Samoa Qualifiers For England 2015

Samoa came out on top in the battle of the South Sea Islanders beating Fiji by 27-7. This coupled with a win against Namibia secured them third place in Pool 'D' and automatic qualification for Rugby World Cup 2015 in England. Samoa had a better than expected return in new Zealand as they only lost 13-5 to South Africa and 17-10 to Wales. They will look to be as competitive next time out and perhaps better this return.

Samoa for a country not considered one of the big boys of international rugby have an excellent world cup pedigree. They have won half the matches they've played and reached the quarter-finals on two occasions..

The pacific nation faced Papua New Guinea in qualifying beating them 115-7 and 73-12. Winning the group means they hold at 12th in the IRB world standings two places below Fiji who they will play in pool D with South Africa, Wales and Namibia. We cannot see them winning their way out of the pool.

Samoa In Pool 'D'

Samoa are all about strength, power, tough tackling and the will to win. This stands them in good stead, but a lack of technical skills and tactical awareness means against the top teams, who can match their power, they can be found out and find it difficult to get and keep possession. Expect them to win 1 or maybe 2 of their games in pool D, taking Namibia and Fiji, although Fiji will fancy their chances of an upset, but we expect Samoa to finish third in the pool and fail to qualify for the next phase losing out to South Africa and Wales.

Samoa RWC Shirts

Samoa have new shirts for the RWC 2011; the home shirt has not changed much from previous versions with the royal blue and white. The alternate now comes in striking white and blue. The shirt is made by KooGa and features the Samoa flag on the left sleeve. To place your order and view other Samoa shirts visit the Samoa Rugby World Cup Shirts page.

Samoa News

RW: South Africa survive Samoan assault - South Africa ensured their passage to the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 13-5 win over Samoa in Albany tonight

RWC: Match Preview: South Africa - Samoa - South Africa faces Samoa in an intriguing clash in Albany, 8

RWC: Samoa keeps slim quarterfinal chance alive - Samoa claimed bragging rights over Fiji in the first ever World Cup meeting between the two Island nations with a 27-7 victory at Eden Park, keeping Samoan dreams of an unlikely second place finish in Pool D alive

RWC: Match Preview: Fiji - Samoa - Fiji take on fierce rivals Samoa for the first time in a Rugby World cup at Eden Park today, 3

Samoa beaten by determined Welsh defence - Wales toppled Samoa in a tight Pool D encounter marked by stingy defensive displays by both sides