Samoa gatecrash Fiji party
Lautoka, 3 July, 1999

Fiji 15 Samoa 27
(Half-time 5-22)

Samoa blitzed through the Fiji backline four times in the opening 20 minutes to snuff out any hopes the Fijians had of overhauling Japan at the top of the Pacific Rim table. Samoa's 27-15 victory means that Japan are the 1999 Epson Cup champions.

Four tries in the opening 20 minutes saw Samoa take a 22-0 lead and left the 17,000-strong Fijian crowd to watch in awe of the visitors. George Leaupepe, To'o Vaega, Afato So'oalo and Stephen Bachop all touched down as the Fiji backs fell off their tackles and the Samoans ran amok to spoil the party.

The introduction of Waisale Serevi for Nicky Little after the third try brought a huge cheer from the fans, but a minute later the sevens star was brushed aside as Va'aiga Tuigamala made the break that led to Samoa's fourth try.

Serevi with ball in hand paints a much more impressive picture, and just before half-time he jinxed and overlapped with Fero Lasagavibau to score in the corner as Samoan hit man Trevor Leota rumbled in behind him.

Fiji came out after the break looking to re-store some pride, knowing that the Epson Cup was already in Japan's trophy cabinet.

Fullback Sikeli Qauqau, earning his first full cap, took a cut-out pass from Serevi and got another back for Fiji. Then Imanueli Tiko managed the same in the other corner with Serevi again the orchestrator.

Suddenly at 15-22, the game looked wide open. The crowd expressed their enthusiasm by breaking all the sign boards and spilling onto the field, but that old war horse Tuigamala showed his class by running over Lasagavibau to give Samoa a 27-15 cushion.

A few more Fiji slips near the Samoan line, with Tuigamala making one vital interception, meant that the score remained that way until the final whistle.

Fiji captain Greg Smith admitted being a little shell-shocked. "They came at us so hard and had us on our heels as we watched them coming," Smith said. "I suppose we are lucky this happened now and not at the World Cup. We still have time to review what went wrong and try to correct things."

For his Samoan counterpart Pat Lam, it was relief.

"We hadn't won in Fiji for a long time, but we prepared very well," Lam said, "It feels good to have snapped that losing streak here at last."

Scorers:
Fiji: Tries to Waisale Serevi, Sikeli Qauqau and Imanueli Tiko.
Samoa: Tries to George Leaupepe, To'o Vaega, Afato So'oalo, Stephen Bachop and Va'aiga Tuigamala. Conversion to Bachop.

Fiji (15-1): Sikeli Qauqau, Fero Lasagavibau, Vili Satala, Alfred Uluinayau, Imanueli Tiko, Nicky Little (replace by Waisale Serevi), Sami Rabaka, Koli Sewabu, Api Naevo, Ilivasi Tabua (replaced by Jope Tuikabe), Emori Katalau, Simon Raiwalui, Joeli Veitayaki, Greg Smith (capt), Niko Qoro (replaced by Dan Rouse).

Samoa (15-1): Mike Umaga, Afato So'oalo, To'o Vaega, George Leaupepe, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Stephen Bachop (replaced by Earl Va'a), Steven So'oialo, Pat Lam (capt) (replaced by Fa'amalua Tipi), Craig Glendinning, Sene Ta'ala, Opeta Palopoi, Lio Falaniko, Fosi Pa'alamu, Trevor Leota, Brendan Reidy (replaced by Kepi Faiva'ai).

Referee: Ian Hyde Lay
Crowd: 17,000