Samoa feel like they’ve come back from the dead in this World Cup - and assistant coach Frank Pritchard must feel very much the same.
Struck down by Covid, he was placed in a coma and left fighting for his life earlier this year. But thankfully the ex-Samoa captain - a Hull cult-hero after helping them to their first Wembley success in 2016 - survived and now he’s preparing his tiny country for a maiden World Cup final appearance. Superb Samoa shocked England 27-26 in a semi-final golden point at the Emirates Stadium.
That came just four weeks after being thrashed 60-6 by the same opponents and sets up Saturday’s Old Trafford decider with mighty Australia. Speaking about his Covid battle, Pritchard admitted: “It was touch and go. Covid was tough for everyone in the world. I was just lucky my body could handle it and peoples’ prayers kept me going through.
“But it’s all down to God. I’m a big believer in Christianity. I would never have thought I’d have the chance to come back over, especially having Covid at the start of the year. Who’d have thought I’d be here? But, fast forward six months, here I am running water for the Samoa team and part of this coaching staff. Things happen for a reason. And hopefully bigger and better things are to come on Saturday.”
Sydney-born Pritchard, 39, played 26 games for Hull in his sole season in England, the highlight being that famous Challenge Cup final win over Warrington. A powerful second-row, he retired after captaining Samoa in the 2017 World Cup when they failed to even win a match and suffered a 46-0 quarter-final hammering by Australia. Castleford coach Lee Radford, working with Samoa in this tournament, was his boss at Hull where current England assistant Andy Last was No2.
Pritchard - nicknamed Frank The Tank - said: “It’s been awesome working with Radders again. And I saw Lasty after the England game. We’re all good mates. Radders is a character but he puts in the hard work as well. The boys have really gravitated towards him and he brings a different mindset, especially in defence and knowing the background in Super League. It’s given us a bit of an edge here on how to test the referees.”
Bringing star-studded Australia to their knees would signal the biggest shock in Test match history. But Pritchard was part of the 2008 New Zealand squad that lifted the trophy, the only time the Kangaroos haven’t prospered since losing to Great Britain in 1972, so he knows anything is possible. The ex-Penrith and Canterbury star said: “Of course (we can win). We’re there. We have nothing to lose.
“The first week was tough in the World Cup. But team belief and hard work got us here. It wasn’t easy against England but the boys have done it. And now on to Australia.”
The proud Pacific island with a population of barely 200,000 has been celebrating all week since Samoa’s famous victory saw them become the first tier-two nation to reach a World Cup final. Pritchard added: “What the boys have done, and this World Cup, means a lot to everyone, not just Samoa but Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and all the Pacific people. We are representing everyone and we’re so proud of the boys. Back home in Australia, and in America and Samoa, everyone is marching. It just means so much.”
