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van der Schoot (2', 40'), K. Mulling (6', 21', 41', 80'), van der Velden (10', 60'), I. Prins (15'), L. Stallmann (30'), M. Luijken (55'), L. Boot (74')
Tries
J. Metz (3', 16', 56'), P. Kievit (61', 80')
Conversions
This was less about flair than about being ready. A settled, well-prepared Netherlands side rolled straight from a 33–0 tune-up and a hard conditioning block into a Samoa team trying to find itself under a new coach, and the gap in organisation was ruthless. The Dutch knew exactly where their gain line was and how to get to it. Samoa were still learning each other’s cues. That’s how a contest becomes a procession.
You could see the preparation in the first quarter: fast ball, simple shapes, accurate cleanouts, and support lines that kept the play moving after first contact. Within 16 minutes the Dutch had four tries and Samoa were already firefighting. By the time yellow cards started to bite the visitors — first to Michelle Curry, then Faith Nonutunu — the scoreboard pressure had turned into panic. The ideas were there for Samoa, but the connections weren’t.
What did the winners do well? They were clinical in the red zone and relentless at the breakdown. Kika Mulling finished four times not because she had to beat six defenders, but because the inside work was clean and repeatable: inside-centre Mariet Luijken punched for 117 metres off nine carries, Inger Jongerius hit everything (15 tackles) and carried with intent, and Linde van der Velden arrived on time for two close-range finishes. When the shape is that clear, the edge players live on front-foot ball. Mulling just had to cash the cheques.
The other lever was pressure without the ball. Netherlands turned Samoa over five times and forced 11 penalties. That mattered more than possession, because Samoa actually had more of it. The flow chart reads simple: Dutch pressure ? Samoan indiscipline ? Dutch territory ? Dutch points. Once Nonutunu sat down at 30 minutes, Netherlands struck immediately through Lieve Stallmann, then nicked another before the half through Gwen van der Schoot. When you’re rebuilding systems, those ten minutes feel like an hour.
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAKS
TACKLE
TACKLES MISSED
TURNOVERS WON
PENALTIES CONCEDED
YELLOW CARDS
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
Set piece told you where the cohesion gap lived. Samoa’s scrum held up, but a 40% lineout (4/10) killed any chance to build phases in good zones. Netherlands weren’t flawless at 69%, yet they got enough clean launches to run their menu. And when the ball did spill, Dutch decision-making was tidy: kick or carry, one more pass or tuck, the right call arrived more often than not. That’s what time together under Gareth Gilbert — now in his final tournament after a 15-year stint — looks like.
This wasn’t perfect from the Netherlands. Twelve tries and only five conversions is wasteful, and 25 missed tackles is a red flag with Brazil and Fiji to follow in back-to-back weeks. Even at 70–0, you could see a couple of scramble moments where the spacing frayed. They also took a yellow (to Isis Touw) just after half-time; they still outscored Samoa during that window, but better sides will make them pay. The work-ons are obvious and immediate.
For Samoa, the rebuild under Fuimaono Bella Milo is real and necessary, and it will take more than one week. The backfield carried bravely — Drenna Falaniko and Taytana Ah-Cheung found metres, Ana Afuie sniped for 57 — and Michelle Curry punched a hard clean break before her bin. But support lagged, carriers got isolated, and the first-up defensive reads were a step slow when the Dutch stacked numbers to an edge. Debut minutes, like Itema Filipaina off the bench, are value for the programme long-term; in a three-week, centralised series, they can be painful in the short term.
Individually, Netherlands had difference-makers all over. Gwen van der Schoot set the tone with the opener and picked an excellent line before the break. Isa Prins was a proper seven-minute microcosm: a try, heavy carries, and double-digit tackles. Jet Metz and Pleuni Kievit shared the kicking, and while the percentages were poor, Metz’s control in contact — eight tackles and a neat offload — kept their tempo. Off the bench, Lisa Boot arrived hungry and got her reward.
Did the margin flatter the Dutch? Not really. Samoa had 54% of the ball and four line breaks, but they never looked like a team that trusted its next action. Netherlands were the opposite: prepared, connected, and ruthless when a card or a crooked throw opened the door. The score reflected cohesion as much as talent.
So the takeaways are blunt. Netherlands look like a group that came through a commando-style camp and a 33-0 tune-up: fit, drilled and ready for the grind of Hong Kong’s consecutive weeks. Hold the tackle completion, tidy the lineout, sort the tee, and they’ll stay in control of this Challenger. Samoa are in year one under Milo, with uncapped players bedding in and combinations still sketching themselves. Fix the lineout, cut the penalties, and keep the intent; the learning curve is steep, but the direction is right. Next week isn’t about revenge. It’s about connection.
