The marketing gurus had pinned this autumn series between England and Samoa as revenge given what happened in an extraordinary Rugby League World Cup semi-final two years ago, when Samoa stunned Shaun Wane’s side in extra time at the Emirates Stadium.
The reality, however, is that this two-match series is not about looking back for England but rather looking forward to the next World Cup in 2026. To that end, this was another successful tick in the box for a side who will be largely unchanged when the tournament kicks off in Australia in two years’ time.
The hosts were ultimately too good for the touring Samoans, who trailed 16-6 at half-time and could have no complaints about the fact they need to win in Leeds next weekend to square the series. They, too, will have hopes of success in the 2026 World Cup after reaching the final in England two years ago, given how they are littered with National Rugby League superstars.
Here, though, there were still simmering tensions from two years ago. That was evident before a ball had been kicked, with Samoa’s spine-tingling Siva Tau war dance leading to the Hull KR half-back Mikey Lewis and the Manly Sea Eagles’ Gordon Chan Kum Tong quite literally going head-to-head.
When the action began, it was England who were the superior of the two teams. Led by another imperious display from their captain, George Williams, there was a lot to like about what Wane’s side delivered: even if his post-match assessment was not exactly glowing.
“We need to be better if I’m honest,” the head coach said. “That performance wouldn’t trouble Australia. We know what we need to fix as a group, staff and players. But it would mean everything to me to make it 2-0 next week.”
English rugby league has been perpetually stuck in a cycle of heartbreaking World Cup defeats followed by four years of optimism-building displays going into the next World Cup. Wane will hope this talented young group has the capabilities to break that cycle in 2026 in Australia after falling short on home soil in 2022.
Williams was at the heart of everything England did well. He set up two of the three first-half tries, as well as scoring the other. “He’s brilliant,” Wane said of the captain. “He can do better though, he’s heard that about 500 times from me in his career but it’s because I know what he’s capable of.”
It was Williams’s decisive pass that led to Herbie Farnworth – another outstanding performer – opening the scoring early on, before a stunning long pass from Williams created the space for Matty Ashton to finish and make it 10-0 to the hosts. Williams then burst through a tackle to score a third try and put England in complete control after the opening quarter.
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Samoa reduced the deficit when Deine Mariner intercepted a Daryl Clark pass to make it 16-6 at the break, and while the tourists improved in the second half so, too, did England. They scored the try of the Test to extend their lead shortly after the restart when Williams and Farnworth combined to set up another of England’s exceptional performers, Victor Radley.
Samoa, however, looked at their most threatening when the game was at its most chaotic and Mariner claimed his second after Jarome Luai caused mayhem in the England defence. That made it 22-12 but Ashton’s second re-established the hosts’ comfortable advantage before Super League’s Man of Steel, Mikey Lewis, finished another wonderful long-range England move.
The final word went to Samoa as Chan Kum Tong claimed another interception for the tourists. But this was categorically England’s day and, in terms of the road to the next World Cup in 2026, another big tick in the box for Wane and his side.