matching the ferocity of Samoa and composure delivering a completion rate of nearly 90%, while holding their opponents to just one line break.
Walsh dropped a Ronald Volkman bomb early in the second half to give Stephen Crichton a four-pointer and Samoa a sniff at a comeback. But it quickly blew away on the blustery evening after Walsh spun through the Samoan line from a Harry Grant pass. He completed his hat-trick with a splendid, flowing try set up by Cam Munster and finished with a comical half-swan dive, half an hour after his coach Kevin Walters declared on the broadcast his No 1 was to avoid any further needless acrobatics following an earlier back flip.
Samoa were unfortunate in the decisions of the bunker, including a disallowed effort from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the second half that all but ended the hopes of a comeback. But those calls would not have altered the result, and this was a professional display by Australia amid often spicy sentiments. Ultimately the Kangaroos were the ones to keep cool, and appear to be peaking at just the right time at this World Cup.
The falls on the Snowy Mountains earlier in the day might have been fortuitous given the heat in Samoa’s pre-match Siva Tau. The passionate pre-match ritual led by Junior Paulo ended with the two sets of players face to face. Samoan winger Brian To’o brow met the forehead of Australian prop Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who played once for Samoa as a teenager.
It was a breathtaking spectacle, but one that also pushed the limits of these pre-match ceremonies. The murderous look in Crichton’s eyes, Jazz Tevaga’s taunting of Jack Bostock, an array of aggressive gestures, and the proximity of the players were fuel that seemed thirsty for a spark. To the players’ credit, however, it ended with nods of mutual respect, the perfect precursor to one of the tournament’s most anticipated clashes.
The commitment of the Samoans was obvious when, on the first carry, Fa’asuamaleaui was met with six tacklers. The Australian prop was not far from the action when his high shot on Samoan backrower Jermaine McEwen forced a penalty, leaving his side defending their line two minutes into the match. Field possession became two points when Australia were too keen to rush off their line. Yet when Crichton was ruled harshly by the video referee to have lost the ball soon after, the match’s momentum swung.
From the scrum, Kangaroos halfback Tom Dearden took off at first receiver, finding a hole between Tevaga and Francis Manuleleua wrenched open by a dummy. Dearden was, to some, an unfashionable choice at No 7 given the NRL success this year of Sam Walker, but that try appeared vindication for Walters’ selection.
So too did the second, after 14 minutes. Keaon Koloamatangi – a late swap into the starting lineup – surged through the middle, drawing five before an offload. The broken Samoan line had no hope when Jacob Preston, another man promoted by Walters, ran at it.
Australia’s much-maligned forward pack had held firm in the first 20 minutes, and soon they had their most significant moment. Replacement Pat Carrigan deflated the insertion of fiery substitute Spencer Leniu when the ball slipped out from Samoan forward’s first carry. Seconds later, Tom Trbojevic was over and the Kangaroos were cruising.
Manuleleua almost helped Samoa back into the match when he challenged Walsh for a Jarome Luai kick. The ball spun out and found its way to Crichton, who crossed under the posts. But the video referee cruelly ruled it a knock-on in the aerial contest, relying on blurry frames to blunt Samoan’s comeback. Within two minutes, Walsh was over at the other end. His barrel-roll acrobatics in celebration, followed by him taking a security guard’s plastic chair to put back on his boot, was classic box office Walsh.
Just before half-time, strong running from Cameron Murray opened space for Bradman Best to score in the left corner. The frustration was too much for Leniu, whose outburst at referee Adam Gee was punished with a sin-bin. The margin at the break, four converted tries, was a let-down to the passionate, largely Samoan crowd of 41,529 who had braved the miserable conditions. They improved after the break, but were never in the contest, and their frustrations boiled over in moments of spite.
Next week’s finals day is a trans-Tasman double-header at Lang Park after the Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns secured places in the women’s decider. The men’s final is the rematch of the tournament’s entertaining opener, when the Kangaroos were lucky to escape with a win. This performance against Samoa shows, however, the favourites are stirring.
