Tonga stuns Samoa 20-18 in thriller as controversial toe costs final minutes
Tonga beat Samoa 20-18 when Sua Fa'alogo stepped on the line with just two minutes left.
The two Pacific rivals played one of the tournament's best matches in front of 29,411 sold-out fans. Samoa scored four tries to Tonga's three but missed three crucial conversions.
With just two minutes left and momentum with Samoa, Sua Fa'alogo appeared to score in the corner. The bunker ruled he had stepped on the sideline.
Tonga's Addin Fonua-Blake then crashed over to seal the upset. Samoa's playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita was injured mid-game.
He may have played his last World Cup match. Tonga will now face New Zealand for a spot in the final.
Samoa must beat Australia in the semi-finals.
- Tonga 20, Samoa 18
- Final score
- 29,411 sold-out at CommBank Stadium
- Crowd
- Samoa 4, Tonga 3
- Tries
- 3
- Samoa missed conversions
Why it mattersThe controversial finish sent one team to the final and knocked the other into a harder semi-final path, proving a single pixel-perfect decision can reshape a tournament.
AustraliaSamoa must now face Australia in the semi-finals instead of contesting the final, changing the path for both Pacific neighbours in Australian rugby league.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
