Samoa power past Chile despite 'howler' yellow card
It was clunky, but after an eight-day wait Samoa’s campaign got up and running with a bonus-point victory over a plucky Chile.
In most un-Samoan fashion, it was a hat-trick of second-half maul tries that put fears of a tremendous upset beyond doubt, with flanker Fritz Lee crossing and replacement hooker Sama Malolo bagging two in a 40-minute period that struggled for momentum thanks again to some suspect officiating.
In one remarkable moment, there was a Mexican stand-off between the three on-field officials regarding the correct sanction for Ereatara Enari. As the Samoan scrum-half cleared out the jackaling Diego Escobar, he was clobbered from behind by replacement loosehead Jordan Lay, resulting in Enari falling onto the lower limbs of the Chilean hooker - which, in itself, is an offence.
Another yellow card, another bunker review 🟨
Ere Enari is off the field for an illegal clearout at the breakdown.#RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/QsVabBXwsO— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) September 16, 2023
Only assistant referee Angus Gardner spotted that Lay’s actions had directly led to Enari’s drop, however, and advised referee Paul Williams to continue: no penalty and no foul play. However, the other assistant, James Doleman, believed Enari’s clear-out warranted a yellow card, television match official Ben Whitehouse agreed, and so Williams dismissed Gardner’s legitimate assessment and sin-binned Enari. A howler.
Thankfully, it did nothing to affect the result, which featured three other yellow cards, the first coming with the match barely five minutes old, with Ulupano Seuteni somewhat harshly binned for a late tackle in the build-up to the opening try. After their valiance in defeat against Japan six days earlier, Chile’s spirit once again came to the fore. Rodrigo Fernandez sold the most glorious dummy-scissors to take Chile to the Samoan 22, Marcelo Torrealba was on hand to support, and Matias Dittus muscled his way over. Santiago Videla’s touchline conversion capped a delightful move and Seuteni was on his way.
Four penalties from the boot of Christian Leali’ifano - top points-scorer for Australia in the last World Cup before switching eligibility - meant, despite Chile’s guts, Samoa headed for half time as narrow leaders. In an instant, however, that interval lead became nine, with Seuteni - the La Rochelle star - collecting Tumua Manu’s grubber and feeding Duncan Paia’aua to score.
Two minutes later, Samoa had warmed up. Jonathan Taumateine showed wondrous athleticism and skill to take Theo McFarland’s offload one-handed and finish in the corner. Then came the maul and card deluge: Lee and Malolo scored, and Enari, Alfonso Escobar and Esteban Inostroza all spent ten minutes in the cooler, the latter two for head contact and team indiscipline respectively.
The day belonged to Samoa, however, who now move onto what could be a winner-takes-all clash for the quarter-finals against Argentina next Thursday.
Samoa v Chile: as it happened
04:20 PM BST
Thanks for following with us
Let us know what you thought about that game in the comments.
My report from the action in Bordeaux will be with you shortly.
For now, enjoy the rest of the day’s rugby. You can follow our live coverage of Wales’s tussle with Portugal by clicking here.
Bonne soirée!
04:11 PM BST
Full-time: SAM 43 CHI 10
Samoa go through the gears eventually, putting away a spirited Chilean effort.
The bonus-point secured thanks to their maul - with Argentina up next!
04:09 PM BST
CON SAPOAGA: SAM 43 CHI 10
Easy as you like for the replacement fly-half.
And that’s that.
04:09 PM BST
TRY MALOLO: SAM 41 CHI 10
It’s a third from the maul - and a second for replacement hooker Malolo!
Chile splinter, Samoa surge, and it’s a simple dot-down for Malolo.
04:08 PM BST
79 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
A tidy attack from Samoa, with Ah-Wong carrying and a lethal line from Malolo, ends with the replacement hooker flying over the line at pace.
He has knocked on in the build-up, though, so back we come for a penalty for side entry.
Samoa go back to the corner...
04:05 PM BST
78 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
There might be no consolation for Chile, however, as Silva is penalised for rolling with the ball on the floor as Seu jackals.
With the game well and truly won, Samoa clear.
04:01 PM BST
75 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Seu with a tackle off the ball after a nice jinking run from Fernandez and Chile go to the corner, looking for a late consolation.
Chile line-out, just outside the Samoa 22.
04:00 PM BST
Referees
You try and defend them - justly, as I did this week here - and then they go and do something inexplicable like that.
I give up.
03:59 PM BST
73 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Penalty to Chile, winning the holding-on penalty under immense pressure!
They cannot win the ensuing line-out, however, and Sopoaga clears downfield.
Leali’ifano collects Chile’s return clearance, Samoa attempt the counter, and McFarland knocks on.
This match has lost a bit of its oomph.
03:56 PM BST
71 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Leali’ifano is hammered by Domingo Saavedra, but we’re going back for a Chile penalty.
Ref Williams loses patience now, too, and Inostroza, who’s only just come on, is trotting off to the sin bin. 14 v 13 now.
Samoa go to the corner...
03:54 PM BST
Samoa's yellow
Another yellow card, another bunker review 🟨
Ere Enari is off the field for an illegal clearout at the breakdown.#RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/QsVabBXwsO— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) September 16, 2023
What a load of tosh. Congratulations to assistant referee Angus Gardner who (correctly) tried to convince ref Williams and the other assistant that no foul play had occurred.
Sadly, they ignored him!
What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
03:52 PM BST
68 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Chile win a dubious scrum penalty and kick to the corner for a five-metre line-out.
McFarland gets in on the ball in the mual, however, and wins the turnover for Samoa.
03:49 PM BST
66 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
The earlier Chile yellow, for what it’s worth, will stay as a yellow. Struggling to keep up here!
Meanwhile, Lee knocks on while attempting to counter from his own 22.
Chile scrum 10 metres out.
Oh, the Enari yellow will also remain as yellow, too, we are told.
03:47 PM BST
YELLOW CARD ENARI: SAM 36 CHI 10
We’re going upstairs again. This time for an illegal clean-out from Enari on Diego Escobar.
The Samoan replacement scrum-half gets utterly smashed from his team-mate behind and ends up falling on the lower limbs of Diego Escobar.
The officials are absolutely butchering this. One of them thought there was no foul play at all, the other assistant thought it was a yellow card.
Williams agrees with the latter and yellow-cards Enari. It will also be reviewed.
Utter, utter nonsense - he is smashed by his team-mate from behind and can do nothing.
03:42 PM BST
YELLOW CARD A ESCOBAR: SAM 36 CHI 10
Alfonso Escobar catches Lee in the head, with low force, and he’s off for 10 minutes. It will be reviewed. The back-rower is the assist tackler, so he might get some mitigation there. We shall see.
Penalty overturned, of course, and Samoa are on the attack down the left, but there are two forward passes: first from Sopoaga and then from Ah-Wong.
Chile scrum.
03:40 PM BST
63 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Penalty Chile!
Sloppy handling from Samoa and Lee has to tidy, and loosehead Lues is over the ball like a limpet to win the holding-on penalty.
Chile go to the corner.
Oh, hang on, we’re checking a Chile tackle upstairs...
03:37 PM BST
62 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Chile look tired, as Ayarza has to scramble to collect a very loose Fernandez pass.
Samoa’s defence has warmed up as the game has progressed, and Chile’s fly-half decides that a bit of territory is in order, clipping off the outside of his boot to touch just inside the Samoan half.
And, now, drinks.
03:34 PM BST
60 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Alo-Emile, as predicted, minces the Chilean scrum - but then the tighthead receives a mighty bosh defending in midfield.
Lay is penalised for some Samoan scrum alacrity and Chile clear into Samoa’s half.
03:32 PM BST
58 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
Close for Torrealba!
A loose Seuteni offload - the centre’s been hot and cold today - is hacked on by the Chilean scrum-half.
He has the pass to beat the Samoan cover but the ball just trickles dead before he can arrive.
Taufua is coming on now, too, for Luatua.
03:30 PM BST
57 mins: SAM 36 CHI 10
For a moment, there’s a chance of a Chile counter with replacement loosehead Lues on the charge.
But it comes to nothing as Clemente Saavedra enters the side of the ruck.
Leali’ifano kicks up to the Chilean 22.
Bad news for Chile, too, as breezeblock Alo-Emile is on for Samoa; as is Sopoaga at fly-half and Jordan Lay at loosehead.
03:26 PM BST
CON LEALI'IFANO: SAM 36 CHI 10
The simplest of conversions for Leali’ifano, from virtually beneath the uprights.
03:25 PM BST
TRY MALOLO: SAM 34 CHI 10
That’s the bonus point for Samoa - who had money on two of their four tries coming from mauls?
Well, they have, as this one did. Chile are helpless to stop it.
03:24 PM BST
52 mins: SAM 29 CHI 10
Two penalties in quick succession against Chile and the South Americans are now on a final warning.
Escobar is in the side of another meaty Samoan maul, and Leali’ifano goes back to the corner.
03:22 PM BST
Samoa's second try
The offload ➡️ the finish!
Jonathan Taumateine with a superb try for #SAM!#RWC2023 | #SAMvCHI pic.twitter.com/269WrWH1qd— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) September 16, 2023
03:20 PM BST
TRY LEE: SAM 29 CHI 10
Chile ain’t stopping that.
A Samoan maul motors from seven metres out, and Lee dots down at the back.
This half is threatening to get a little messy.
It’s another miss for Leali’ifano - a more routine strike hits the upright.
03:19 PM BST
46 mins: SAM 24 CHI 10
Soft from Chile, as Manu wins a holding-on penalty first phase from the scrum.
Samoa go to the corner...
03:15 PM BST
45 mins: SAM 24 CHI 10
It’s all Samoa at the start of this half.
Dittus spills and the Samoans counter. Lay finds Seu who feeds Seuteni, with the centre putting Leali’ifano in some space down the right.
There’s a knock-on on the floor, however, and Chile survive with a scrum inside their own 22.
03:12 PM BST
TRY TAUMATEINE: SAM 24 CHI 10
Glorious from Samoa!
On the second phase, Leali’ifano switches back blind on the wrap-around, putting Ah-Wong through a half gap. The wing offloads to McFarland, who gets to within five metres before popping up to a flying Taumateine, who finishes acrobatically in the corner. A one-handed take, too, adding to the sublime finish.
Leali’ifano cannot add the extras from the left touchline.
03:11 PM BST
42 mins: SAM 19 CHI 10
Lee starts with far better jackal timing, winning a holding-on penalty just inside the Samoan half.
Leali’ifano punts Samoa down to the Chilean 22, with the line-out.
03:10 PM BST
The teams are back out
And Fernandez will get us back under way in Bordeaux.
Escobar, Eissmann on for Chile; Malolo on for Samoa.
03:02 PM BST
Samoa's try
#SAM with a try on the stroke of half time!
Duncan Paia'aua scores a stunning try! 🚀#RWC2023 | #SAMvCHI pic.twitter.com/T45WQcMuwU— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) September 16, 2023
02:58 PM BST
Half-time: SAM 19 CHI 10
Before the last moment of that half, the scoreline was a pretty fair reflection. Chile have been gutsy and not nearly as limited as many might have expected. The South Americans have been tenacious, too, with the front row particularly impressive in the loose. Tighthead Dittus scored the game’s first try.
But Samoa are, ultimately, a class above, as the final act of that half showed. In a flash, Seuteni was in behind, feeding Paia’aua to score. The half-time scoreline flatters Samoa, in truth, but I cannot see Chile overturning this deficit in the second.
02:55 PM BST
CON LEALI'IFANO: SAM 19 CHI 10
A sumptuous strike from Leali’ifano from the right touchline. Pinpoint.
Samoa take a nine-point lead into the interval.
02:54 PM BST
TRY PAIA'AUA: SAM 17 CHI 10
Out of nothing, Samoa strike.
They go open off the scrum, Manu grubbers in behind Chile, Seuteni collects delicately before drawing the last defender and setting Paia’aua free to score in the left corner. Finally, Seuteni comes to the party!
02:52 PM BST
39 mins: SAM 12 CHI 10
Of the two sides, it feels strange to say that Chile have been the most physical.
A Chilean attack does not come to much, with Samoa stripping in the tackle, but then Toala is bundled into touch by a punchy Chilean defensive effort.
02:49 PM BST
PEN LEALI'IFANO: SAM 12 CHI 10
Never in doubt, and Samoa retake the lead.
02:48 PM BST
35 mins: SAM 9 CHI 10
Huete offside for Chile now, in midfield, and Leali’ifano will have a shot from 40 metres, bang in front.
That’s eight this half for Chile now.
02:45 PM BST
32 mins: SAM 9 CHI 10
Another Chilean penalty, this time for Carrasco going off feet at the ruck, and Leali’ifano gives Samoa a line-out on the Chilean five-metre line.
Samoa throw to the tail, to McFarland, and try the peel - but Luatua knocks on!
Chile survive!
02:43 PM BST
PEN GARAFULIC: SAM 9 CHI 10
Chile retake the lead thanks to stand-in kicker Garafulic.
02:42 PM BST
30 mins: SAM 9 CHI 7
It’s beautiful from Chile!
Torrealba taps and goes - and they’re off!
With penalty advantage, Carrasco, the loosehead, tips on delightfully to Sigren through a half-gap, but a last-gasp tackle from Lee dislodges the ball.
Still Chile will retake the lead with a three-pointer - and ref Williams points at the sticks.
02:39 PM BST
28 mins: SAM 9 CHI 7
Samoa’s handling errors are really self-harming here.
First, in a decent attacking position, Toala shells Luatua’s pass and Chile hack downfield.
Then McFarland can’t control an offload from Alaalatoa and Dittus, who is playing tremendously, goes on the charge.
Samoa knock on while trying to turn over and we restart with a Chile scrum just inside the Samoan 10-metre line.
02:35 PM BST
26 mins: SAM 9 CHI 7
Samoa try the grubber in behind as they enter Chile’s 22 but it’s a bit sloppy. Saavedra smothers, Seuteni flies off his feet at the ruck, and Chile win a penalty to clear.
I think I’ve put the kiss of death on Seuteni by bigging him up pre-match.
02:32 PM BST
22 mins: SAM 9 CHI 7
Samoa, under pressure at the scrum - get Alo-Emile on! - try to work the short side but the Chilean rush defence is excellent, pressuring the Seuteni pass and forcing him to throw forward.
Santiago Videla took an almighty thump in the tackle and there is a delay while he is treated. The wing is having to depart, perhaps for an HIA, to be replaced by Casas.
Just as I say that the scrums have been exemplary, Carrasco is penalised for Chile.
02:28 PM BST
20 mins: SAM 9 CHI 7
Sigren receives a big shot in midfield which was just - just - legal and knocks on, so we restart with a Samoa scrum.
The scrums, for what it’s worth, have been exemplary so far, despite the slippy surface.
02:24 PM BST
Quite amusing
Samoa with the impressive statistic of 0 penalties conceded but one yellow card after 12 minutes of this game!#RWC2023
— Paul Eddison (@pauleddison) September 16, 2023
(This was because the yellow-card offence occurred in the build-up to the Chile try, so penalty advantage will have been called over)
Seuteni returns for Samoa, too, to return them to a full complement.
02:21 PM BST
Chile's try
#CHI are on the board against #SAM! 😱
And to add to the Samoan woes, they're down to 14 with Ulupano Seuteni off for a dangerous tackle. 🟨#RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/e3ii4nbTCm— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) September 16, 2023
02:20 PM BST
PEN LEALI'IFANO: SAM 9 CHI 7
Samoa, with 14 men, back in front. Chile have conceded five penalties in 13 minutes already.
02:19 PM BST
13 mins: SAM 6 CHI 7
Another penalty against Chile, flying off their feet at the breakdown in their own 22. Against No 8 Martinez.
Leali’ifano will go for a shot once again; to take the lead.
02:18 PM BST
11 mins: SAM 6 CHI 7
Chile really need to tighten up their discipline; another penalty now, from the restart, with Carrasco coming in at the side of the Samoan maul.
Leali’ifano gives Samoa a line-out inside the Chilean half.
02:16 PM BST
PEN LEALI'IFANO: SAM 6 CHI 7
Chile’s discipline is sloppy again and Leali’ifano has another elementary shot at goal, which he takes.
Incidentally, Seuteni’s yellow will stay at yellow after review. Good.
02:14 PM BST
YELLOW CARD SEUTENI: SAM 3 CHI 7
Things go from bad to worse for Samoa, with star centre Seuteni sent to the sin bin for a late tackle in the build-up.
It was naughty and it has gone for review, but the lack of head contact should save him. That should stay as a yellow.
02:13 PM BST
CON VIDELA: SAM 3 CHI 7
What a strike from the right wing, out far on the left!
A dream start for the South Americans.
02:10 PM BST
TRY DITTUS: SAM 3 CHI 5
Wow!
Fernandez with the most gorgeous dummy scissors to take Chile up to the 22, where he links up with Torrealba, the scrum-half running an excellent support line.
Samoa are scrambling and Chile keep it tight, and eventually tighthead Dittus muscles his way over in the left corner.
We’re going upstairs, but the try is good - they’re looking at an illegal tackle from Seuteni in the build-up.
02:08 PM BST
PEN LEALI'IFANO: SAM 3 CHI 0
Easy as you like for a player of that calibre - and Samoa’s tournament is up and running.
02:08 PM BST
4 mins: SAM 0 CHI 0
Chile are caught offside from the line-out. Samoa try the chip over but Inaki Ayarza reads it well and smothers.
Back for the penalty, however, and Leali’ifano will have a shot at goal, from bang in front.
02:06 PM BST
2 mins: SAM 0 CHI 0
Seuteni’s pass is a sloppy one as Samoa look to go through the phases and employ some width, but the Chilean defence is strong. Ah-Wong is shoved into touch but the South Americans infringe and Leali’ifano gives Samoa a line-out on the Chilean 22.
02:04 PM BST
Kick-off!
Referee Paul Williams of New Zealand gets us under way, with Christian Leali’ifano kicking off.
And McFarland, the Saracens acrobat, wins the the kick-off!
02:00 PM BST
Anthems done
And now for the Samoan “Siva tau” (similar to the haka) before kick-off.
01:54 PM BST
The teams are on the way out
And the (improved) anthems are next!
01:52 PM BST
ITV
Having had my coverage moan, I will applaud whoever in the ITV studio has been choosing the music.
Sometimes by James on Thursday and Bonzo Goes To Bitburg by The Ramones today. Exquisite.
But, let’s just ignore Edith Piaf...
01:46 PM BST
Pre-match reading
A big story developing from my colleague, chief rugby correspondent, Gavin Mairs.
The Rugby Football Union board is facing its biggest internal revolt in over a decade after half their council members signed a letter outlining concerns over the leadership of chief executive Bill Sweeney and chair Tom Ilube.
You can read more by clicking here.
01:36 PM BST
ITV
Once again, it’s nice to see that they’ve made the effort with a Samoan and Chilean pundit - or just one of them - in the studio. Oh.
It was the same story on Thursday evening, where they couldn’t even find a Frenchman or woman to cover France’s scare against Uruguay.
It’s not rocket science, is it?
01:34 PM BST
Ones to watch
Samoa
Christian Leali’ifano, Australia’s top points-scorer in 2019, is the obvious at fly-half but it is worth keeping an eye on UJ Seuteni at 13, a star of La Rochelle’s European conquering this season. Michael Alaalatoa, the captain and tighthead, came second to Seuteni’s La Rochelle in the Champions Cup final with Leinster.
As my breakout star of the tournament, I picked Paul Alo-Emile, the Samoan tighthead. The Stade Francais prop is on the bench tonight - hopefully, after his demolition of the Irish scrum in the warm-ups, he is being rested for greater challenges to come. He is one of the game’s premium scrummagers - so I hold him dear to my heart.
And Premiership fans will be well aware of the talent of forward trio Chris Vui, Theo McFarland and Steven Luatua.
Chile
So, too, will be Chilean captain, Martin Sigren - that is, if you follow the Championship or, more specifically, Doncaster Knights, where the second row plays.
Scrum-half Marcelo Torrealba caused Japan problems around the fringes last weekend, too.
01:22 PM BST
Coin toss in Bordeaux
01:11 PM BST
Teams
Mapusua names nine survivors from RWC 2019. This includes Australia’s top points-scorer from the last World Cup, Christian Leali’ifano, one of three three players in the match-day 23 with Test experience from other countries; Steven Luatua and Lima Sopoaga earned 15 and 16 caps for the All Blacks respectively.
Plenty of knowledge of France in this squad, too - seven play in the Top 14.
Samoa: Duncan Paia’aua; Danny Toala, Ulupano Junior Seuteni, Tumua Manu, Nigel Ah-Wong; Christian Leali’ifano, Jonathan Taumateine; James Lay, Seilala Lam, Michael Alaalatoa (captain), Chris Vui, Theo McFarland, Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, Fritz Lee, Steven Luatua.
Replacements: Sama Malolo, Jordan Lay, Paul Alo-Emile, Sam Slade, Sa Jordan Taufua, Ereatara Enari, Lima Sopoaga, Ed Fidow.
Lemoine makes four changes to his starting XV from their loss to Japan in Toulouse, with Tomás Dussaillant coming in at hooker, a new second-row pairing of Santiago Pedrero and Pabo Huete, and José Ignacio Larenas starting on the left wing.
Chile: Inaki Ayarza; Santiago Videla, Domingo Saavedra, Matias Garafulic, José Ignacio Larenas; Rodrigo Fernandez, Marcelo Torrealba; Javier Carrasco, Tomas Dussaillant, Matias Dittus, Pablo Huete, Santiago Pedrero, Martín Sigren (captain), Clemente Saavedra, Raimundo Martínez.
Replacements: Diego Escobar, Salvador Lues, Esteban Inostroza, Javier Eissmann, Alfonso Escobar, Ignacio Silva, Benjamin Videla, Pablo Casas.
Referee: P Williams (New Zealand)
12:59 PM BST
Bonjour from Bordeaux
Good afternoon and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of today’s Pool D encounter between Samoa and Chile in Bordeaux.
We are eight days into the World Cup and we are still yet to see what kind of Samoan outfit both Argentina and England have to look forward to later in the tournament. If the Pacific Islanders’ warm-up match against Ireland in Bayonne is anything to go by, however, then neither bout will be straightforward.
Chile, meanwhile, the lowest ranked side in this year’s tournament, showed bright sparks against Japan last weekend, with scrum-half Marcelo Torrealba the heartbeat amid line-out woes. Chances of a Chilean upset today are slim, but given Los Cóndores are making their debut appearance at rugby’s showpiece, even pushing Samoa close today should be a source of tremendous pride.
On Torrealba, Samoan head coach, Seilala Mapusua, agrees. “Chile were brilliant last week [in the 42-12 defeat by Japan],” he said. “They are playing in their first World Cup and we know they are going to be really passionate and very good in the contact area.
“Their half-back, Marcelo Torrealba, I thought he was fantastic last week and was a real threat, as was their full-back. Also their forward pack, we know they’re going to be a physical team, they like to throw the ball around, quite similar to us, so if we’re not at our best we could get found out.”
Mapusua’s counterpart, Uruguayan Pablo Lemoine, says his aim is “to build the soul of a team” with his Chile side.
“The objective was always to build something,” he said. “At first, it was a project, then it became a team and then an idea, the soul of a team and hopefully that can transmit something.
“There are so many people watching rugby in Chile, and that was something considered elitist. We always wanted to transcend the sport and I think we did it. We achieved, probably, the greatest triumph in recent years.”
All the team news is next!