Samoa coach’s classy words to England ahead of 2025 Ashes Series

Samoa head coach Ben Gardiner lauded England following their 2-0 series whitewash against his team, and tipped Shaun Wane’s side to be ‘really strong’ in next year’s Ashes Series against Australia.

Having opened the 2024 autumn series up with a 34-18 win against the Samoans in Wigan last Sunday, hosts England completed a series whitewash courtesy of a 34-16 success at Headingley on Saturday afternoon.

Dolphins ace Herbie Farnworth, the NRL’s Dally M Centre of the Year in the season just gone, was the star of the show as he crossed for an impressive brace of tries in Leeds and scooped the Player of the Match.

Debutant Liam Marshall, captain George Williams, winger Matty Ashton and full-back Jack Welsby all also got their names on the scoresheet.

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Samoa coach’s classy words to England ahead of 2025 Ashes Series

Much of the early talk in Gardiner’s post-match press conference centred around a first half yellow card for back Junior Pauga.

But the Samoa coach was quick to highlight how impressed he was by England, saying: “I don’t want everything to be about the sin-binning.

“At the end of the day, England were excellent today. Herbie Farnworth had another great game, he really dominated, and I don’t want to take anything away from them. They were brilliant, they deserved to win.”

The victory means that Wane’s side have now won all seven matches they’ve played in since being dumped out of the World Cup at the semi-final stage by Samoa back in November 2022.

And while full details remain unconfirmed as yet, it sees England’s development continue with all eyes now on next year’s three-part Ashes Series against Australia, with the Kangaroos set to tour these shores for the first time in more than 20 years.

Mal Meninga’s world champions are very rarely beaten, but having seen his Samoa side square off against Wane’s side twice this autumn, Gardiner insists that England have a chance, believing they are ‘really strong’.

Toa Samoa’s boss detailed: “The England team is very strong and the Australian team have had a bit of one good performance then one not so good performance (recently).

“They’re probably working into it (the Pacific Championships) a bit like we had to do in our first week (of the series against England), so I think it’ll be a great tour.

“I think it’ll be a strong Australian team up against a really strong England team, if this England team is the way that it goes, which I’m assuming it will be.

“They should be great Test matches, similar to what these two (between England and Samoa) were.”

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