Relive Samoa’s incredible Siva Tau as Mikey Lewis and Gordon Chan Kum Tong square off

Aaron Bower
Samoa Siva Tau

Samoa's players perform the Siva Tau during the 2022 Rugby League World Cup

England’s two-Test series with Samoa was enthralling and captivating before a ball had even been kicked on Sunday afternoon in Wigan.

The tourists are facing Shaun Wane’s side in games at the Brick Community Stadium and Headingley in a rematch of the thrilling Rugby League World Cup semi-final from two years ago: and there is clear tension remaining between the nations.

That was evident pre-match when the Samoans performed their traditional war dance, the Siva Tau – and the BBC cameras didn’t miss a moment of it.

It was raw, passionate and spine-tingling from start to finish: and epitomised by a full-blooded moment featuring Manly hooker Gordon Chan Kum Tong and Hull KR half-back Mikey Lewis.

Lewis started Sunday’s game on the bench but he was certainly making his presence felt before even entering the field, going head-to-head with the Samoan interchange during the Siva Tau.

It was a thrilling moment and a fine advert for why international rugby league matters more than anything else – something we saw plenty of two years ago during the World Cup. The more of these kinds of spectacles the game can provide, the better, surely?

READ NEXT: England and Samoa’s head-to-head record analysed ahead of first Test

Thankfully, it was all captured on camera – and you can re-live it here.

It was an immediate and passionate throwback to the World Cup two years ago, when the Samoans lit up the tournament on the field as well as off it.

And it was a moment we hopefully can’t wait to see again next Saturday in Leeds when the second and final Test match takes place in West Yorkshire.

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