Samoa clinch first win over Scotland, Alesana Tuilagi scores two tries Samoa's James Sooialo on the attack during his side's historic first win against Scotland. Picture: Getty Images/Steve Haag Source: Getty Images SAMOA have beaten Scotland for the first time as powerful winger Alesana Tuilagi scored two tries in a 27-17 win in the opening game of the four-nation tournament in South Africa. Fullback James So'oialo and Tuilagi crossed in the first 15 minutes at Kings Park to surprise a Scotland team missing its four British Lions, and Tuilagi's second try in the 64th was decisive after Scotland regained some composure and clawed its way back into contention. Scrum-half Greig Laidlaw began Scotland's fightback with four penalties, and right wing Sean Lamont scored the Scots' only try at the start of the second half to send them briefly ahead at 17-14. But Tuilagi ran on to a short pass off a scrum and burst through the defense for Samoa's clinching try and first victory in nine tests against the Scots. Scotland had won seven of the eight previous meetings, with one draw. "Alesana is a colossus of a man and he came through for us when we needed him," Samoa captain Paul Williams said. So'oialo also was pivotal, finishing with 17 points - a try, three conversions and two penalties. Starting with three new caps, and with another three on the bench, Scotland was caught out by Samoa's willingness to attack and go wide early in Durban - and the islanders' typical physicality - and then couldn't quite rein in the Samoans in the second half. In contrast, Samoa attacked and defended with ferocity, despite surrendering a lot of set-piece possession, to make history. "It was a test match and you've got to win the contact battles to win the test match," interim Scotland coach Scott Johnson said after a harsh lesson for some of his test newcomers. They've worked out a test match is a test of many things. Some have learnt what it's like to jump up. It's very different. Samoa attacked from way out near its 22-meter line for the opening try in the eighth minute, sending the ball across the backline for So'oialo to give debutant wing Alapati Leiua space on the right to speed around the defense. He flicked a no-look pass inside and back to So'oialo and the fullback went the final 20 meters to the corner. Tuilagi was put away on the left wing in the 13th, but his second was the pick of the scores as he ran over replacement Peter Horne with a bullocking burst to put Samoa ahead for the final time after the teams were locked at 17-17 with 20 minutes to go. So'oialo made sure of victory with a 70th-minute penalty. Scotland needed shots at goal from Laidlaw to initially keep in touch after Samoa's rapid start, and a set-piece error by the Samoans let Lamont score in the 50th. Scotland stole possession at a scrum and shoveled the ball out to the right winger for his 10th test try. But Samoa kept attacking, and Tuilagi's eye-catching second try clinched victory and an amazing turnaround after an understrength Samoa lost by 60 points to a South African provincial team at the start of its tour. South Africa and Italy are the other two teams contesting the three-week tournament.