Absolutely fantastic game to witness in the flesh!!
After 15 minutes it looked like it was gonna be a procession, and even when Samoa scored toward the end of the 1st half, it looked nothing more than a consolation effort. Everyone could see the passion both sides were putting into it, but there appeared a real gulf in class. Five minutes into the second half and it was already over as a contest.....but then something just clicked!! Samoa got another score - a try displaying real grit and determination, and the crowd was lifted. We cheered them back before the re-start - a couple of the Samoa players applauded the support.....and that was it!! From that moment there was just a collective,sub-conscious decision that the crowd was gonna back the plucky underdog - and boy did they respond!! The atmosphere in that last twenty five minutes was absolutely electric!! The brutality went up several notches....no quarter asked, and certainly none given!! By the time Samoa scored again, the roofs of the stands were in real danger (and not from the anticipated gales!!).....and people started to wonder if the impossible fight back could be on!! Unfortunately it wasn't, but nothing should be taken away from the performances of both sides. To say the score flatters NZ would do dis-service to the Kiwis clinical finishing (with the exception of SBW......one of the funniest things I've seen during a rugby match!! lol), and the Samoans never say die attitude.
And I know it sounds cliche, but - the real winner last night was the sport!! If a game like that cannot sell TGG to the neutral, or encourage more armchair fans to snaffle up the few remaining tickets for their 'local' RLWC fixture, then we might as well all pack it in!!
10/10
Those of us in the South stand were making that remark about 7 minutes from time when there appeared to be a lot of fans leaving as the game was finally put to bed. Must have been from Wigan ... they never hear the final hooter do they? 
