Pacific Nation Cup – Grand Final, 3rd Place
Fiji and Samoa captured first- and third- place honors respectively at the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup in Japan. One burst drawn scores at the half in a big way, while t’other busted knotted tallies near time. By the Numbers:
10 for the house at midpoint before Fiji counted 31 unanswered for 41-10 advantage by the 76th; Japan got a converted at ’78 for the 41 – 17 result; 16, for the champs 10, Caleb Muntz, on 5-and-2 from his 100%-shooting shoe; an evidently maturing Muntz could very well be the key to the Flying Fijians ascendant XVs future; 23 years young code-switching flyer, Vuate Karawalevu, grounded 4 trys to propel Fiji to back-to-back trophies;
13 for everybody nearing time before a bit of magic on the edge enabled Manu Samoa victory past an improving USA Eagles XV, 18-13; USA were up 10-nil by the 8th minute on a sticksplitter by 10, Ireland native Luke Carty, and the courageous collection at pace of a Samoa high hanger by 15, Toby Fricker, who streaked 45 meters for touch down and the added deuce by Carty; Eagles were looking the business just then; Samoa stayed in the touch with a brace of penalty strikes by Aussie-born 10, Rodney Esekia-Ioane, and 10-6 USA at the break; Samoa took the lead after 8man, Iakopo Petelo-Mapu, evaded a high handling defense for 20 and a touch down; with the plus-2 from Petelo-Mapu it was 13-10 for Samoa just after the start of the last half; Carty drew Eagles level with a penalty at ’53, but it was a Samoan final shout when relief threequarters, Vancouver Highlanders Melani Nanai, scooped a desperation-driven bouncing pill from the turf outside to cross for the margin of victory; Final Table
• The only XV that Fiji was unable to count the bonus-point for trys was USA;
• Fiji are currently seated 10th at the World Table; they’ve four November Tests and three of those results could be crucial to their further advancement into the top 10: at Murrayfield on the 2nd , at Wales (Sunday, 11.10), and at Ireland on the 23rd of the month; any of the three examination outcomes going for Fiji will put them in the Top 9 or better, and all three victories, albeit unlikely, will move Fiji into Top 5
