England have fallen horribly flat in the World Cup and been ridiculed for their lack of passion, courage and commitment. Not Ireland, whose appearance in the competition was seized on by local commentators as something of a joke, but who are now 80 minutes from a semi-final against Australia after a remarkable victory over much-fancied Samoa at Parramatta Stadium yesterday.

Ireland's so-called journeymen were everything that England were not in Sunday's 52-4 surrender to the Kangaroos. From staring down Samoa's pre-match war dance to the final siren, they demonstrated a fervour and raw aggression that Samoa's leading acts from the NRL and engage Super League could not match. The Pacific islanders overstepped the mark physically at times; not that it troubled minnows with a steely inner belief.

In topping the group dubbed the “Pacific pool of death” by overhauling Tonga on points difference, Ireland qualified against all the odds for the semi-final knockout match on the Gold Coast on Monday against Fiji, whose 18-16 loss to Scotland in Gosford, New South Wales, yesterday emphasised their vulnerability. One game at a time, perhaps, but an Irish eye or two will be looking wistfully to the unlikeliest of semi-final showdowns against the runaway favourites.

Andy Kelly, the Ireland coach, knows something about unsettling the Kangaroos from his brother Neil, who was coach of Wales when, improbably, they led Australia at half-time in the 2000 World Cup semi-finals. Fiji fall into a similar category as Samoa and Tonga - physical opponents - but Ireland have tackled like dervishes, never more so than in repelling an intimidating start by Samoa.

The storm lasted ten minutes and Samoa had two try-scoring efforts ruled out by the video referee before Ireland struck three times in a devastating seven-minute spell. Damien Blanch buckled under a challenge by Terence Seuseu but got the ball away for Liam Finn to direct a kick towards the leaping Pat Richards for a try, followed by Bob Beswick putting Simon Finnigan into a gap and Sean Gleeson making it 14-0 after the hapless Francis Meli had been outfoxed by Scott Grix's kick.

After Samoa pulled back two tries through Nigel Vagana and Misi Taulapapa, Ireland drew on their reserves of strength and the “rope-a-dope” analogy from studying the documentary film When We Were Kings, about Muhammad Ali's 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman. In taking the blows, they countered through Richards, the Wigan Warriors wing, whose three penalty goals, in keeping the score ticking over, were as crucial as his three touchdowns.

Richards's second try, cutting inside two tacklers to take Karl Fitzpatrick's smart cut-out pass, proved as damaging to Samoa's resolve as losing Vagana, their captain and talisman, after 57 minutes. Richards's hat-trick score, cancelling out a late effort by David Solomona, iced Ireland's cake.

Kelly has fostered an unquenchable team spirit. His players have let their hair down together and even had tattoos done together. Had his team's performance done something for the “English” game's battered reputation? “No,” Kelly said. “What we did was for Ireland. England have their own problems and I'm sure Mr [Tony] Smith and his crew will sort those out.”

Scorers: Samoa: Tries: Vagana, Taulapapa, Solomona. Goals: Roberts 2. Ireland: Tries: Richards 3, Finnigan, Gleeson, Finn. Goals: Richards 5.

Samoa: S Samau; M Utai, G Carmont, W Talau, F Meli; N Vagana, B Roberts; W McDade, T Seuseu, T Puletua, L Setu, A Lauitiiti, H Hansen. Interchange: F Puletua, D Solomona, J Paulo, M Taulapapa.

Ireland: M Platt; D Blanch, S Gleeson, S Littler, P Richards; S Grix, L Finn; E O'Carroll, B Beswick, G Haggerty, B Harrison, L Doran, S Finnigan. Interchange: M McIlorum, K Fitzpatrick, W Kerr, R Tandy.

Referee: T Alibert (France).