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Samoa thought it was ready for the Rugby World Cup after going closer than anyone in more than a year to beating top-ranked Ireland on a rainy night in Bayonne. The Samoans found gaps, stood their ground and gave away no freebies, and Ireland squeaked home from behind 17-13 two weeks before the tournament. A month later, the promising quarterfinal hopes of a Samoa team with some big names have been snuffed out in Pool D after consecutive losses to Argentina and Japan. Samoa ended up chasing both, hurting itself with indiscipline, forced passes, and set-piece struggles. Forwards coach Tom Coventry says they need to get their mojo back to make a splash in their last pool against England next week.
