Manu Samoa cruised to a convincing 43 – 7 victory over Zimbabwe in their first match of the World Rugby Nations Cup.
It was a historic first-ever Test meeting between Manu Samoa and the Zimbabwe Sables at the DIY Kitchens Stadium in Wakefield, England.
Samoa crossed the line seven times with Latrell Smiles Ah Kiong grabbing a hat-trick while Zimbabwe managed just one try through Dale Lemon.
Coming off consecutive defeats to Georgia and Romania, Samoa wasted little time making their intentions clear.
Latrell Ah Kiong opened the scoring in the seventh minute before crossing again in the 19th.
Just minutes later power centre Lalomilo Lalomilo catches an intercept pass and is under the post for a try but gifts it to Peter Umaga-Jensen for his first rest try.
Leading 19–0 at halftime, Samoa continued to dominate the game after the break.
Ben Nee-Nee crossed in the 42nd minute before Ah Kiong completed his hat-trick three minutes later, putting the result beyond Zimbabwe’s reach.
Miracle Faiilagi crossed over in the 54th minute before AJ Lam secured a debut try just before full time.
Jacob Umaga on kicking duties converted three tries before former All Black Josh Ioane came off the bench for his debut to convert Faiilagi’s try.
The final score reflected Samoa’s attacking dominance, with 738 metres carried, 34 defenders beaten and 18 offloads.
The Manu Samoa defence held firm allowing the Sables just one try to appease their fans who created an electric atmosphere from the stadiums.
Samoa was not fazed by the crowd or having to playing part of the first half with 14 men following Richie Asiata’s yellow card.
The victory marks a welcome return to form for Samoa in a new look squad described by fans as one of the best line-ups in years.
Manu Samoa Head Coach Lemalu Tusi Pisi has named some heavy hitters in his squad for the upcoming Nations Cup in November.
Former All Blacks Josh Ioane, Akira Ioane and Shaun Stevenson have all completed their three-year stand-down periods required by stringent World Rugby rules, to make the eligibility switch to Samoa.
Manu Samoa continues their European tour in the World Rugby Nations Cup with the next match against Portugal this Saturday 14 November 2026
Time: 7:00 AM UTC (8:00 PM Samoan Time). Venue: Estadio do Restelo, Lisbon, Portuga.
- Manu Samoa Cruised to a Dominating 43-7 Victory Over Zimbabwe - November 8, 2026
- Super Debutants: Shaun Stevenson and AJ Lam set to Start for Manu Samoa against Zimbabwe - November 6, 2026
- Samoa to Face Australia in Semifinals After Narrow Loss to Tonga - November 2, 2026
