In a way, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. Beating Wales at rugby union in Cardiff is a national pastime for Samoans, so Friday night's 26-19 victory at the Millennium Stadium could be construed as par for the course.
But who are we kidding? Look at the relative resources of the two rugby countries: Wales should be beating Samoa at home. Yet the final score here did not do justice to Samoan superiority. What has happened to Welsh rugby since the Six Nations grand slam triumph in March? The domestic game is haemorrhaging its best Welsh players to the French championship and, with selection policy in what might kindly be called a state of flux, Wales have looked inept so far in the Autumn internationals.
"Wales's forwards could hardly have been more ineffectual had they picked a front row of Katherine Jenkins, Neil Kinnock and Kimberley Nixon."
Sam Warburton, the talismanic captain from last year's World Cup, was dropped after the comprehensive defeat to Argentina last Saturday but it made little difference. Samoa won the physical battle; the Welsh forwards could hardly have been more ineffectual had they picked a front row of Katherine Jenkins, Neil Kinnock and Kimberley Nixon.
The half-back combination is also up in the air; Dan Biggar had a torrid time and was replaced by Rhys Priestland before half-time. With full-back Leigh Halfpenny now the principal goal-kicker, if the fly-half is not providing attacking creativity, there is nothing else to fall back on. Still, at least Wales did not undermine themselves by leaving out Mike Phillips, easily the best British scrum half of the last few years, for having the temerity to miss the Polish training camp in order to, you know, play some rugby in France. Intense physical conditioning is all very well, but picking your best players is still the most important thing. As Martin Samuel wrote after the Argentina match, in which Tavis Knoyle wore the number 9 jersey, Wales "…seem a little like the Royston Vasey XV: a local team, for local people."
Perhaps the Six Nations was the anomaly. For all the furore over Wales's escapades in New Zealand last year, the fact remains that they lost every match against substantive opposition save the quarter final against Ireland and were whitewashed in their summer tour of Australia. Yet at least those defeats to the powerhouses of the international game had silver linings; Wales showed character and promise in the semi final defeat to France, in which they were comfortably the better side despite spending over an hour a man short. The last two performances have been irredeemable.
The Six Nations is increasingly looking like the second division of international rugby. Things have come to a pretty pass when, to see how to score tries against capable opponents, Wales are obliged to look to Scotland. Or, even more depressingly, England; the nation who for years have created the impression they think rugby can be played even if nobody brings a ball. England begin today's matches as strong favourites to defeat Australia. Wales are now clinging on to a place in Pot 2 for December's World Cup draw. With Argentina resurgent, a result against Australia or New Zealand may be needed to do so. Good luck with that one.
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