Center Henry Taefu scored a try among 20 points as Samoa beat Tonga 42-13 on Saturday in the first match of a two-leg Rugby World Cup qualifying series.
Taefu, who plays for the Perth-based Western Force in Super Rugby Australia, kicked two penalties to give Samoa a 6-3 lead at the end of a physical first half.
The match came to life in the second half with six tries — five to Samoa — including a run of four tries in a frenetic spell between the 45th and 55th minutes.
The teams meet again in Hamilton, New Zealand next weekend and the team that has the best aggregate record after that match will qualify for the 2023 World Cup in France, slotting into Pool D with England, Japan, Argentina and a yet-to-be-determined qualifier from the Americas.
The loser will face the Cook Islands on July 24 in a repechage which will determine the last team to qualify for the World Cup from the Oceania region.
The post Samoa beats Tonga 42-13 in Rugby World Cup qualifier appeared first on Rugby Daily News.
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