Following four rounds of enthralling action, all eyes will be on Hanazono Rugby Stadium this Saturday as hosts Japan take on Fiji in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2024 final.
Both teams head into the weekend in fine form, having won three out of three during the tournament so far and booked their place in the showpiece match with commanding semi-final victories.
Fiji are the most successful team in the competition’s history with five titles to their name and possess the 2024 tournament’s top try-scorer and its meanest defence.
Meanwhile, Finals Series hosts Japan will arrive in Osaka Prefecture full of confidence having been at their clinical best in beating Samoa in last Sunday’s semi-final and with home support in their favour.
Before the final gets underway, Hanazono Rugby Stadium will host the third-place play-off as USA and Samoa attempt to end their tournament on a high.
Saturday, 21 September, 2024
Final: Fiji v Japan – Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka Prefecture – KO 19:07 (GMT+9)
Head-to-head
The Pacific Nations Cup final will be the 20th test meeting between the teams, with Fiji winning 15 of the previous 19 matches and Japan emerging victorious in the other four.
Fiji have won five of the last six matches between the teams, including a 35-12 victory at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in August last year.
Waisea Nayacalevu, Eroni Mawi, Simione Kuruvoli and Frank Lomani (twice) each crossed the whitewash before the hosts, who had flanker Lappies Labuschagne sent off, scored two tries in the final 10 minutes
PNC honours
Fiji are the most successful team in Pacific Nations Cup history, having won the title on five occasions. The last of those victories came in 2018.
Japan, meanwhile, have won the tournament three times – most recently in 2019 – putting them behind their opponents and Samoa on the honours list.
Fiji form: Canakaivata continues to shine
The Flying Fijians are still yet to concede a single point in the second half during this Pacific Nations Cup following their 22-3 defeat of USA in the semi-finals.
USA opened the scoring in Tokyo, via an early Chris Mattina penalty, but trailed 10-3 at half-time as Fiji seized control of the match with a Caleb Muntz three-pointer and converted Elia Canakaivata try.
Back-row Canakaivata bagged his second try of the match – and fourth of the tournament – after the break before Frank Lomani crossed for the second time in three matches to seal his side’s passage to the showpiece match.
Fiji will hope they can continue that form into the final and with the tournament’s top try-scorer, Canakaivata, in their ranks, they have every chance on Saturday.
Japan form: Clinical Brave Blossoms
Following a disappointing June and July test campaign, Eddie Jones has got his second spell in charge of the Brave Blossoms up and running over the last month.
Japan are yet to lose a lineout on their own throw during the tournament, winning 35 out of 35, and they shored up their scrum in the 49-27 semi-final victory against Samoa, securing the ball on all 12 of their feeds.
The Brave Blossoms were at their clinical best against Samoa in Tokyo, their seven tries – including one penalty try – coming from only 11 visits into their opponent’s 22.
Seungsin Lee moved to full-back for the semi-final and took his tournament tally to 53 points, 19 more than his closest rival – Fiji’s Caleb Muntz.
With both teams committed to attacking rugby, Saturday’s final promises to be one you don’t want to miss.
Rankings reckoner
It is not only Pacific Nations Cup silverware on the line this weekend as Japan and Fiji compete for World Rugby Men’s Rankings rating points.
Fiji can climb up to ninth in Monday’s updated rankings, if they win at Hanazono Rugby Stadium and Australia lose to New Zealand in Sydney.
At least one of those results would need to be by more than 15 points for Fiji to swap places with the Wallabies, however.
Should Japan claim a fourth Pacific Nations Cup title then they will move above Georgia and into 12th place, regardless of the margin of victory.
However, the Brave Blossoms could fall to 14th, if they lose to Fiji and Samoa win the third-place play-off against USA. Again, at least one of those results would need to be by a margin of more than 15 points for Japan to slip down the rankings.
Fiji team news
Fiji coach Mick Byrne has made just one change to the Fiji team that beat USA as Ilaisa Droasese starts on the left wing in place of Epeli Momo, who he replaced at half-time of the semi-final.
Droasese’s place on the replacements’ bench has been taken by Olympic silver medallist Ponipate Loganismasi.
Fiji (1-15): 1. Eroni Mawi, 2. Tevita Ikanivere, 3. Samu Tawake, 4. Isoa Nasilasila, 5. Temo Mayanavanua, 6. Meli Derenalagi, 7. Kitione Salawa, 8. Elia Canakaivata, 9. Frank Lomani, 10. Caleb Muntz, 11. Ilaisa Droasese, 12. Inia Tabuavou, 13. Iosefo Baleiwairiki, 14. Vuate Karawalevu, 15. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula.
Replacements: 16. Mesulame Dolokoto, 17. Haereiti Hetet, 18. Peni Ravai, 19. Ratu Rotuisolia, 20. Albert Tuisue, 21. Peni Matawalu, 22. Apisalome Vota, 23. Ponipate Loganismasi.
Japan team news
Eddie Jones has shown his faith in the starting line-up that beat Samoa in the last four last weekend.
The only change to the matchday squad comes among the replacements, where the uncapped Junta Hamano is named in the number 23 jersey.
Second-row Warner Dearns, openside Kanji Shimokawa and centre Dylan Riley have played in every single minute of the tournament so far.
Japan (1-15): 1. Shogo Miura, 2. Mamoru Harada, 3. Shuhei Takeuchi, 4. Ratu Epeneri Uluiviti, 5. Warner Dearns, 6. Amato Fakatava, 7. Kanji Shimokawa, 8. Faulua Makisi, 9. Shinobu Fujiwara, 10. Harumichi Tatekawa, 11. Malo Tuitama, 12. Nicholas McCurran, 13. Dylan Riley, 14. Tomoki Osada, 15. Seungsin Lee.
Replacements: 16. Kenta Matsuoka, 17. Takato Okabe, 18. Keijiro Tamefusa, 19. Isaiah Collins-Mapusua, 20. Tiennan Costley, 21. Taiki Koyama, 22. Yusuke Kajimura, 23. Junta Hamano.
Referee
Former Queensland Reds, Racing 92 and Wasps scrum-half Nic Berry is refereeing his second Pacific Nations Cup match of the year having taken charge of the fifth-place play-off in Tokyo last weekend.
He has previously refereed Japan three times (two wins, one loss), while Fiji are looking for their first test victory with Berry in the middle. They previously lost to Wales and Scotland with the Australian as match official.
Third place play-off: USA v Samoa – Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka Prefecture – KO 16:00
Head-to-head
Samoa lead the historic head-to-head between the teams, five victories to two, although the Men’s Eagles have won the most recent two.
USA claimed a 13-10 victory the last time the teams met, at ANZ Stadium in Suva, Fiji on 3 August, 2019.
PNC honours
Samoa are the second-most successful nation in the competition’s history having lifted the title on four separate occasions.
USA’s best finish to date is second in 2014.
USA form: Men’s Eagles need to take chances
Men’s Eagles coach Scott Lawrence will know his team will have to be more clinical this weekend if they are to secure third place.
In the semi-finals, USA had only Chris Mattina’s fourth-minute penalty to show for nine entries into the Fiji 22 and they have not scored in the final quarter of any of their three matches.
There is cause for optimism in the shape of their scrum, however, and the carrying ability of number eight Thomas Tu’avao and tackling and jackaling prowess of former wrestler Cory Daniel.
Samoa form: Search for 80-minute performance
Samoa conceded three tries in the opening 16 minutes in Tokyo last weekend to see their hopes of claiming a semi-final victory against Japan fade quickly. The Brave Blossoms went on to cross the whitewash another four times to win 49-27.
That result came on the back of a pool-stage encounter with Fiji in which they let a 16-15 half-time lead evaporate into a 42-16 defeat.
Manu Samoa must find a 80-minute performance against USA on Saturday if they are to finish a tournament in which they have hinted at their potential on a high.
Rankings reckoner
Victory would lift USA as many as three places in the rankings. Starting the weekend 19th, they can climb to 16th if they beat Samoa by more than 15 points.
Should the Men’s Eagles win by a narrower margin then a two-place gain, above Spain and Uruguay to 17th, is theirs.
Defeat by more than 15 points would drop Samoa one place, below Portugal, into 15th. The Pacific Islanders can climb one place to 13th if they win, Japan lose the final and the margin of at least one of those results is more than 15 points.
USA team news
Head coach Scott Lawrence has made nine personnel changes to the Men’s Eagles starting line-up for the third-place play-off against Samoa.
Props Jake Turnbull and Alex Maughan start alongside hooker Kapeli Pifeleti in an all-new front row, while captain Greg Peterson is back in the second row and there is also a return at number eight for Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz.
In the backs, scrum-half JP Smith comes in alongside fly-half Luke Carty while Mitch Wilson replaces the injured Nate Augspurger and Tommaso Boni is selected at inside centre.
USA (1-15): 1. Jake Turnbull, 2. Kapeli Pifeleti, 3. Alex Maughan, 4. Jason Damm, 5. Greg Peterson (captain), 6. Paddy Ryan, 7. Cory Daniel, 8. Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, 9. JP Smith, 10. Luke Carty, 11. Mitch Wilson, 12. Tommaso Boni, 13. Dominic Besag, 14. Conner Mooneyham, 15. Toby Fricker.
Replacements: 16. Sean McNulty, 17. Payton Telea, 18. Pono Davis, 19. Viliami Helu, 20. Tesimoni Tonga’uiha, 21. Thomas Tu’avao, 22. Ethan McVeigh, 23. Rand Santos.
Samoa team news
Second row Michael Curry comes in for Sam Slade in the only change to the Samoa starting line-up for the encounter with USA.
Slade is on the bench, where Jonah Mau’u is also named in the only other change to the matchday 23. Murphy Taramai is the player who drops out.
Samoa (1-15): 1. Aki Seiuli, 2. Sama Malolo, 3. Marco Fepulea’i, 4. Ben Nee-Nee, 5. Michael Curry, 6. Theo McFarland (captain), 7. Izaiha Moore-Aiono, 8. Iakopo Petelo-Mapu, 9. Melani Matavao, 10. Rodney Iona, 11. Elisapeta Alofipo, 12. Alapati Leiua, 13. Lalomilo Lalomilo, 14. Tuna Tuitama, 15. Tomasi Alosio.
Replacements: Luteru Tolai, 17. Andrew Tuala, 18. Brook Toomalatai, 19. Sam Slade, 20. Jonah Mau’u, 21. Danny Tusitala, 22. Afa Moleli, 23. Melani Nanai.
Referee
Ben O’Keeffe will referee his 46th test match, and first in this year’s Pacific Nations Cup, when he takes charge of the third-place play-off at Hanazono Rugby Stadium. O’Keeffe has previously been in the middle for two USA tests, defeats to France and Ireland. Samoa are unbeaten in three tests with the New Zealander as referee, having drawn against Georgia in 2016 and beaten Tonga in 2021 and Spain in July of this year.