Ireland ended their six-match losing streak as they were made to fight for their 20-10 win over Samoa at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. It took a try by Ronan OGara in the 66th minute to make things comfortable for the home side.
Jamie Heaslip scored Irelands first try while OGara added the conversion and went on to score the rest of their points, including the opportunistic try that stretched their lead.
Alesana Tuilagi scored a nice try for Samoa after they had dominated territory and possession but struggled to take advantage. They will take more out of the game than Ireland though, who face an uphill battle against New Zealand next weekend.
“I’m glad Samoa are not in our World Cup group. They’re a tough, physical side,” said Ireland coach Declan Kidney. “It was bit of an arm wrestle for long periods of the game, especially in the second half when they had us tied down to our goalline.
“We became nervous when they built up some momentum and scored their try. It was 13-10 for 10 or 15 minutes with them pressing so I’m sure there were opportunities for them to win. We’ve been in situations like that before but managed to get the win this time,” he added.
Samoa will be looking forward to a physical encounter with an inform England next weekend, while Ireland will host a side they’ve never beaten, the All Blacks.
Time:
04:26
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