Owen Farrell blushes spared as England win after controversial TMO call vs Samoa

07 October 2023 , 19:22

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Farrell is congratulated on becoming the nation's record points scorer by Kyle Sinckler after England narrowly beat Samoa

Owen Farrell overtook Jonny Wilkinson to become England's all-time leading scorer - but needed another record breaker to spare his blushes.

A week before taking on Pacific Island opposition in the quarter-finals Steve Borthwick’s men fluffed their lines in the dress rehearsal against sizzling Samoa, with Farrell suffering the embarrassment of becoming the first player in this World Cup to be timed out taking a penalty kick at goal.

It left England floundering and needing supersub Danny Care, at 36 years and 278 days the oldest England back to appear in a World Cup, to save their bacon.

Care came off the bench to score the try winner seven minutes from time then had legs fresh enough to chase down Neria Fomai and deny Samoa what would have been a deserved winner.

Farrell refused to dwell on his record afterwards, saying: "I am still thinking about the game and us. It'll be like that for a long time to come."

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On his penalty blunder he added: “I didn’t see the clock. I wasn’t aware. I got lost a little bit in the kick. It wasn't good enough and I'm glad for the team's sake that it didn't cost us.

Danny Care pounces for England's try winner (Getty Images)

"All credit to Samoa and how they came out and got at us, it was tough to deal with at times and we did not deal with it discipline wise and with mistakes."

When Farrell edged past Wilkinson’s 1,179 total England led by two scores and looked bound for the knockout stages in good shape.

But Samoa warned last week this was their cup final, with automatic qualification to the next tournament on the line for them.

Care is mobbed by teammates Freddie Steward and Ollie Lawrence after his late try

And so it was that as England fans texted home about Farrell’s feat, the world’s 14th ranked team went right then left then right again, for Nigel Ah-Wong to score a peach.

Perhaps Samoa had taken as disrespectful the stadium noise that accompanied their Sivi Tau haka. Maybe it was the sight of Manu Tuilagi lined up against them.

Or maybe this was just the performance they had said was coming all tournament, when losing to Japan and Samoa and taking a good while to put away Chile.

Ollie Chessum scores England's first try in Lille (Getty Images)

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Whatever, that first try lit a fire under them. Moments later Ah-Wong bagged his second from a sublime diagonal kick from Lima Sopoaga.

Duncan Paia’aua then looked to have made it three in 12 minutes after Alex Mitchell butchered a kick, only for it to be called back by the TMO after the conversion had been taken.

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It was hugely contentious and would ultimately decide the game, though it took an age for England to cash in on their reprieve.

Farrell kicks the penalty that takes him past Wilkinson's all-time England points record (PA)

(PA)

Farrell did peg back three points but when he was then timed out kicking his next penalty England’s heads were gone and it just needed Samoa to stay cool.

They could not quite manage it. Tumua Manu had a rush of blood, hitting Farrell in the air and was binned.

England sent on Care and seven minutes from time, while Samoa’s under-manned back line focused on the threats lined up in midfield, he darted through a gap and over.

A relieved Farrell slotted the conversion to put England ahead, but still there was work for the veteran scrum-half who scragged Neria Fomai just when it seemed England would crash and burn.

ENGLAND -Tries: Chessum, Care. Con: Farrell. Pen: Farrell 2.

SAMOA - Tries: Ah-Wong 2. Cons: Sopoaga 2. Pen: Sopoaga.

Alex Spink