The Flying Fijians, despite being the defending champions of the Pacific Nations Cup, will enter the final as underdogs against Japan this Sunday in Osaka. Under the guidance of coach Eddie Jones, the Japanese team is riding a wave of confidence following their impressive 49-27 victory over Manu Samoa in the semi-finals held in Tokyo.
Japan showcased an exciting brand of running rugby, scoring six tries compared to Samoa’s three. Jones has emphasized the need for his players to fortify their defense around the ruck if they are to secure the championship title for the first time since 2019. “While we are happy to be in the final, our sole objective is to win it,” Jones remarked, acknowledging the challenge posed by a strong Fiji team and looking forward to a productive week of preparation.
In the high-octane first half of the semi-final, Japan dominated, scoring four tries against Samoa’s one. Their first try came from Dylan Riley after just five minutes of relentless pressure inside Samoa’s 22. Samoa’s Elisapeta Alofipo was then sin-binned for a foul tackle, resulting in a penalty try for Japan. Seungsin Lee delivered an excellent kick-pass that set up Tomoki Osada for the third try, followed shortly by Lee scoring himself just before halftime.
Despite being on the defensive, the four-time champions Samoa fought back. Tuna Tuitama managed to score while they had one less player, showcasing their resilience. Two penalties from Rodney Iona kept them within reach at halftime.
In the second half, Lee’s playmaking abilities shone again as he assisted flanker Kanji Shimokawa for Japan’s fifth try. Samoa continued to respond, with Melani Matavao scoring to narrow the score to 35-20, but Japan pressed on, with Shinobu Fujiwara extending their lead before Samoa scored again through Lalomilo Lalomilo.
With fatigue setting in for both teams, Japan executed a well-coordinated move leading to Taichi Takahashi’s try. Lee capped off his performance by converting again, maintaining his perfect kicking record throughout the tournament. Samoa’s captain Theo McFarland acknowledged that discipline issues played a pivotal role in their defeat, stating, “It wasn’t a lack of effort but our discipline in the first 20 minutes that let us down, along with handling errors and our set piece in the second half.”