Australia A held off a valiant second-half comeback by Manu Samoa to win their water-logged Pacific Nations Cup rugby match 20-15 in APIA and retain their unbeaten record.

The Australians, including 17 Wallabies in the squad, led 10-3 at half-time and were then forced to defend for long periods of the second spell as the home side came back at them.

Japan beat Tonga 35-13 and New Zealand Maori accounted for Fiji 11-7 in the weekend's other matches.

Australia A lead the standings with nine points, one more than the Maori, with Fiji on six and Japan five.

"We are very happy to get out of Apia with a win," Australian A captain Morgan Turinui said.

"I told the boys before the match 'expect a tough physical game' and that was what we got.

"But we were happy with the result. It was the result we wanted, even though we didn't play the way we wanted to."

Manu Samoa coach Tuala Lepale Niko Palamo said his side were the architects of their own downfall.

"We should have won, but we handed Australia two easy tries," he said.

"We also had a lot of missed penalty kicks which could have changed the end of the game."

Both sides scored two tries apiece and the difference was in the accuracy of the kicking by Australians Mark Gerrard and replacement Matt Carraro.

In the wet and mud, both sides resorted to kicking tactics for territory and to force errors.

Samoa was the first to break, allowing Australian wing Tahu Timana to snap up a loose ball and dash 40 metres to the line.

Fellow winger Mark Gerrard landed the conversion and a later penalty while fullback Neli Sasulu landed a penalty for Samoa to close out the first half scoring.

Samoa closed the gap to 8-10 immediately after halftime with a well organised lineout move involving scrumhalf Notise Tauafao and prop Census Hohnston, which led to a try in the corner by hooker Loleni Tafuna'i.

Australia fought back to open up a 20-8 lead with a try to Turinui, cashing in on another Samoa backline error, plus a conversion by Gerrard and a penalty by his replacement Matt Carraro.

With time running out, Samoa mounted a series of attacks on the Australian line and prop Muliufi Salanoa eventually penetrated the defence.

Replacement scrumhalf Vale Mai landed the conversion to close out the scoring.

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