Samoa thrash France 78-4 at the Rugby League World Cup as Sua Fa'alogo scores four tries off the bench

Stephen Crichton scored 26 points, a Samoan record according to Nine, while Deine Mariner left the field with a hamstring injury.

Confirmed

Samoa have smashed France 78-4 in a Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) pool match at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta on Friday night. Sua Fa'alogo was the star. He came off the bench and scored four tries. Nine reported that equals Samoa's record for the most tries in one game. Nine also said he is only the second player in RLWC history to score a hat-trick after starting on the bench. Stephen Crichton scored 26 points, which Nine said is a new Samoan national record. There was one worry for Samoa. Deine Mariner scored the first try of the night, but went off after about 10 minutes with a hamstring injury. Coach Ben Gardiner said taking him off was a precaution. Mariner will have scans on Saturday, and the results are not yet known. The big win gives Samoa a strong start to the tournament. Samoa play Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby next week, Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.