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Everything you need to know ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup final
By Ned Lester
Four of the Pacific’s heavyweights are set to collide in Osaka on Saturday in a doubleheader that will decide the Pacific Nations Cup podium.
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For Manu Samoa and the USA, it’s a chance to finish competitive campaigns on a high and prove they are tracking well in this new World Cup cycle.
For the finalists, Japan and Fiji, the title is on the line and there will be plenty of heart on display as the teams chase the title of Pacific kings.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup final round, available to watch on RugbyPass TV in select territories.
Samoa vs USA
Where: Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka
When: 16:00 local time, Saturday, September 21
The third-place final sees the team with the most tackles in the tournament, the USA, come up against the team with as many defenders beaten as any team in Manu Samoa.
While both were, in the end, comfortably dismissed by their semi-final opponents, these two teams have some star power across the matchday 23, with Samoa’s No. 8 Iakopo Petelo-Mapu claiming a round-high 25 tackles against Japan and his USA counterpart Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz leading the competition in average carries per 80 minutes.
There have been just seven Test matches total between these two nations, with USA winning the most recent two and Samoa winning the first five.
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Fiji vs Japan
Where: Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka
When: 19:05 local time, Saturday, September 21
Get your popcorn ready, this is going to be fun. Both of these teams boast exhausting attacks that promise to make this final an Osaka spectacle.
Both sides scored over 90 points over their two pool games, and Japan backed that up with a 49-point outing against Samoa in the semi-final while Fiji overcame a rapid start from the USA, flexing their muscles defensively to claim a 22-3 win and advance to the final.
Japan leads the tournament in the majority of statistical categories in both attack and defence while their set-piece also rates highly. Fiji claims the top spot in key categories like defenders beaten, turnovers won and opposition 22m entries.
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Both sides employ dual-playmaker attacks, with young stars in the making familiar to the N0. 10 jersey playing at fullback behind a more experienced campaigner at flyhalf.
For Fiji, it’s Caleb Muntz leading the attack with assistance from Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula. For Japan, veteran Harumichi Tatekawa is backed up by perhaps the competition’s MVP to date in Seungsin Lee at fullback.
