Pacific Nations Cup: Fiji clinch seventh title with epic victory over Japan

Fiji have proudly won their seventh Pacific Nations Cup title after holding off a Japanese comeback to win an entertaining grand final 33-27 at America First Field in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sunday's game had its ups and downs, with both teams showing strong moments.

Fiji started slowly and found themselves trailing 10-0 early on. But once they found their rhythm, they transformed the game, scoring four tries in the first half and coming very close to more.

Japan got on the scoreboard first, thanks to hooker Hayate Era, who scored a try just four minutes in. Seungsin Lee added the conversion and a penalty kick, putting Japan in control for a while.

But Fiji quickly bounced back. After winning the ball right after the restart, they made a series of quick passes, leading to their first try by Eroni Mawi.

A fantastic offload from Mesake Vocevoce kept the play alive, and soon they had scored again, with captain Tevita Ikanivere adding to their points under the posts.

On the last play of the first half, player-of-the-match Joji Nasova made an astonishing solo effort, beating several defenders to score another try, totalling an impressive 26 points for Fiji in just 19 minutes.

The second half started strongly for Fiji, as Nasova added another try to extend their lead. But Japan didn’t back down. Ichigo Nakakusu scored for Japan, showing they could also create exciting plays.

Fiji faced challenges due to the yellow cards issued to their players for breaking rules, which put them in a tough position.

Watch as Fiji beat Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup final in 2024.

Japan capitalised on this to narrow the gap, with Era scoring again to bring them within nine points. With time running out and Fiji down to just 13 players, they managed to hold on despite Japan’s pressure.

After the game, Ikanivere expressed pride in his team for their strong defence under pressure.

“We overcame a tough side that came back in the second half. The pace they brought and the ill-discipline we had, I’m proud of the 13, 14 boys on the field, just working hard for each other."

Fiji coach Mick Byrne echoed his captain's sentiments and praised his side’s determination to keep their lead.

“It was tough today, wasn’t it? The fight we had at the end, we were down a couple of cards. Things didn’t seem to be going our way out on the field.

"But the boys dug deep, defended well under a bit of pressure and had some composure to come back at the end and control the game,” Bryne told a post-match interview.

Japan's captain, Warner Dearns, says they lost ground in the first half and couldn't quite catch up. But he praised his team's fighting spirit and emphasised their commitment to playing an exciting style of rugby.

“We love to play an attacking style of rugby. When we have the ball in hand and can play that quick-tempo rugby, that’s the biggest positive we’ve got.

"We’ve got to work on that and look forward to playing some games at the end of the year.”

Japan coach Eddie Jones agreed, saying that the tournament was a valuable experience for their young team.

Manu Sāmoa and Chile have drawn 32-all in their RWC qualifier. Photo/Facebook/Bran Antkowiak

While they played better in the second half, Jones, a former Wallabies coach, says Japan missed opportunities earlier in the match.

“It’s been a good tournament to play for our young team. It’s a hard pill to swallow. We played well in the second half, but let Fiji get away too much in the first half.”

Earlier, Tonga's 'Ikale Tahi clinched third place after defeating Canada 35-24, while Manu Sāmoa drew 32-all with Chile in their first leg of the World Cup qualifier. Both teams get another chance in Chile next weekend.