NRL Pacific Championship: Sua Faalogo stars for Samoa, Australia win 38-12
Toa Samoa lost the match but they stole the show against the Kangaroos with two young stars of the future shining on the biggest stage.
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Toa Samoa may have fallen to the Kangaroos 38-12 on Saturday night (see below), but the rugby league future of the nation is in safe hands with the unearthing of future international stars Sua Faalogo and Gordon Chan Kum Tong.
Nine debutants got their first taste of playing for Samoa but it was two of the smallest players on the field sharing just three NRL appearances that stole the show for the visitors.
Faalogo appears to be a genuine superstar in the making with a whole arsenal of attacking traits at his disposal.
The electric fullback said it was a surreal feeling to be playing out his international dreams so early in his career.
“It was very special playing for my country and representing my village, and especially for my parents back home, it was a very special night for me,” Faalogo said.
“It was a crazy feeling, I never thought I’d get the chance to represent my country. As soon as I got the opportunity I was so happy.”
Match Highlights 🎥 - Kangaroos v Toa Samoa #PacificChampionships
— NRL (@NRL) October 14, 2023
The Gallagher Kangaroos produced a withering four-try burst in the opening 15 minutes to set up a 38-12 win over Toa Samoa in Townsville. pic.twitter.com/iQKkfiM11r
Samoa captain Junior Paulo said the youngster had done himself and his country proud.
“He’s a real footballer and we saw that tonight. At the end of his first game in an interview he said he wanted to play for Samoa so you can always be proud of someone who puts their hand up and wants to play,” Paulo said.
“That’s his choice to represent his nation of birth and his heritage and you can’t be more proud of someone who’s got the desire to do that.
“You can certainly tell he’s going to be a great footballer in the years to come and he’s definitely going to be one of the superstars of our game.”
Samoa coach Ben Gardiner said the dynamic duo standouts among his nine new players.
“Sua (Faalogo) at fullback was one of the real highlights of the game,” Gardiner said.
“Young Gordon (Chan Kum Tong) at hooker as well. Those guys stood up for us, which was awesome.
“That’s really good for Samoa moving forward. It’s putting us in a position that in the future we’re going to have an up and coming team that builds that NRL and Test match experience.”
Chan Kum Tong played 64 minutes in the middle and made a team-high 28 tackles in a debut he won’t ever forget.
“That was unreal, it was special for my family, they’ve done a lot for me and my career in the background and this is just repayment for them,” the young Manly hooker said.
“Just to pull on the Toa Samoa jersey means the world to me. I’ve always wanted to play for them and it’s just a dream come true.
“Growing up I was always watching the Kangaroos on the television and playing against them is unreal.”
HAAS AND TINO DOMINATE FOR KANGAROOS
The Kangaroos returned to home soil in style with a resounding 38-12 thumping of Toa Samoa in Townsville in their first Test in Australia in four years.
Samoa were behind 22-0 before they knew what hit them after Payne Haas opened the party by storming over the line inside the first five minutes.
The three Kangaroos with Samoan heritage – Haas, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow – scored four of Australia’s tries while 2022 Kangaroo Murray Taulagi scored Samoa’s first four-pointer and assisted his Cowboys teammate Luciano Leilua for their other.
The visitors where far better after their opening 20-minute nightmare but the damage was done and Australia’s lead proved insurmountable.
FAALOGO IS THE FUTURE
Sua Faalogo now has one Test cap to go with his one NRL appearance and it’s only a matter of time until he is one of the game’s superstars.
The elusive fullback steps like a young Shaun Johnson and his pace off the mark is unmatchable.
Faalogo sent the Samoan contingent into a frenzy with an incredible chip-and-chase try in the second half, but jubilation turned into jeers when bunker official Ashley Klein found a Keenan Palasia knock on in the lead-up to the break.
The young Samoan star led his team in carries (17 – also a game-high), metres (164), tackle breaks (11) and linebreak assists (1).
FRONT ROW FEAST
Kangaroos forward Reuben Cotter indicated that Australia would try to beat Samoa through the middle and that’s exactly what happened.
Both Australian starting props scored early and made easy metres through the middle during a dominant performance.
In a combined 90 minutes on the field the devastating duo broke 10 tackles and ran for over 300m – 145 of which came post contact.
CHERRY-EVANS STILL THE MAN
Any questions around whether Daly Cherry-Evans has still got it what it takes to excel on the international stage were put to bed with another memorable showing.
The Manly and Maroons captain became the oldest Kangaroos No.7 (34 years and 236 days) but showed no signs of his age, pairing Cameron Munster in a devastating halves combination that had a hand in everything.
Cherry-Evans and Munster both had two linebreak assists and a try assist to their name while hooker Ben Hunt had two of each as Australia’s spine ran rampant.
Australia: 38 (T: Haas, Tedesco, Fa’asuamaleaui, Murray, Tabuai-Fidow (2), Staggs C: Staggs 5/7)
Samoa: 12 (T: Taulagi, Leilua C: Crichton 2/2)
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Originally published as NRL Pacific Championship: Sua Faalogo stars for Samoa, Australia win 38-12
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