England narrowly beats Samoa 18-17 in final pool game

A sluggish England outlasted a bruising, brilliant Samoa performance to head to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals after winning all Pool D matches.

Danny Care's 73rd-minute dart from the base of a scrum was the decisive score in an 18-17 victory.

However, his team's credentials as possible contenders for the title will have been badly dented as they were pushed all the way by a team whose only previous tournament win came against Chile.

Samoa led 17-8 early in the second half and could have been further clear, having seen a third try ruled out for the faintest of knock-ons.

Samoa could yet have snatched a sucker-punch victory as they swept upfield only to spill forward five metres short in the penultimate play of the game.

England finished the game with a 100 percent record from their first four games, while their captain Owen Farrell surpassed Jonny Wilkinson as the leading Test points scorer for his country.

But there was more concern than confidence to take from the game with more Pacific Island opposition, in the shape of Fiji, looming in next weekend's quarter-finals.

England fast need to find an antidote to a game of off-loads, invention and commitment that very nearly caused the biggest upset of France 2023 so far.

Meanwhile, Wales thrashed Georgia 43-19 while RWC host France finished top of pool A after demolishing Italy 60-7 and the All Blacks thrashed Uruguay 73-0.

Ireland currently leads Scotland 5-0.

In other matches, Japan will take on Argentina at 11 tonight, Tonga will take on Romania at 3.45am tomorrow while the Fiji Water Flying Fijians will play Portugal at 7am tomorrow.

Source: BBC Sports