LEEDS, England — England completed a series triumph over Samoa by securing a commanding 34-16 victory during the second test held at Headingley on Saturday.
The hosts showcased their offensive prowess, with center Herbie Farnworth contributing significantly by scoring two tries and assisting another goal executed by Jack Welsby, while also replicating last week’s successful six-try performance in Wigan, where they had won 34-18.

The match kicked off with Harry Smith converting a penalty for England after Luciano Leilua was flagged for a high tackle against Victor Radley. Leilua, however, quickly redeemed himself by executing a perfectly weighted kick, which Shawn Blore expertly caught to score for Samoa.
Following this, England surged ahead with 20 unanswered points before halftime. During this stretch, Liam Marshall celebrated his international debut with a remarkable try. He skillfully navigated through two defenders after cutting in from the left wing before reaching the scoring zone.

Samoa faced a setback when Junior Pauga received a yellow card for a forearm to John Bateman’s head, allowing England to capitalize on their numerical advantage. Captain George Williams executed a clever decoy, presenting him with an opportunity to break through a weakened Samoan defense for an unchallenged try. Smith then delivered a well-timed cut-out pass that helped Matty Ashton dive into the corner for another score.
Although Pauga returned in the final minutes of the half, he could not hinder England’s fourth try as Farnworth displayed remarkable skill in a solo run over 40 meters, bringing the halftime score to 22-6 following Smith’s successful conversion.

The second half began with Samoa attempting to close the gap, and they quickly found success. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck made a significant break, although his attempted offload hit the ground. Welsby failed to clear the loose ball, allowing Jake Tago to capitalize and score.

England responded decisively, re-establishing their 16-point cushion after demonstrating pressure in the attacking zone. Farnworth powered through several ineffective tackles to score again, which Smith successfully converted. Notably, a last-minute tackle by Tuivasa-Sheck stopped Junior Nsemba from extending the lead further. Nevertheless, Farnworth proved difficult to contain, fending off two defenders before setting up Welsby for an easy try.

Samoa managed to gain a late score when Jeremiah Nanai collected a well-played kick from Jarome Luai, providing them with a consolation try as the match concluded.