(Photo World Rugby)
Defending Pacific Nations Cup champions Fiji scored six first-half tries and three more in the second as they overwhelmed a brave Canada 63-10 to set up a repeat of last year’s final against Japan.
Kalaveti Ravouvou scored a hat-trick for Fiji and opposite winger Taniela Rakuro bookended the opening period try-spree with scores at either end of the half. His first, with just four minutes on the clock, saw him latch on to a clever grubber kick after his team-mates had run Canada’s defence ragged.
His second, with the clock in the red, needed more work. A poor pass after a long spell of pressure gave him enough space and time to weave through flagging defenders.
Between his double, Mesake Vocevoce, Etonia Waqa, Kalaveti Ravouvou and Eroni Mawi all got their names on the scoresheet. A Peter Nelson penalty was the only reward for Canada.
With nine minutes on the clock, Vocevoce only had to dot down, after Fiji had offloaded and passed their way to the try-line. Etonia Waqa added their third following another breathtaking break down the right flank – and the clock had yet to tick past the first quarter.
Ten minutes later, player-of-the-match Kalaveti Ravouvou finished off another fine move for the first of his hat-trick of tries, as Fiji played glorious sevens rugby with 15. And four minutes after that loosehead prop Eroni Mawi burst through the middle on the 22 and charged over the tryline.
The only blot on Fiji’s first-half copy book was a 20-minute red card for prop Mesake Doge for a dangerous tackle. He was sin-binned four minutes before the break, and his sanction upgraded at the restart.
It prompted an immediate response from his team-mates as Joji Nasova finished off another high-pace, sweeping, offloading move. But the defending champions were temporarily reduced to 13 when Waqa was sin-binned for another high-tackle. An off-field review deemed his infringement was not worthy of upgrade.
Despite their numerical disadvantage and the altitude in Denver, Fiji never stopped running the ball. The only variation on a theme came when they won a penalty and opted to kick. Kemueli Valetini’s shot at goal was good, and the Flying Fijians broke 50 points in the 53rd minute.
Ravouvou added his second three minutes later, weaving his way to the try-line from 40 metres out.
Dogged, determined Canada finally got the score their hard work in near-permanent defence deserved when replacement scrum-half Brock Gallagher raced in with his first touch of the game.
A forward pass briefly denied Fiji a ninth try, before Ravouvou cut back inside for his third, the final score of the game.
Canada’s first-time captain Mason Flesch admitted the final scoreline was ‘difficult to take’.
“We were really looking to back-up our performance against Japan,” he said. “We had a really positive first-half against them, but Fiji outworked us.”
Their Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup campaign continues with the third-place play-off against Tonga. Flesch expects ‘more of the same’ from the ‘Ikale Tahi. “We’re expecting them to be very physical and direct. Maybe not as much flair as Fiji but it’s definitely going to be a front-up confrontational battle.”
Fiji coach Mick Byrne, meanwhile, was impressed at his side’s start, an area of their game he’d been critical of previously. “The last couple of games we’ve been a little bit slow out of the blocks, and I thought today we started with some real vigour and real intent,” he said. “We lost our way a bit with the discipline, but we were still able to put points on the board.”
Looking ahead to next weekend’s final against Japan in Salt Lake City, he added: “They’ll be fast. We’ll be ready, we’ll prepare for that.
“We’ve got a few things we need to work on ourselves. The scrum got away from us in the second-half, so we need to square that up. We know we’re going to be in for a battle next week.”
And victorious captain Tevita Ikanivere said: “We did what we talked about through the week. We knew Canada would come hard at us because we’re defending champions and we talked about hunting them down. I’m just proud of the effort the boys put in from the first minute to the 80th, and how we handled the two cards. We’re going to work on our discipline and be better for it.
“We’ll enjoy the win tonight, go back to the drawing board tomorrow and enjoy the six-day turnaround before we get to meet [Japan] next week.”
Last year’s losing Pacific Nations Cup finalists Japan scored five tries in a second-half exhibition of attacking rugby to ease away from Tonga and book their place in next weekend’s title decider in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a confidence-boosting 62-24 victory.
Japan had conceded an average of just 18 points in their Pacific Nations Cup pool-phase matches against Canada and USA. By the end of a thoroughly entertaining first half against Tonga, they had shipped 19.
But although the ‘Ikale Tahi were firmly in the hunt for a first win over the Brave Blossoms in 10 years at the break, they were overwhelmed by Japan’s pace and attacking smarts in the second.
A disappointed Tonga captain Ben Tameifuna later admitted: “We’ve worked pretty hard the past couple of weeks. We got points in the first half, but couldn’t capitalise in the second.”
Back-row Foto Lokotui had got Tonga off to the perfect start, scoring the game’s first try after six minutes, as he sheared off the back of a lineout maul to touch down, moments after being denied by the width of a defender’s hand.
Tameifuna crashed over from a five-metre tap penalty in the 26th minute and Veikoso Poloniati was unstoppable as Tonga pulled out a trick five-metre lineout move two minutes before the break.
Although Japan had conceded 19 first-half points, they scored 21 in an end-to-end opening 40. They hit back within five minutes of Lokotui’s opening as quick-thinking at a free-kick saw prop Shuhei Takeuchi burst through tackles and feed supporting hooker Hayate Era.
Number eight Amato Fakatava then broke off the back of a disintegrating scrum to score their second – his fifth of the tournament – to take Japan into the lead before the end of the opening quarter. And captain Warner Dearns scored his fourth in this year’s competition shortly after the half-hour.
Centre Dylan Riley extended Japan’s lead again in the early exchanges of the second half, collecting a chip over the defensive line to score under the posts in the 42nd minute.
By now, Japan looked in control, mixing pacy ball-in-hand play, with smart use of altitude to kick Tonga deep into their own territory. Seungsin Lee added a penalty in the 51st minute.
Another barnstorming run from player-of-the-match Takeuchi, who clocked up the metres, gave Shinobu Fujiwara the perfect opportunity to touch down after 55 minutes.
Tonga – down to 14 with Tupou Afungia in the bin – hit back. Patrick Pellegrini’s perfect skip pass gave John Tapueluelu just enough room to score in the corner shortly after the hour.
But dreams of a first win over Japan since 2015 was snuffed out 10 minutes later when Ben Gunter’s offload found Kenji Sato to score in the corner. Keijiro Tamefusa then powered over from close range to take his side past 50 points for the second time in the tournament — and a penalty try as Riley was tackled without the ball as he raced on to his own opportunistic kick ahead took them past 60 points.
Dearns was pleased with how his side fronted up: “Playing against Tonga is always going to be physical,” he said. “We did enough to match them and were able to play our rugby.”
Looking ahead to next weekend’s final in Salt Lake City, he added: “It’s always exciting playing finals footy. We’re really looking forward to facing whoever we have to play.”
