Samoa have reached their first-ever Rugby League World Cup final after Stephen Crichton’s drop-goal gave them a 27-26 golden-point extra-time win over England in a magnificent semi-final at Emirates Stadium.
The hosts looked to have lost the game on several different occasions during normal time but somehow battled back from losing positions four times to send the game into extra-time at 26-26.
After the all-time classic that was Australia’s win over New Zealand, the two sides put on an epic of equal drama.
Samoa broke through first, with Tim Lafai taking Jarome Luai’s cut-out pass sending the centre into a space left behind by Kallum Watkins for the opening try. Having not started well and looked off their game, England got a lift when Junior Paulo was sin-binned for dumping Tom Burgess on his head in the tackle.
But they failed to make the most of the extra man, and it was just after Paulo had returned that England finally got on the scoreboard when George Williams broke a two-man tackle and fed Elliott Whitehead for an equalising try. Tommy Makinson’s conversion gave the hosts a 6-4 lead but it wouldn’t last for long.
Within six minutes Ligi Sao had restored Samoa’s advantage, taking a ball from dummy half and going blind side, throwing a dummy and then sliding over the line under two tacklers. Stephen Crichton’s goal ensured his side a 10-6 half-time edge.
While England weren’t particularly much better in general play in the opening moments of the second stanza they did manage to land the first scoring blow. George Williams’ simple kick was dropped under pressure by Tim Lafai and John Bateman had the easiest of tasks to pick up and place the ball over the line, with Makinson’s kick restoring the lead.
Samoa again fought back, though. Jarome Luai and Junior Paulo somehow keeping the ball alive on the last for Luai to send in Crichton to make it 16-10. And they had the first two-score lead of the game when Dom Young’s drop was punished, Samoa making the most of the field position when Luai coaxed Young out of the line and sent in Lafai for his second.
In a mad period of play England had a number of chances to score. Whitehead, Young and Bateman were all foiled in one way or another as Shaun Wane’s side finally built pressure, and it was Herbie Farnworth who eventually pulled them back into the contest when barging his way through five would-be tacklers to crash over.
When Sam Tomkins was hit late by Junior Paulo after a kick moments later, Makinson stepped up to slot the two points which tied the semi-final at 20-20.
But just when England looked to be building all the momentum, Victor Radley’s pass was picked off by Stephen Crichton, who went 60 metres to the line for a converted score which gave Samoa their fourth lead.
Yet England again found a reply, with George Williams stepping through to make a break from deep and throwing the ball out for Herbie Farnworth to coast in. Makinson kicked a massive goal from out wide, and the game went in to golden-point extra time at 26-26.
And when the hosts lost one ball and then throw a forward pass early in the piece in extra-time, Crichton kicked the drop-goal from deep which sends his nation to a first-ever final against Australia next Saturday.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
