AS the games progressed swiftly during the start of the 2019 Oceania Sevens Rugby Championships yesterday morning at the ANZ stadium in Suva, Samoa beat Papua New Guinea 33-7.
Samoan head coach Sir Gordon Tietjens calls the encounter “a practice match to get the rust off my team.”
Though the clearly weaker PNG kept up with the fierce Samoan attacks during the first half, throughout the second half Samoa’s class came through.
“We got a good start.
“They are a good team.
“They test good teams and they were very close to getting the better of us during that first half,” Sir Tietjens said.
“As a test for our match against Fiji in a hopefully later round, the Papua New Guinean’s were great competition, built small but strong, fast on their feet.”
In today’s matches Samoa plays Tuvalu at 2.18pm and the Cook Islands at 6.42pm.
Samoa: 1. Tofatu Solia, 2. Alamanda Motuga, 5. John Vaili, 8. Tomasi Alosio, 9. Laaloi Alosio, 10. Elisapeta Alofipo, 11. Joe Perez, 12. Losi Filipo, 3. Belgium Tuatagaloa, 4. Kirisimasi Savaiinaea, 6. Paul Scanlan, 7. Uania Sione, 13. Tuna Tuitama
