[REVISION HISTORY]

Rugby League World Cup Samoa and Tonga rivalry

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2026-11-01 17:24 UTC → 2026-11-01 18:59 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Tonga secured a 20:18 victory over Samoa in a high intensity Rugby League World Cup match at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta. The win ensures Tonga advances to the semi finals, where they are scheduled to face New Zealand. Despite the loss, Samoa’s progression to the semi finals is confirmed because they avoided a defeat by more than 46 points. Samoa will move on to face Australia in a rematch of the 2022 final. The result officially eliminates England from the tournament, as they were unable to overcome the points deficit required to stay in contention. During the match, Samoa held a late lead following a try by Ronald Volkman. However, Addin Fonua-Blake scored a decisive try for Tonga in the final minutes to seal the victory. Isaiya Katoa contributed a penalty goal and three successful conversions for Tonga, while Robert Toia was named player of the match after scoring the opening try. Samoa faces a significant lineup change ahead of their semi final against Australia due to an injury to Chanel Harris-Tavita. Harris-Tavita sustained a left hamstring injury during the match against Tonga, which is likely to end his participation in the tournament. Coach Ben Gardiner has expressed confidence in Ronald Volkman to fill the role, noting that the 24-year-old playmaker replaced Harris-Tavita during the Tonga match.

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