NZPA Correspondent

Sydney, March 21 NZPA - New Zealand's plight against sevens nemesis Samoa worsened in Adelaide today as their lead in the International Rugby Board world series was eroded after elimination in the Cup quarterfinals.

For the fourth time in the series Samoa had New Zealand's measure, a 24-19 victory at the Adelaide Oval in extra time heaping pressure on Gordon Tietjen's team before next weekend's tournament in Hong Kong.

Samoa had previously recorded wins in the pool stages in South Africa -- though New Zealand eventually won that title -- their semifinal in Wellington and again in the Las Vegas decider.

By clinching an intense clash, the Pacific Islanders are assured of eroding the 14-point buffer New Zealand carried into the fifth of eight tournaments.

Samoa's improvement on the overall standings will only be apparent after the Cup programme finishes later today (approx 2115 NZT).

Samoa arrived with 70 points compared to New Zealand's 84 and are assured of collecting another 24 or 20 points by making the final.

New Zealand can add a maximum of 12 after dropping to the second-tier Plate competition -- paying dearly for the sinbinning of Kurt Baker after Samoa levelled the scores at 19-19 in the final minute of regulation.

Baker vented at Australian referee Andrew Lees after Simaika Mikaele was judged to have scored in the corner -- replays suggested the try was legitimate.

Baker's dissent was a continuation of New Zealand's ill discipline throughout the tournament.

They were also undermanned in pool games against Argentina and Scotland - where two men were yellow carded for second half infringements.

New Zealand swept pool A despite those impositions but paid dearly for Baker's absence when Timoteo Iosua promptly dived over between the posts in the first period of golden point extra time.

Earlier Baker had indulged in a running verbal battle with Samoa's leading try-scorer Mikaele Pesamino as the lead swapped at regular intervals.

Pesamino took exception when Baker pushed him out of bounds and into a corner flag and then stood over his adversary, giving him a message when a Loto Lui try gave Samoa a 14-5 halftime advantage after Save Tokula had opened the scoring for New Zealand.

New Zealand fought back to lead 19-14 through tries to Baker and veteran Zar Lawrence but their defence was breached again in the dying seconds when Mikaele touched down a split second before uprooting the corner flag. Lees awarded the try after consultation with his assistants as there was no television match official to view a replay.

New Zealand regrouped to beat another perennial powerhouse Fiji 24-21 in the Plate semifinal despite conceding two late tries.

They meet defending champion South Africa in the Plate final which carries 12 points for the winner and eight for the runner-up.

New Zealand had breezed through pool play by posting big wins over Scotland, Tonga and Argentina, scoring 104 points and conceding just seven.

Cup quarterfinal: Samoa 24 (Mikaele Pesamino, Loto Lui, Simaika Mikaele, Timoteo Iosua tries; Lui 2 con) New Zealand 19 (Save Tokula, Kurt Baker, Zar Lawrence tries; Tomasi Cama 2 con). Halftime: 14-5.

Plate semifinal: New Zealand 24 (Save Tokula, Tim Mikkelson, Zar Lawrence, Toby Arnold tries; Tomasi Cama 2 con) Fiji 21 (Emosi Vucango, Setephano Cakau, Watisoni Votu tries; Vucango, Cakau, Votu cons) Halftime: 19-0.