Argentina vs Samoa LIVE: Rugby World Cup result, final score and reaction

Fullback Emiliano Boffelli scored 16 points in a man-of-the-match performance as Argentina got their World Cup campaign back on track with a hardfought 19-10 victory over a committed Samoa on Friday.

Boffelli scored an early try and converted four of five kicks from the tee to get the Pumas back to winning ways after the disappointment of their 27-10 loss to 14-man England in their Pool D opener.

“It’s a massive victory for us, very important for this tournament,” Argentina captain Julian Montoya said after first thanking his noisy compatriots in the stands.

“The last game against England, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do, today we did it pretty well. Still plenty to improve but that’s exciting too.”

Samoa managed just one penalty kick from former Wallabies flyhalf Christian Leali’ifano until replacement hooker Sama Malolo barged his way over the line for his third try of the tournament five minutes from time.

That set up a frenetic finale but Nicolas Sanchez, coming off the bench to win his 99th cap for Argentina, lashed over a final penalty from just inside the Samoa half to make the game safe.

Full report:

Samoa really upped the pressure in the final ten minutes and looked close to going level, but Argentina regained composure and Sanchez’s kick sealed the win.

Hear from player of the match, Argentina’s Emiliano Boffelli who scored 16 of their 19 points.

Territory: Argentina 59%, Samoa 41%

Possession: Argentina 62%, Samoa 68%

Metres carried: Argentina 381, Samoa 129

Defenders beaten: Argentina 36, Samoa 9

Mauls won: Argentina 8, Samoa 3

Rucks won: Argentina 86, Samoa 46

Scrum success: Argentina 100% (9/9) Samoa 77.8% (7/9)

Lineout success: Argentina 100% (16/16), Ssamoa 72.7% (8/11)

Penalties conceded: Argentina 11, Samoa 13

Tackles made: Argentina 77, Samoa 141

Tackles missed: Argentina 9, Samoa 36

Nicolas Sanchez, the country’s all-time leading points scorer, slotted the winning penalty on his 99th appearance for Argentina. The score denied Samoa a losing bonus point as it put them further than 7 points down.

Most tackles: Jonathan Taumateine (Samoa, 14)

Most metres: Juan Cruz Mallia (Argentina, 97)

Most carries across the gainline: Pablo Matera (Argentina, 8)

Most points: Emiliano Boffelli (Argentina, 16)

It was a match that was littered with handling errors from both sides, particularly in the first half as the rain hammered down in Saint-Étienne but Argentina were the victors with a scoreline of 19-10.

After the Siva Tau from Samoa, Christian Leali’ifano got the Pool D match underway. Within 35 seconds fullback Duncan Paia’aua was given a yellow card for playing fly-half Santiago Carreras in the air. He was sent to the sin bin to wait for the verdict from the off-field review, which later deemed a yellow card to be the suitable punishment and he returned to the pitch after his ten-minute suspension.

Argentina made use of their one-man advantage and Emiliano Boffelli scored eight minutes in. After a stumble towards the line, he outstretched his left arm and regained control to score, which he then converted himself to give his side the 7- 0 lead.

Christian Leali’ifano then had a chance to put three on the board for Samoa, but his penalty effort went wide after 15 minutes played. Boffelli converted his first penalty opportunity from 45 metres out to extend Argentina’s lead to 10-0.

Leali’ifano then slotted a penalty of his own on the second time of asking from 49 metres and Samoa moved to within a converted try before Boffelli once more added to Argentina’s score with another penalty. The score at half-time was 13 -3.

After half-time, the rain had eased, but errors still crept into the game. Boffelli looks to have scored a second, but the TMO spotted his double movement and the score was chalked off. He then added to the scoreline again with a penalty on 52 minutes, before missing another on 56.

Samoa scored on 75 minutes to put themselves back in contention as a Sama Malolo tap-and-go moved them within metres before the ball found its way back to him after the phases and he crashed over for Alai D’Angelo Leuila to convert.

Nicolas Sanchez scored a penalty on his 99th appearance to take the score to 19-10 and ruin Samoa’s chances at a bonus point on 79 minutes before kicking the ball out for full time.

Sanchez has the final word and kicks the ball out to end the match. They win the match but fail to secure a bonus point.

79 mins and Nicolas Sanchez steps up to score the long-range shot on his 99th cap and puts Samoa out of bonus point territory, they’re now over a converted try behind.

75mins, the initial tap and go from Sama Malolo with a solo effort gets them to within a metre, and the ball eventually makes its way back to him and he thunders over! Alai D’Angelo Leuila converts!