Tonga Beat Samoa 20-18 in a World Cup Classic and England Are Out

Tonga beat Samoa 20-18 at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on Sunday, winning the final group game of the Rugby League World Cup and knocking England out of the tournament in the process. Addin Fonua-Blake scored the winning try late in the match, Isaiya Katoa kicked the goal that put Tonga back in front at 20-18, and Tonga then survived one last Samoa attack to hold on.

Robert Toia broke the deadlock after 26 minutes, and Brian To'o replied for Samoa before half time, with Tonga leading 8-4 at the break. Jojo Fifita scored shortly after half time to push the lead out to 14-4. Samoa then came back hard. To'o scored his second try, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow crossed on the hour to bring Samoa within two points, and Ronald Volkman scored five minutes later to put Samoa ahead for the first time in the match.

Fonua-Blake then scored the match winning try, and Katoa's kick made it 20-18 with eight minutes remaining. Samoa thought they had won it at the end. Sualauvi Fa'alogo looked to have scored a late winner, but he had stepped into touch before grounding the ball, with a toe on the sideline, and the try was disallowed. Tonga held on from there.

The final score line had Tonga on three tries, from Toia, Fifita and Fonua-Blake, and four goals from Katoa. Samoa scored four tries, two from To'o and one each from Tabuai-Fidow and Volkman, with Volkman kicking one goal.

England out before the semi-finals

England needed a Tonga win by a very large margin to keep their own semi-final hopes alive, more than 40 points, put at 46 points or more in one account. A two point margin did the opposite. England are out of the World Cup before the semi-finals for the first time ever.

Both Tonga and Samoa had won their first two games of the tournament before Sunday, and Tonga finished as winners of Pools B and C. The same 20-18 score line decided the meeting between the two nations at the last World Cup in 2022 in Warrington, and that time Samoa won.

A crowd of 29,411 watched the game at CommBank Stadium, the biggest crowd for a sporting event at the stadium, Fox Sports Australia reported.

Injury worry for Samoa

Samoa have an injury concern before their semi-final. Five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita limped off in the second half with a hamstring problem, clutching his left hamstring after a conversion attempt. He had set up To'o's second try before leaving the field, and Volkman replaced him.

Semi-finals are set

Tonga play New Zealand in the first semi-final in Newcastle on Saturday, November 7. Samoa play Australia in Sydney on Sunday, November 8. The final is in Brisbane on November 15.