Tongan playmaker Patrick Pellegrini had an incredible game, scoring three tries and helping his 'Ikale Tahi side secure their best finish in the Pacific Nations Cup since 2018.

The Tongans have secured third place in the PNC 2025 with a 35-24 win over Canada at America First Field, Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sunday. Tonga's win came ahead of Fiji retaining their PNC title after defeating Japan 33-27 in a close-fought final.

Tonga started strong and put pressure on Canada at the breakdown. It took a little while for them to score, but in the 11th minute, Tupou Afungia dove over the line after a well-executed lineout.

Canada put up a solid defence and managed to hold the Tongans off for a quarter of the game. But player-of-the-match, Pellegrini, increased Tonga's lead with another try, taking advantage of a scrum dominated by his forwards.

Just before halftime, Canada found a way to respond. After a penalty against Tonga, they patiently moved the ball closer to the try line, and Matt Oworu scored.

In the second half, Canada looked stronger straight after the break, quickly levelling the game when Brock Gallagher broke through Tonga's defence and scored.

Ben Tameifuna leads the 'Ikale Tahi out of the sheds in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo/World Rugby

But Tonga retaliated, with Siegfried Fisi’ihoi scoring from close range to regain the lead.

Canada responded with a penalty shortly after, but Salesi Piutau set up Pellegrini for his second try, taking Tonga's lead to 11 points.

But it didn’t last. The Canadians kept pushing back, and Spencer Jones made a nice play to allow Peter Nelson to score in the corner.

Tonga perform the traditional challenge, Sipi Tau, before taking on Canada. Photo/World Rugby

As the match progressed, Tonga faced several challenges, including the sending off of Nikolai Foliaki for a dangerous tackle.

Canada couldn't fully take advantage of the situation, as one of their own, Kyle Steeves, also received a yellow card.

In a thrilling end to the match, Pellegrini completed his hat-trick, scoring again despite Canada's efforts to push back. The Canadians fought hard to come back, but Tonga's defence held firm.

Pellegrini, who scored 25 of Tonga’s points, told a post-match interview that, “It’s a massive step-up from last year, beating Sāmoa and then finishing third. Our goal was to win it, but I’m so proud of the boys.”

Tongan captain Ben Tameifuna says that while there is always room for improvement, they have made major strides and look forward to building on their success in future competitions.

"Rugby is never perfect and we’ve always got something to work on," he told a post-match interview. "It’s a huge step from last year, and we’ll look to build on that, with the November tour and hopefully go a step further next year in the Pacific Nations Cup.”

A disappointed Canadian captain, Mason Flesch, is looking to the positives, highlighting their improved performance compared to previous outings.

He says they did not capitalise on their opportunities, but “We can be proud of where we finished this year compared to last year," he told the post-match interview. "But, we were really in that game in the first 40, and we just piggybacked them down the field into our own end, and we shot ourselves in the foot.

“The entire PNC is really starting to grow; it’s become a lot more competitive across all the teams, nations like Canada and the USA getting to play against Japan, Fiji, Tonga, and Sāmoa, who are putting together good squads yearly.

"The competition’s just getting better," Flesch says.

Manu Sāmoa and Chile have drawn their first leg of the RWC qualifier 32-all. Photo/World Rugby

All to play for after Samoa-Chile RWC qualifier

Meanwhile, Manu Sāmoa had a dramatic comeback against Chile in their Rugby World Cup qualifying playoff in Salt Lake City, ending the first leg in a draw of 32-all.

After being down 25-8 at halftime, Sāmoan replacement Abraham Papali’i scored two tries to help his team level the score. Saturday's result sets the stage for a tense second leg in Chile next weekend.

Chile played a disciplined first half, taking advantage of Sāmoa's mistakes and scoring two early tries to Javier Eissmann and Los Cóndores.

Chile's forwards hammered their way to Sāmoa’s line before the ball was spun wide. A long pass from flyhalf Juan Cruz Reyes helped Matías Garafulic over the try line.

A yellow card for Iokopo Mapu seemed to energise the Sāmoans near the end of the first quarter. Theodore Steffany made a great play by sneaking down the side after a big break by Logali Visinia.

But Chile quickly responded with a team effort that showcased their skills. They passed the ball back and forth perfectly along the edge, moving closer and closer to the goal until Santiago Pedrero ended up with the ball for a try.

Just before halftime, Sāmoa thought they had scored again, but Connor Tupa’i was ruled offside.

Sāmoa managed to get on the scoreboard early in the second half, when Chile was down a player due to a yellow card for Benjamín Videla. Sāmoa took advantage of the situation with Latrell Ah Kiong diving over in the corner.

Chile quickly restored their lead as Garafulic dashed through for another try just a few minutes later. Sāmoa was close to scoring again when Jarred Adams had a try disallowed for being offside.

Tongan rugby team in Salt Lake City. Photo/World Rugby

Just minutes later, Alamanda Motuga received a great pass from Christian Leali’ifano and pushed through for a try right under the posts. Sāmoa started to look more confident and Papali’i, who was making his second appearance for the team, powered through Chilean defenders in the final minutes, narrowing their lead to just five points.

With just a few minutes left on the clock, Chile was under pressure and giving away penalties as they defended their line. Papali’i made a final push from an offload by Ah Kiong and managed to score, levelling the match. Leali’ifano’s conversion missed.

After the match, Sāmoa’s captain, Michael Alaalatoa, says they had to put in a lot of effort. He praised Chile for their strong performance and was satisfied with how Tonga played, saying they were capable of playing that well.

The 'Ikale Tahi at America First Field ahead of their third-place clash against Canada. Photo/World Rugby

Looking ahead to their next game, Alaalatoa says, “We know what we need to do now. It’s a fresh start, and we just need to win. Both teams will give it their all.”

Chile’s captain, Clemente Saavedra, is optimistic despite the draw, saying Saturday's match was a good one. Saavedra praised their strong first-half performance but says they need to improve in the second half for their upcoming game in Vina del Mar.

Fiji, Japan, Tonga, Canada, and the USA have secured their places in the World Cup from the Pacific championship.