England v Samoa – October 7th, Lille
Expected to be coming into this match following a heavy win over Chile, England take on Samoa in their final pool stage fixture. There is a good chance that Samoa and England will be battling for a spot in the knock-out stages, if they’ve both suffered defeats to Argentina, and recorded wins over Japan and Chile.
If this is the case, the Pacific Islanders would pull no punches from Steve Borthwick’s men. However, if Manu Samoa’s elimination from the competition is already confirmed, then England will have an easier ride against the dejected Samoans. There is no understating the extent of Pacific Island national pride, yet if England get a foothold in the match with Samoa’s elimination already decided, then the floodgates could well and truly open.
Contrastingly, if quarter-final progression is viable for Samoa, then they will battle with all their might to make it as difficult as possible for Borthwick’s men to succeed. No matter who Borthwick selects, they will be feeling the affects of a bruising encounter with the famously hard-hitting Samoans the next day. Overall, a full strength England side should be able to overcome Samoa, who despite being geographically similar to Fiji, are a world away in terms of on-field performances.
Samoa will be bolstered by the recent recruitments of Bristol Bears flanker Steven Luatua, Rugby World Cup winning prop Charlie Faumuina and former Wallabies playmaker Christian Leali’ifano. However, when riding a wave of winning momentum, England’s full capacity should overcome Samoa, even with their newly eligible re-enforcements. Following this, we believe that England will finish second in Pool D, and progress out of the group alongside Los Pumas.
PREDICTION: England 28 – 12 Samoa