Manu Samoa

But a sloppy, second-rate performance was exploited by a fired-up Manu Samoa, who pulled out one more final trick to almost complete a shock win.

The Associated Press attempted to contact Manu Samoa officials by phone and email but messages have not immediately been returned.

The Bears ended up missing 44 tackles as Manu Samoa, fresh in their first game of the tournament, made 11 breaks and ran free in the second half where they scored five of their six tries.

Cole said the Samoa players deserved to be paid more, and it was vital that teams such as Manu Samoa are able to compete on the global stage.

To the credit of Manu Samoa, in a week in which their oft-criticized administrators declared their union bankrupt, they never gave up.