Samoa Beat France 78-4, the Biggest Score and Margin in Their World Cup History
Samoa scored 14 tries through ten different players at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta on Friday night. France scored one. It was 34-4 at half-time, and nrl.com reported that the 78 points and the 74-point margin are both Samoa records at a World Cup.
The man who did most of the damage was not supposed to be on the field.
Sua Fa’alogo came off the bench and scored four
Deine Mariner scored Samoa’s first try in the third minute and went off with a hamstring injury in the tenth. Sualauvi Fa’alogo, the Storm outside back who started on the bench, replaced him.
In 70 minutes Fa’alogo scored four tries, ran 252 metres and broke four tackles. He had a fifth taken off him by the bunker for an obstruction earlier in the movement.
How it got away from France inside eight minutes
France lost five-eighth Cesar Rouge and winger Leo Darrelatour to head injury assessments in the opening minutes, and by the eighth minute Samoa led 18-0 through Mariner, Benaiah Ioelu and the debutant Jermaine McEwen. Fa’alogo’s first, and a try he set up for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, made it 28-0.
France’s only points came in the 25th minute, when captain Benjamin Garcia went to the short side and Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet took a difficult catch and grounded it.
The second half was worse for them. Brian To’o hit Arthur Mourgue hard enough to force the ball loose, Stephen Crichton picked it up, ran in and converted his own try from the sideline. Shawn Blore scored, Fa’alogo scored twice in four minutes, and Chanel Harris-Tavita, Izack Tago and Francis Molo all crossed late. The last try came after the siren: Crichton’s penalty attempt hit the upright and Ioelu chased it down and scored.
Luai and Crichton had a night they needed
Both had disappointing NRL seasons in 2026, by nrl.com’s account. Jarome Luai made four line breaks and two try assists. Crichton kicked 11 of 14 conversions and finished with 26 points.
Two Newcastle forwards made their Test debuts. McEwen made more tackles than any other Samoan, and Francis Manuleleua ran 223 metres, 89 of them after contact. Manuleleua scored the first try of the NRL grand final twelve days earlier.
Why the 74 points matter
Samoa and France are in the combined Pools B and C table, where six teams play three matches each and only the top two go through. Teams level on points are split on points difference. Samoa now sit on plus 74 after one game, which could settle places if teams finish level.
They play Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on Saturday 24 October, then Tonga at CommBank Stadium on Sunday 1 November in what still looks like the match that decides the table. France face England in Perth on 24 October. England start against Tonga on Saturday, at 10.05am UK time.
This is the side that reached the 2021 World Cup final. The current standings are on the World Cup table.
