Samoa crushes France 78-4 in World Cup opener
Samoa dominated France 78-4 with 14 tries in their World Cup opener at Sydney.
Samoa beat France 78-4 at CommBank Stadium on Friday with a devastating display of attacking rugby league. Sua Fa'alogo scored four tries and Stephen Crichton kicked 11 goals as the Samoans raced to a 28-0 lead in just 20 minutes.
Winger Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet briefly stemmed the bleeding before Fa'alogo scored again just before halftime to make it 34-4. The win significantly boosts Samoa's points differential and their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
Samoa face Papua New Guinea next week before playing Tonga in their final group match.
- 78-4
- Final score
- 28-0
- Lead after 20 minutes
- 4
- Tries scored by Fa'alogo
- 11
- Goals kicked by Crichton
Why it mattersIn the new tournament format, only two teams from the combined group advance to the semi-finals, so this dominant win gives Samoa a real shot at knockout football.
AustraliaThe match at Sydney's CommBank Stadium delivered a dominant opening performance watched by Australian rugby league fans, showcasing Pacific rugby league strength.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
