OWEN Farrell kicked himself into the England record books to complete a comeback win.
But the piece of history and the lucky win were the only positives from a shambles of a performance.
Owen Farrell made history as he surpassed Jonny Wilkinson’s all-time England points tallyITV
Steve Borthwick’s side were staring at a humiliation as Samoa scored two tries and could have had four more either side of the interval.
The mental frailty on a night of controversial TMO calls both ways was summed up when Farrell’s penalty was ruled out because he exceeded his 60-second time limit.
But as the South Sea islanders ran out of puff, Danny Care scampered over from a close range scrum.
And that allowed Farrell, who had earlier surpassed Jonny Wilkinson’s all-time England points tally, to give the Red Rose side the most slender of wins.
The only consolation was that Wilkinson and Co pulled off a similar escape against the Samoans 20 years ago – and we all know what happened after that.
But the utter madness that consumed Borthwick’s side and the frantic, unfocused flailing to get out of a hole suggest the expected quarter-final crunch with Fiji next week might be the end of the road.
What made the bedlam all the harder to comprehend was that it came after England had started with genuine enthusiasm and invention.
Manu Tuilagi – playing against his homeland for the first time – was in wrecking ball mode, and the England set-piece was utterly dominant, shunting the Samoans backwards.
When swift handling ended with Tuilagi making the important yards before flipping out to Ollie Chessum for the lock to canter the final 15 yards down the left wing, an easy win seemed likely.
Farrell missed his first chance to break Wilkinson’s tally of 1,179 points, pulling his conversion.
And while skipper was shovelled into touch inches short of the line, after another bulldozing Tuilagi assault, an offside call allowed him to bisect the uprights.
Jamie George was on hand to congratulate Farrell for the moment of history but England went into meltdown.
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England barely managed to beat Samoa in the Rugby World CupAP
Samoa, keeping the ball alive, went right, then left, then right again, leaving England defensively ragged before Nigel Ah-Wong was far too powerful for Jonny May.
Suddenly, Samoa were alive, England on the back foot – and soon behind after another great finish by Ah-Wong, who stole in behind Freddie Steward as the full-back grasped thin air from a crossfield kick.
When another astonishing mess-up saw Alex Mitchell mis-kick horribly and England panic, Duncan Paia’aua appeared to have scored a third try in a matter of minutes.
Indeed, Lima Sopoaga had already missed his conversion only for the TMO to rule a knock-on by centre Tumua Manu as he grappled with Maro Itoje and Ben Earl.
Rattled England were desperate for the break to regather their scrambled brains, another potential Samoa try ruled out when Ah-Wong was just in touch.
Not that England were much better after the interval, with only George Ford’s desperate cover tackle halting Paia’aua after the ball popped out of Tuilagi’s hands.
England will play Fiji in the Rugby World Cup’s quarter-finalsAP
Billy Vunipola lasted just 10 minutes after replacing Tom Curry and Sopoaga extended the lead to nine.
Marcus Smith then replaced Ford, although at full-back with Farrell at fly-half.
England were now throwing everything at it. And twice were denied by the officials.
Chessum thought he had got his second try with what appeared to be a grounding ruled as a double movement.
Then Marchant was sent in by Maro Itoje, after Smith’s incursion, but the pass was forward.
Farrell kicked the gap back to six as Samoa looked to be paying for their exertions.
Samoa crashed out of the World Cup after a close defeat to EnglandReuters
But with the chance to cut it to three, he then took too long over a penalty and saw the successful kick wiped off.
It summed up England. Poor decisions. A lack of clarity. Embarrassing and needless errors.
Yet, still, they found a way, Care skipping round the base of the scrum to plonk down and let Farrell, watching the clock properly this time, clip the winning conversion.
Even then, it needed Care to make a match-saving tackle on Neria Fomai after England’s defence had imploded once more.
Somehow, though, they won. They cannot keep getting away with it.
England: Steward 6, Marchant 5, Tuilagi 7 (Lawrence 6), Farrell 6, May 5, Ford 6 (Smith 6) , Mitchell 4 (Care 6), Genge 6 (Marler 6), George 6, Cole 6 (Sinclair 6), Itoje 6, Chessum 7, Lawes 6 (Martin 6), Curry 6 (Vunipola 6), Earl 5.
Samoa: Paia’aua; Ah-Wong, Manu, Toala, Fomai; Sopoaga, Taumateine (Matavao); Jordan Lay (James Lay), Malolo (Lam), Alaalatoa (Alo-Emile), Slade (Faiilagi), Alainu’u’ese, McFarland, Lee (Motuga), Lualua
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