Emotion gets better of Samoa as Australia begin to resemble their old selves | Angus Fontaine

The Kangaroos hit form in their semi-final win over Samoa, who arrived in a blaze of Pasifika passion but exited after being outplayed in Sydney

Although the hopes of Samoan fans were washed away like tears in Sydney’s rain, the true triumph of their World Cup campaign – and that of fellow semi-finalists Tonga – will endure. Both tiny island nations were represented with pride and passion in this tournament, with huge mobs of happy supporters trailing them around the nation.

Their players – a diamond-league diaspora of NRL stars honouring ancestral ties – have served that fanbase nobly this past month. But ultimately, the emotion of serving those supporters got the better of both sides as their bigger Pacific brothers, Australia and New Zealand, won through to the final on maturity and composure.