Back-row reaction: Ritchie and Thomson

Jamie Ritchie

On getting the performance they were looking for after the Ireland defeat:

“We’re delighted – we got the reaction we were looking for. They’re a team full of talented, physical, very big men.

“Speaking to a couple of their boys afterwards, they were talking about how physical we were – which was how we wanted it to be.”

On how the weather conditions affected the game:

“The conditions were muggy and sweaty and really hot. The ball was very slippery, and when it’s not going to hand it’s very difficult to play in these conditions. But when we did have the ball, and when we executed, we looked dangerous. It bodes well for when it’s a drier ball.”

On how his cheek felt after he was injured in the Ireland game:

“It was fine. I took a couple of bangs to it, as you do in a game, but it held up.”

Blade Thomson

On producing a response to criticism of their performance against Ireland:

“We didn’t read into any of the external pressure – it was all internal pressure. We just had to stay cool and calm and a lot of the boys did that today. I’m just proud.

“We knew Samoa were going to come out firing. They were coming off the line making hits. We just had to weather the storm and work them on the edges.

“I know a lot of the boys on the Samoan team and they’re great dudes. It’s hard to play against your mates but you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do.”

On whether belief has been restored by the victory:

“There was always belief. We just didn’t play well against Ireland and they capitalised 100 per cent on that. We can take a lot out of this game, but there are still improvements to be made.”