NRL gap a factor in France's heavy defeat by Samoa, says boss

France boss Laurent Frayssinous suggests the gap between the NRL and Super League was a huge factor in their 78-4 defeat by Samoa at the Men's Rugby League World Cup. Sua Fa'alogo scored four tries and later had a fifth ruled out France head coach Laurent Frayssinous suggested the growing gap between the NRL and Super League was a huge factor in Friday's 78-4 defeat by Samoa at the Men's Rugby League World Cup. Melbourne storm winger Sua Fa'alogo came off the bench as a replacement for the injured Deine Mariner to score four of Samoa's 14 tries in an emphatic Pool B-C victory in Parramatta. Mariner had opened the scoring, with two tries for Benaiah Ioelu and one each for Jermaine McEwen, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Stephen Crichton, Shawn Blore, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Izack Tago and Francis Molo.

France's sole try came in the first half from Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet. Frayssinous admitted his team were "all over the shop" in an opening 20 minutes where Samoa scored five times – with France not helped by head injuries to winger Leo Darrelatour and stand-off Cesar Rouge, although the latter was able to return after an assessment. But, asked why France had fallen to an even heavier defeat than the 62-4 loss they suffered against Samoa in Warrington at the last World Cup four years