Samoa and Chile competed to a 32-32 draw in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA on Saturday. The match was game one of a home-and-away series to determine who qualifies for Rugby World Cup 2027: Sudamérica 2 or Pacific 4. The winning team in Viña del Mar next Saturday will officially book their place in Australia 2027.
Both teams will be disappointed with the result at America First Field in Salt Lake City. Chile had been leading 25-8 at one stage while Samoa started poorly and had problems on attack that cost the team points. Chile also failed to score from opportunities including being held up over the line and a penalty hitting the posts. In short, this contest was highly competitive.
Head Coaches Pablo Lemoine and Tusi Pisi are both former Rugby World Cup players themselves. They not have the task of winning on the South Pacific coach in sevens days time.
Lemoine’s team looked like running waylay with the contest in Utah. Second-rower Javier Eissmann scored from a pick-and-go on 3 minutes and center Santiago Videla converted. Videla landed a penalty for a 10-0 lead before Samoa opened their scoring from Australian, and former Wallaby, Christian Leai’ifano with a penalty.
Los Cóndores responded with force. Waves of raids from the forwards saw space opening for Matías Garafulic to score in the right corner. Samoa were punished further as Iakopo Mapu was yellow carded for foul play on the floor inches out from the try zone.
Samoa weathered the storm that was the yellow card and came away with their opening try. New Zealander Theodore Steffany scored in the right corner, doing so after a ricocheted kick through from Samoa. The try meant it was 15-8 in favor of there South Americans after 18 minutes.
regular scoring continued with Santiago Pedrero scoring next. The second-rower finished off the best try of the afternoon and one of the best of the year. Quick interchanging passes involving six Chileans saw Pedrero scoring down the right side.
Chile’s three tries to one in the opening half saw the South Americans end the first-half with a 25-8 advantage. However, the second-half was less in favor of Chile. Samoa started well with a try in the left corner to New Zealander Latrell Ah Kiong.
Chile were playing with 14 men as Benjamin Videla was yellow carded for trying to jackal. Andrew Brace was having none of it; the referee was severe at the breakdown during the course of the game.
Chile recovered from the set-up with Matías Garafulic over for his second try. He demonstrated his strength to get passed two attempted tacklers to score following an attacking Chilean maul. Santiago Videla converted for Chile’s final score of the match. Los Cóndores led 32-13 with 31 minutes left in the contest.
Samoa had the better of play for the remainder, though Chile did not score from multiple penalties, some due to kicking for the corner. New Zealander Alamanda Motunga split the defense to score under the posts on 59 minutes.
Leai’ifano converted Motunga’s try and then another ten minutes later after feeble Chilean defense allowed New Zealander Abraham Papali’i to run from 24 meters with the ball from the back of a scrum and score. It set-up a thrilling final 10 minutes with the scores now 32-27.
Replacement scrum-half Lucas Berti missed a tackled on Papali’i but his failure, minutes later, to cleanly kick a box-kick proved to be fatal. Samoa had excellent field position and a throw in to the line-out. Samoa played for the win and scored four minutes into overtime to snatch a draw. Papali’i went over for his second.
Attention now turns to the September 27 showdown. A strong crowd is guaranteed with ticket sales having been excellent for the match in Viña del Mar.
- Samoa’s tries were all scored by players born and raised in New Zealand: Latrell Ah Kiong, Alamanda Motuga, Theodore Steffany and Abraham Papali’i.
- Viña del Mar, Chile will host the return fixture on Saturday, September 27.
- The winner, on aggregate, of Sudamérica 2 vs Pacific 4, will qualify for Australia 2027. The losing team will join Belgium, Namibia and either Brazil or Paraguay (Sudamérica 3) in the repechage tournament in Dubai in November. The repechage tournament will determine the 24th, and last, team for RWC 2027.
SAMOA (32)
TRY – T Steffany (19′), L Ah Kiong (42′), A Motuga (58′), A Papali’i 2 (71′, 84′)
CON – C Leali’ifano (60′, 72′)
PEN – C Leali’ifano (13′)
YC – I Petelo-Mapu (18′)
CHILE (32)
TRY – J Eissmann (4′), M Garafulic 2 (16′, 48′), S Pedrero (23′)
CON – S Videla (5′, 24′, 49′)
PEN – S Videla 2 (37′, 9′)
YC – B Videla (42′)
SAMOA
1 Aki Seiuli, 2 Pita Anae Ah-Sue, 3 Michael Alaalatoa (capt.), 4 Ben Nee-Nee, 5 Michael Curry, 6 Olajuwon Noa, 7 Alamanda Motuga, 8 Iakopo Petelo-Mapu, 9 Connor Tupai, 10 Christian Leali’ifano, 11 Latrell Ah Kiong, 12 Theodore Steffany, 13 Melani Nanai, 14 Elisapeta Alofipo, 15 Lolagi Visinia
Replacements: 16 Ray Niuia, 17 Jarred Adams, 18 Bradley Amituanai, 19 Potu Leavasa, 20, Abraham Papali’i, 21 Joel Lam, 22 Henry Taefu, 23 Tomasi Alosio
CHILE
1 Javier Carrasco, 2 Diego Escobar, 3 Iñaki Gurruchaga, 4 Santiago Pedrero, 5 Javier Eissmann, 6 Raimundo Martínez, 7 Clemente Saavedra (capt.), 8 Alfonso Escobar, 9 Benjamín Videla, 10 Juan Cruz Reyes, 11 Iñaki Ayarza, 12 Santiago Videla, 13 Matías Garafulic, 14 Nicolás Garafulic, 15 Cristóbal Game
Replacements: 16 Augusto Böhme, 17 Norman Aguayo, 18 Matías Dittus, 19 Bruno Sáez, 20 Ernesto Tchimino, 21 Lucas Berti, 22 Nicolás Saab, 23 Tomás Salas
Referee: Andre Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Luke Pearce (England); Lex Weiner (USA)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
