Strong 14-2 win for women’s touch over Tonga

Samoa’s women touch team dominated against Tonga on Tuesday, surpassing them in the first half and finishing 14-2 by the end of the game.

The Tongan side gave it their all but struggled to break through Samoa’s defence.

Coach Geoff Hooper said the game was a chance to try out some new manoeuvres, which worked in their favour.

All the women did their part, with Filoi Eneliko scoring twice in each half, the most out of her team. Etevise Vaifale scored twice in the second half.

“It was a game where we were trying a couple of new things. The second half was also about trying things we hadn’t tried against other teams that we were saving for the final,” Hooper said.

“It’s the first time they had run a particular move there, and they did score off it three times so that’s alright. But it takes them a while to put their learning together.”

Against the weaker, and smaller Tongan side the team slacked off on the attack, which they will need again later in the day.

Tonga have just six players, so Hooper didn’t want to “run them into the ground.”

“They are doing really well, so we let them have a little rest as well,” he said.

They took advantage of the game to practice things they had been hiding yesterday, so that they are ready for the big game against Papua New Guinea.

“It’s about building for what happens on Wednesday.

“At the World Cup we were chasing results, we were the side the other sides went to try things at, whereas we as a side that should be finished playing for silver or gold medal and we should be practising and building towards there,” Hooper said.

“You don’t win a gold medal on a Monday, you win it on Wednesday.”

The women play against strong contenders the Cook Islands at 2:20. Hooper said they have proven themselves a strong side, who yesterday drew with Fiji and fiercely defended against Papua New Guinea.

“But they play a certain style which means you have got to push the ball to the other end of the field because they don’t have anything they can hurt you with until you get to the line.

“We know what they will throw at us.”

The women’s team is: Siniva Williams, Mandria Sua, Emele Paletasala, Elizabeth Ropeti, Sabrica Reupena, Lerissa Fong, Uanita Vaaga, Filoi Eneliko and Etevise Vaifale.