The Flying Fijians have emerged victorious in the Pacific pool of the Pacific Nations Cup 2024 series, clinching a decisive 50-19 win over Tonga in Nuku’alofa on Friday. This triumph secures their place in the semi-finals next weekend in Tokyo, where they will face either Japan or the USA from the Asia pool.
Manu Samoa will also advance, having placed as the runner-up from the Pacific pool. Fiji’s captain, Tevita Ikanivere, who contributed a try during the match, emphasized the importance of maintaining discipline to achieve the victory. He noted that the team had to refocus on discipline after allowing Tonga to score midway through the first half.
“We discussed discipline because, towards the end of the first half, we slipped and let Tonga back into the game,” he stated. The team had prepared diligently during their bye week, recognizing that facing Tonga on their home turf would be challenging.
Tonga’s captain, Ben Tameifuna, praised his team’s efforts, expressing gratitude to his players for their determination. He acknowledged the difficulty of competing against Fiji, describing the young squad’s experience as a critical learning opportunity.
The Flying Fijians took an early lead of 19-0 in the opening quarter, marked by three quick tries. Ikanivere, Iosefo Masi, and Elia Canakaivata opened the scoring before Masi and Canakaivata each added another try later, accounting for two of Fiji’s total of seven tries in the match.
A moment of discipline loss struck Fiji when center Adrea Cocagi received a yellow card, later upgraded to a red card, leaving the team with 14 players. Following the penalty, Tonga capitalized, with flyhalf Patrick Pellegrini’s kick leading to Fetuli Paea’s try, narrowing the score to 19-7. Tonga continued to pressure Fiji, closing the gap to 19-14 after Fine Inisi scored another try, while Pellegrini’s efforts leveled the game at 19-19 just before halftime.
Fiji regained full strength right before halftime and regained lead with Canakaivata’s try, converting to end the half 26-19.
The second half continued to be competitive, but Fiji eventually found their rhythm again. After a successful penalty goal by Caleb Muntz, Fiji extended their lead to 29-19. A sevens-style move culminated in a try from replacement player Inia Tabuavou, further escalating the score to 36-19.
With the support of around 300 Fijian fans, Fiji maintained control throughout the match. Ratu Meli Derenalagi followed suit with a scored try, and later, Iosefo Masi capped off Fiji’s performance with an intercept try, sealing the score at 50-19.
The match was witnessed by Crown Prince Tupouto’a and approximately 4,000 Tongan supporters, commemorating 100 years of rugby between the two nations, which first faced off in a Test match back in 1924. Ikanivere also celebrated his birthday with the win, receiving a special cake from the Fijian community post-match. Both teams will travel to Japan on Monday, with Fiji advancing to the semi-finals and Tonga preparing for a fifth-place playoff against Canada.