Samoa beats Tonga 42-13 in Rugby World Cup qualifier
July 10, 2021 GMT
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Center Henry Taefu scored a try among 20 points as Samoa beat Tonga 42-13 on Saturday in the first match of a two-leg Rugby World Cup qualifying series.
Taefu, who plays for the Perth-based Western Force in Super Rugby Australia, kicked two penalties to give Samoa a 6-3 lead at the end of a physical first half.
The match came to life in the second half with six tries — five to Samoa — including a run of four tries in a frenetic spell between the 45th and 55th minutes.