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If there was any lesson to be learnt by Samoa yesterday afternoon in Wollongong it was to have faith.
In prior matches to this one, the final one of the qualifying matches before the final, Samoan coach Matt Parish talked up his team’s presence in this tournament.
“We’re not here to make up the numbers” he would say.
On the back of some stirring performances against England and New Zealand, his words had meaning and were justifiable. Tight losses that really could have gone either way showed everybody that the Samoans had arrived.
But then, a strange thing occurred in the lead up to their final match against Australia. Parish talked down his team’s chances. Prior to the game, his words, punctuated by hypnotic phrases such as ‘Cameron Smith’ and ‘Greg Inglis’ seemed a subtle admission that the Samoans had already accepted second place (well, fourth, really).
Given that a victory of eight points or more would have taken them to a maiden international final, there was certainly a lot to play for.
On the field, there were only patches of the form that Samoa had displayed in the tournament thus far. Periods of attacking pressure were aggressive and, at times, promising, forcing the Australians to earn their considerable incomes. But alas, they occurred all too sporadically and were often nullified by poor last-tackle options.
The Samoan defence, rock solid and ever so patient against New Zealand, was notably absent against the Kangaroos. To be sure, there were some big hits and aggressive plays but as long as the Australian players rode the pressure, bumps and bruises notwithstanding, they were assured of escaping unscathed.
Parish spoke all tournament about developing consistency with his side. The results had been positive and had won many admirers.
Alas, beguiled by magical phrases of Smith, Inglis, and the mystical aura of the green and gold jersey, the Samoans never reached the potential that they had so tantalisingly promised.
Ultimately it may have been their lack of belief that cost them, if not an unlikely victory, then certainly a respectful defeat.
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