Samoa player ratings: Lima Sopoaga the star in brave loss to England

After their 18-17 Rugby World Cup defeat against England at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, here’s how the Samoa team performed on Saturday.

15 Duncan Paia’aua: One of the Pacific Islanders’ best players as he came to the fore with a fine all-round performance. Was solid at the back and asked plenty of questions of England’s defence. Finished with 92 metres gained and was unlucky to have a try disallowed after a handling error in the build-up. 8

14 Nigel Ah Wong: Showed his finishing skills with two well-taken tries in the opening half and denied a hat-trick when he had a foot in touch. Continued to shine on attack as the match progressed and eventually made 44 metres from five runs. 8

Costly yellow card

13 Tumua Manu: The 30-year-old looked dangerous with ball in hand as he finished with 44 metres gained but his discipline let him down when he was yellow carded for tackling Owen Farrell in the air in the 66th minute and England scored the match-winning try during his stint on the sidelines. 7

12 Danny Toala: The Moana Pasifika stalwart caught the eye with excellent distribution throughout and delivered an inch-perfect cross-field kick for Ah-Wong’s second try. 8

11 Neria Fomai: Unlike fellow wing Ah Wong, he did not get as many attacking opportunities but was solid on defence throughout and eventually made seven tackles. 6

10 Lima Sopoaga: Returned to action after missing Samoa‘s two previous games through injury and made a big difference in their attacking play. The former All Black launched several attacks and gained 69 metres while also impressing with his kicking out of hand and at goal slotting two conversions and a penalty. 9

9 Jonathan Taumateine: Started the game brightly as he got the ball out to his outside backs with his slick service but was less influential as the match progressed. Also defended well with eight hits before being replaced by Melani Matavao in the 62nd minute. 6

8 Steven Luatua: The Bristol Bear was a valuable source of possession at the back of the lineout but did not make a big impact on attack. 6

Flankers catch the eye with fine performances

7 Fritz Lee: Worked tirelessly at the breakdowns and won three crucial turnovers while also putting in a huge defensive shift in which he completed a team-high 14 tackles. 8

6 Theo McFarland: Continued with his fine form at the World Cup as he was in the thick of the action from the outset. Did well as a ball carrier and in the lineout while also impressing on defence with seven tackles completed. 8

5 Brian Alainu’u’ese: Emptied the tank during an 80-minute shift as he was a willing ball carrier but made little headway. Was also prominent on defence with seven tackles made. 6

4 Sam Slade: Did what was expected of him in the lineouts but made little impact as a ball carrier and on defence before being replaced in the 58th minute by Miracle Faiilagi. 6

3 Michael Alaalatoa (c): The 32-year-old stood up well in the scrums and led his troops well before being replaced by Paul Alo-Emile in the 58th minute. 6

Strong attacking performance

2 Sama Malolo: Another strong attacking performance from the San Diego Legion hooker who proved dangerous when taking the ball into contact, especially at close quarters. He gained 18 metres from eight carries and also shone in the execution of his core duties. 8

1 Jordan Lay: Stood up well in the scrums during a 58-minute shift before being replaced by his brother, James, but did not impress in other facets of play. 6

Replacements: Although all Manu Samoa’s back-up gave their all when they entered the fray, there was a slight drop in the intensity levels especially during the closing stages of the game. That was not the reason why they lost the game, however, although their counterparts probably made better use of their bench. 6

READ MORE: England survive Samoa scare to complete clean sweep in Pool D