Samoa kept their Rugby World Cup qualification hopes alive with an impressive 26–8 victory over Namibia, a result that ended the Africans’ faint chances of reaching the tournament.
Meanwhile, Belgium made it back-to-back wins after a thrilling 30–27 triumph over Brazil to stay firmly in the hunt.
Samoa started strongly, crossing early through Jonathan Taumateine in the 4th minute and Latrell Ah Kiong just five minutes later. Fly-half Jacob Umaga converted both to give the hosts a commanding 14–0 lead.
Vaafauese Apelu Maliko added a third try in the 25th minute to extend Samoa’s dominance, with Umaga again on target from the tee.
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After the break, Namibia showed some resistance, cutting the deficit through a Cliven Loubser penalty in the 44th minute.
However, any hopes of a comeback were short-lived.
Alamanda Motuga powered over in the 54th minute for Samoa’s fourth try, converted again by Umaga to seal the win.
Namibia managed a consolation score through Jay-Cee Nel in the 70th minute, but the Pacific Islanders had already done enough.
The 26–8 result leaves Samoa and Belgium as the main contenders in the qualification race, while Namibia’s second straight defeat confirms they will miss out on a World Cup berth.
Elsewhere, Belgium continued their fine form with a narrow 30–27 win over Brazil, showing resilience in a tense finish to claim their second victory in a row.
The result keeps them level with Samoa in the standings heading into the decisive final round.
With both Samoa and Belgium hitting form at the right time, the qualification battle looks set for an exciting conclusion.
