Samoa whinge about the ref

Samoa went out of the World Cup with all guns blazing, pushing the defending champions - South Africa - to the limit and blasting the performance of Welsh referee Nigel Owens in their Pool D match at the North Harbour Stadium on Friday.

The Samoans, bidding to reach their first World Cup quarterfinal in 16 years, came up short, 5-13, after a titanic second-half contest with the Springboks.

Samoa finished with 14 men after fullback Paul Williams was given a direct red card for striking flank Heinrich Brüssow in the face 10 minutes from the end of a pulsating second half.

It was just one of several decisions by Owens that irked the Samoans, who almost added the prestige scalp of the Springboks to the one of Tri-Nations champions Australia in Sydney in July.

"I thought the ref was pretty hard on us," skipper Mahroni Schwalger said.

"There was a lot of times when they were slowing our ball down and for me it's got to be fair on us as well and make sure he gives us a chance as well.

"I felt like it was one way, but we can't change the result, it's done."

Schwalger said "acting" was involved in the red-carding of Williams.

Brüssow instigated the incident when he wildly thrashed out at Williams' arms to get release from a maul and the Samoan fullback got off the ground and retaliated by striking him in the face.

"There was a little bit of acting out there, there was nothing in that, but the referee gave him a red card and that was a little bit harsh."

Schwalger said his Samoa team was excited by the prospect of testing themselves against the world champion Springboks on the World Cup stage.

"The boys knew they had a special occasion like this to get a chance to play the world champs and you might as well make the most of it," he said.

AFP