This year's Samoan team could hardly be described as vintage, but they have finally managed to endure they go home with at least one win to their name this time around.

Their brutal physicality was at times a little too much, with their habit of aiming a little higher than most in the tackle still to the fore, especially in search of the spectacular hit to please the crowds.

However, there has been a changing of the guard in Pacific rugby this year, Tonga have shown with their first win in seven years over their neighbours, followed by a narrow loss to South Africa, that they are a team very much on the up.

The Samoans of the 1990's would never have allowed this US team to get that close, and would simply have blasted them off the pitch.

Full credit to the Eagles for never giving up, even scoring a try with the last move of the match, but they finish firmly at the bottom of Pool A. Pacific interest in the competition now lays in the hands of Tonga, in with a shout against the defending champions on Friday, and Fiji, who will be narrow second favourites in their Pool B decider against Wales on Saturday in Nantes.