The Flying Fijians have secured the top position in the Pacific pool of the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup, achieving a convincing 50-19 victory over Tonga in Nuku’alofa on Friday. This victory propels them into the semi-finals in Tokyo next weekend, where they will face either Japan or the USA from the Asia pool. Manu Samoa will accompany them as the runner-up from the Pacific pool.
Fiji’s captain, Tevita Ikanivere, who contributed with a try during the match, emphasized the need for improved discipline to secure the win. He noted that the team needed to refocus on maintaining discipline, especially after allowing Tonga to make a comeback midway through the first half. “We spoke about discipline because towards the back end of the first half we dropped and let Tonga into the game,” he stated, acknowledging the challenging nature of the match.
Tonga’s skipper, Ben Tameifuna, praised his team’s effort and expressed gratitude toward his players for their resilience during the contest. He mentioned the team’s young composition and pointed out that the experience would aid their development. “This is the stepping stone for us as Ikale Tahi. Our focus is to give our young boys the opportunity to put their hands up,” he said.
The Flying Fijians established an impressive 19-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring three quick tries. However, Tonga rallied back after Fiji was temporarily reduced to 14 players due to a yellow card for Fijian centre Adrea Cocagi, which was subsequently upgraded to a red card. This allowed Tonga to capitalize and reduce the gap to 19-14 as they maintained pressure on the Fijians.
Fiji regained composure before halftime, scoring again to lead 26-19. The second half saw a tightly contested battle, but Fiji gradually gained control, pushing their lead to 50-19 through additional tries, including an intercept score by Iosefo Masi.
The match was attended by Crown Prince Tupouto’a and around 4,000 fans, marking a significant rugby milestone as it celebrated 100 years since the two nations first met in a Test match in 1924. Ikanivere’s birthday also coincided with the victory, with the Fijian community presenting him with a special cake to commemorate the occasion.
Both teams are set to travel to Japan on Monday, with the Flying Fijians facing off in the semi-finals and Tonga scheduled to play Canada in the fifth-place play-off.