Samoans start with a win

Edinburgh 22 Western Samoa 35

After an early shock when they found themselves 10-0 down, Western Samoa recovered to open their 12-match tour of Scotland and England with a comfortable win over Edinburgh at Inverleith yesterday.

Veli Patu, the full-back, grabbed three of Western Samoa's five tries, but the tourists were never able to rout Edinburgh whose captain, Ally Donaldson, kicked 17 points.

"There were a lot of flaws in our game," complained the Samoan team manager, Bryan Williams. "It was a typical first game of a tour. "

Edinburgh took the lead after only five minutes, when Darren Burns burst on to a loose ball before outstripping the defence for a popular score.

However, the Samoans were soon able to use their pace and power to break the Edinburgh defence, with the hooker, Tala Leiasamaivao, and the winger, Brian Lima, adding to Patu's tries to secure the victory.

Edinburgh: Tries Burns; Conversions Donaldson; Penalties Donaldson 5. Western Samoa: Tries Patu 3, Leisamaivao, Lima; Conversions Burns 2; Penalties Burnes, Patu.

EDINBURGH: N Mardon (Boroughmuir); D Macrae (Boroughmuir), D Laird (Boroughmuir), G Lawrie (Boroughmuir), C Glasgow (Heriot's FP); A Donaldson (Currie, capt), G Beveridge (Boroughmuir); R McNulty (Stewart's-Melville FP), P Haslett (Edinburgh Academicals), S Paul (Heriot's FP), D Burns (Boroughmuir), S Murray (Edinburgh Academicals), D Burns (Boroughmuir), B Ward (Currie), T McVie (Heriot's FP), G Dall (Heriot's FP).

WESTERN SAMOA: V Patu; B Lima, G Leaupepe, T Vaega, A Telea; C Burnes, M Vaea; B Reidy, T Leiasamaivao, G Latu, P Leavasa, M Birtwhistle, S Kaleta, P Lam (capt), S Vaifale.

Referee G Simmonds (Wal).