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Samoa continued their dominance in the Pacific Nations Cup with a 43-17 win over Tonga at Apia Park. The win extended Tonga’s losing streak in Samoa to 20 games, with their last win dating back to 1980.
Samoa took control of the game early on, leading 29-0 by the 46th minute. The first 12 minutes were uneventful, with both teams attacking and defending, but the game began to heat up when Tonga kicked off at full speed near the 22-yard line. Samoa took advantage of their chances with a powerful direct attack, with Stacey Ely scoring for the third time in nine tests.
Samoa scored again three minutes later when centre-back Melani Matavou exploited a gap in the Tongan defence to create a first-time try for winger Tuuna Tuitama, who recently made his debut against Fiji and added a point after half-time to further solidify Samoa’s dominance.
Tonga put up a short fight, scoring 17 points in a 15-minute burst of attack in the second half. No. 8 Lotu Inisi led the Tonga team to fight back, but the good times did not last long, and mistakes followed.
Samoa sealed the win with a late try from Izala Muir-Iounoo, who was outstanding throughout the match. Hooker Sama Malolo won the Man of the Match award for his combative performance, making 13 tackles and 10 carries. Locke Samuel Slade also had a strong performance, with a fortunate 50-metre change of direction to secure Samoa’s sixth consecutive win over Tonga.
Tonga will face defending champions Fiji at Te Ufawa Stadium next Friday, while Samoa enjoy a bye, having won their third Test match of the year.
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