Samoa struggle past Spain in wet conditions

Spain started off their Pacific Tour with a hard-fought match against Samoa - the home side scraping by with a 34-30 win. Under wet conditions, the Samoan side – having defeated Italy last weekend - scored their first try via debutant wing Owen Niue Fetu just 5 minutes into the match.

Spain replied with a successful penalty kick converted from Gonzalo Vinuesa boot, with the Cisneros player adding a further ten points in the first half.

The Pacific hosts scored two more tries, first by RC Toulon star Duncan Paia’aua, the second by Melani Matavao. D’Angelo Leuila converted all three kicks, giving an eight-point margin before Ben O’Keefe brought an end to the first 40 minutes.

In the second half, the Leones applied pressure at the set-piece and squeezed a couple of penalties off the host, before breaking into the opposition 22. Their efforts paid off when the Spanish eventually found their way over the try line for a second time. From the back of a scrum, scrum-half Estanislao Bay broke and found Martín Alonso, offloading into the wing’s awaiting hands.

Vinuesa added the two and would later collect another penalty, with the visitors taking the lead for the first and last time, as the home team got back on track in the final ten minutes.

Leuila slotted two three-pointers, and with two minutes on the clock, Samoa put an end to any doubts: Moana Pasifika halfback Ereatara Enari found space at the back of the Spanish defence thanks to an overhead kick that was successfully collected and grounded by Nigel Ah Wong.

With just seconds to wrap up the game, Spain fought back - scoring another try after forcing Samoa over their try-line. In the end the men in blue were unable to withstand a strong carry from Hugo Pirlet - the tighthead prop scoring in his first outing for the Leones.

Samoa have now gone two from two against Spain and ended their mid-year internationals with two wins. The Iberian team will face Tonga next week.