Payne Haas, Simi Sasagi and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck were among Samoa’s best in a gutsy performance that ultimately fell short in the Pacific Championship final on Sunday.
Samoa shot out to a 12-0 lead but was overrun by a rampant New Zealand outfit in the second half, losing 36-14 at CommBank Stadium.
The Mole rates every Samoan player’s performance from the game.
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PLAYER RATINGS: ‘Man of the tour’ outshines ‘quiet’ Cleary
1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Solid under pressure at the back and clocked up 150 run metres but mainly from deep inside his own half as Samoa had little ball in the red zone. Rating: 7.5
2. Brian To’o
Ran for 150 metres and scored his customary try. If only he had more chances… Rating: 7
3. Izack Tago
Never quite able to get into the game with just eight runs for 57 metres and missed a worrying eight tackles. Rating: 4
4. Deine Mariner
Unlucky to be denied a try by the Bunker in a big moment. Finished an unlucky day with a HIA. Rating: 6
5. Murray Taulagi
Luckless winger lasted just over 20 minutes before being forced off with injury. Rating: 2
6. Blaize Talagi
Didn’t create much with the ball but proved a handy stand-in goal-kicker, landing some pressure goals. Rating: 5.5
7. Jarome Luai
Tried his best to lift a possession-starved Samoan team in a lively performance. Rating: 7
8. Francis Molo
Worked hard to stem the black and white tide but took a heavy knock late and finished with a HIA. Rating: 6
9. Jazz Tevaga
Shifted to the bench, he had trouble finding his way into the game, making just five runs for 34 metres. Rating: 4
10. Payne Haas
A machine yet again, topping the tackle count for both teams and running for more than 100 metres. Rating: 8
Payne Haas on the charge. Getty
11. Jaydn Su’A
Returning from concussion, had a strong game but found himself on report for a hip-drop tackle. Rating: 6
12. Simi Sasagi
Moved to the centres after Taulagi’s injury. Shone with an intercept try, a great try-saving tackle and some smart offloads. Rating: 8
13. Junior Paulo
Made 125 hard yards up the middle and managed to get away some handy offloads. Rating: 7
14. Chanel Harris-Tavita
Very disappointing in his 46 minutes with just two runs for six metres. Rating: 3.5
15. Benaiah Ioelu
A late elevation into the starting side, the young Rooster put on some good plays at hooker. Rating: 6
16. Terrell May
Did little in his 23 minutes off the bench. Should probably have had more game time. Rating: 4
17. Josh Papali’i
The Samoans had virtually no ball in his time on the field, making it hard for him to make an impact. Rating: 3.5