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NANTES - Samoa's 44-22 defeat by England on Saturday came as a stunning blow to the squad and marks the end of an era for the rugby-mad nation.
Three successive defeats have ended their quarter-final hopes and although they still have the game against the United States to come, coach Michael Jones and captain Brian Lima having been working on their goodbyes.
Lima, the only player to appear in five World Cups, is retiring at the end of the season while Jones is giving up the coach's job, which he has managed on a part-time basis for three years after a further three as assistant, after the tournament.
Both men were bitterly disappointed after Saturday's match, one they had targeted from the start. They had always believed they could win it and were in with a great chance until the final 10 minutes, when, just as in their meeting at the same stage four years ago, the world champions pulled clear.
"I'm proud of the boys. In 2003 we went for 60 minutes, this time we went for 71 then started to fall apart," Jones said.
"It's hard when you fall short after four years in the making, but as I said to the boys, we'll aim for the moon. As long as you give your best and you're prepared to pay the price. Even if we don't get there we'll be up in the stars, and I think we were sort of somewhere up in the stars today."
Jones, unfailingly dignified in victory or defeat and a wonderful ambassador for the sport and for Samoa, will now hand over the reins with only one regret.
"I've made it clear that this is my last tour of duty, it's time for some new blood and there are some good young coaches coming through and I've my life to get on with too," he said.
"It's been challenging but it's always been my greatest regret that I can't give it all my time and energy," added Jones, who last year had something of a fall-out with the country's administrators over the lack of a full-time coach for the national team.
"As a country we have made a lot of gains through a rough period with our rugby. It's never easy keeping pace with the rest of the world, with the big guns making exponential progress.
"But we've brought in some talented people and I can walk away knowing Samoa are in good hands."
Lima, 35, has been an integral part of Samoan rugby, playing in all their World Cup matches in five tournaments until he missed last week's defeat by Tonga with concussion.
He was a teenage winger when the then-Western Samoa blasted into the sport's consciousness by beating Wales in Cardiff in the pool stage of the 1991 World Cup and has epitomised their fearsome physical approach ever since.
"It's definitely my last year of rugby," he said.
- REUTERS
