England v Samoa LIVE: Rugby World Cup result and final score as late Danny Care try prevents upset

England 18-17 Samoa: The Pacific Islanders were minutes away from a first ever win against England but were denied by Care’s late score

France on 'serene' win over Italy in Rugby World Cup

Danny Care scored the winning try seven minutes from time to spare England’s blushes and complete a 18-17 victory over superb Samoa in their Rugby World Cup Pool D clash on Saturday.

Two tries from winger Nigel Ah-Wong had Samoa leading deep into the match, but their dreams of a first win over England were ended by poor discipline as they lost centre Tumua Manu to a yellow card and conceded repeated penalties that gave England the territory they needed.

England lost 30-22 to Fiji in a warm-up fixture ahead of the World Cup and may meet them again in the quarter-finals, where they will need an improved performance after a sloppy showing against Samoa where they made numerous handling errors and battled with the high tempo game of the Pacific Islanders.

England had secured top spot in Pool D but advance with a clean sweep of four wins after lock Ollie Chessum scored their opening try on a day when captain Owen Farrell broke Jonny Wilkinson’s points record of 1,178 as he kicked three penalties.

Follow all the action as England face Samoa in their Pool D match plus get all the latest Rugby World Cup odds and tips here:

England vs Samoa

• REPORT: England’s lucky escape can’t hide identity crisis threatening to derail World Cup
• FULL-TIME: England 18-17 Samoa
• TRY! England 18-17 Samoa (Care, 73 mins)
• PENALTY! England 11-17 Samoa (Farrell, 58 mins)
• NO TRY! England 8-17 Samoa - Chessum and Marchant scores ruled out by TMO
• PENALTY! England 8-17 Samoa (Sopoaga, 48 mins)
• TRY! England 8-14 Samoa (Ah-Wong, 29 mins)
• TRY! England 8-7 Samoa (Ah-Wong, 22 mins)
• PENALTY! England 8-0 Samoa (Farrell, 18 mins) - Farrell breaks points record
• TRY! England 5-0 Samoa (Chessum, 9 mins)

[7 October 2023 17:38 · Ben Fleming]

HALF-TIME: England 8-14 Samoa

The resulting maul goes nowhere as Farrell eventually knocks the ball on to bring the first half to a close.

After the early Chessum score, England have been dominated by Samoa and should perhaps count themselves fortunate that they remain only seven points behind.

Plenty to ponder for Steve Borthwick and his side at the break.

[7 October 2023 17:37 · Ben Fleming]

England 8-14 Samoa

40 mins: And now perhaps a chance for England to get some points. A penalty is given up by Samoa and Ford kicks for the corner on the brink of half-time.

[7 October 2023 17:36 · Ben Fleming]

England 8-14 Samoa

39 mins: Wave after wave of Samoan pressure as they look for that deserved third try before the break. England do enough, though, to disturb the ball at the ruck and win a vital penalty and a chance to slow this game down.

[7 October 2023 17:33 · Ben Fleming]

England 8-14 Samoa

35 mins: Another big slice of fortune for England as Ah-Wong’s foot just drifts into touch as the winger thinks he has touched down for a first-half World Cup hat-trick.

I’m not quite sure how England are still within seven points. A desperately unlucky few moments for Samoa.

[7 October 2023 17:28 · Ben Fleming]

DISALLOWED! England 8-14 Samoa

33 mins: A huge let-off for England.

Paia’aua had capitalised on Mithcell’s miscued box kick to score Samoa’s third try. Even the conversion had been taken but the TMO takes a belated look at it once again and it’s ruled out for a Samoan knock on.

Very fortunate for the men in white.

[7 October 2023 17:22 · Ben Fleming]

TRY! England 8-14 Samoa (Ah-Wong, 29 mins)

A potential try of the tournament!

Ah-Wong collects Sopoaga cross-field kick brilliantly, as the ball just drifts over Steward’s head, and shows superb skill to get the ball down before he steps out of the try zone.

TMO gives it a check but it stands and Samoa are ahead in quite brilliant fashion.

[7 October 2023 17:20 · Ben Fleming]

England 8-7 Samoa

28 mins: A stellar period of pressure from Samoa as they again force the issue on the edge of the 22. England concede another penalty and their opponents opt for the corner...

[7 October 2023 17:18 · Ben Fleming]

England 8-7 Samoa

26 mins: McFarland has been playing like a man possessed in these early stages and it takes three England players to bring the flanker down as he collects Sopoaga’s cross-field kick.

But he still mananges to get off an offloadwhich almost results in another Samoan try. England, however, do well to rip the ball near the tryline.

A scrum it will be.

[7 October 2023 17:14 · Ben Fleming]

TRY! England 8-7 Samoa (Ah-Wong, 22 mins)

Samoa bounce back!

What a superb, free-flowing move to get on the board. Soft hands from the Pacific Islanders and it’s Luatua who releases Ah-Wong down the right. The winger has space and can’t be stopped as he bulldozes over the line.

Sopoaga adds the conversion and there’s just one point in it now.

[7 October 2023 17:12 · Luke Baker]

England 8-0 Samoa

Owen Farrell has surpassed Jonny Wilkinson as England’s all-time leading points scorer in international rugby.

The Saracens fly half overtook Wilkinson’s tally of 1,179 points during England’s World Cup meeting with Samoa in Lille. He had missed an early chance to break the record as his conversion attempt from near the left touchline after Ollie Chessum’s ninth-minute try drifted wide but the 32-year-old did accomplish the feat by slotting a straightforward penalty on 17 minutes and moving to 1,181 points, receiving a congratulatory slap on the back from Jamie George on his way back to halfway.