Sport

Mighty Samoans give Japan an early lesson

They may have dropped the word Western from their title but the Samoans are still the most dangerous gunslingers around

By PAUL REES
Mon Oct 04 1999 - 01:00

They may have dropped the word Western from their title but the Samoans are still the most dangerous gunslingers around. They shoot from the shoulders rather than the hip, and the ferocious tackling which was their hallmark in 1991 is still a strength.

As Western Samoa the Pacific islanders reached the last eight in 1991 and 1995, and yesterday included five survivors from the side that defeated Wales at the Arms Park eight years ago. One, the out-half Stephen Bachop, was playing against his brother, the scrum-half Graeme.

Stephen enjoyed the more productive afternoon. He may no longer have the pace to make a break but the vision he showed for London Irish last season allowed him to vary his game and confuse the Japanese defence.

Japan's New Zealand influence will take some time to make a significant impact. Two defensive errors by their captain Andrew McCormick presented Samoa with their opening tries and the natural instinct of the number eight Jamie Joseph and the flanker Greg Smith to seek contact meant they were often isolated.

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Samoa's final try summed up Japan. For five minutes the Japanese applied constant pressure on the Samoan line but, at the point the ball should have been moved, Joseph went for glory. He lost possession, the scrum-half Stephen So'oialo kicked deftly into space and the wing Afato So'oalo played football for 50 yards before securing his second try.

The Japan hooker Masahiro Kunda complained that the Samoans' tackling had been high and dangerous - one challenge by the wing Brian Lima left the replacement Pat Tuidraki in such a daze that he had to be substituted - but the two yellow cards received by Samoan players were for stamping and punching.

SCORERS: Samoa: Tries: Lima 2, So'oalo 2, Leaega. Conversions: Leaega 3. Penalties: Leaega 4. Japan: Penalties: Hirose 3.

SAMOA: Leaega; So'oalo, Vaega, Tuigamala (Leaupepe, 65min), Lima; S Bachop (Va'a, 80), So'oialo (Clarke, 80); Reidy (Mika, 76), Leota, Ale, Ta'ala, Tone (Palepoi, 69), Paramore (Sititi, 71), Glendinning, Lam (capt).

JAPAN: Matsuda (Tuidraki, 29; Yoshida, 71); Ohata, McCormick (capt), Motoki, Masuho; Hirose, G Bachop; Hasegawa, Kunda (Sakata, 71), Oguchi, Gordon (Tanuma, 61), Okubo, Watanabe (Ito, 66), Smith, Joseph.

Referee: A Cole (Australia).