Although they are both sitting out this week’s matches, Canada and Tonga will pay close attention to the unfolding Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup action in Rotorua and California.
With good reason. If results go their way, both sides will qualify for Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 – and will each have a Pacific Nations Cup semi-final in Denver, Colorado, to look forward to next weekend.
While they are watching from the sidelines, unable to influence the results of this weekend’s outings, USA and Samoa will look to upset the odds – and the World Rugby Men's Rankings – in an effort to bag their own berths in Australia in two years’ time.
Samoa v Fiji
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Japan)
Assistant referees: Angus Mabey (New Zealand), Katsuki Furuse (Japan)
Television Match Official: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
The maths for Samoa as they head into the deciding match of Pool A against Fiji is simple. A simple win isn’t enough. They need five points to overtake Tonga, book a semi-final place in Denver, Colorado, and guarantee that their run of continuous Rugby World Cup appearances dating back to 1991 continues.
Even if Samoa lose, however, their Rugby World Cup hopes are not over. Next weekend’s fifth-place play-off, against the team that finishes bottom of Pool B, also comes with an Australian golden ticket for the winner, while the side that finishes sixth faces a two-leg play-off against the losing finalist of the Sudaméricano 2025. Uruguay hold a first-leg advantage over Chile in that final. The second, decisive match, in Montevideo is this weekend.
The winner of the South America/Pacific play-off qualifies for Rugby World Cup 2027, while the losing side heads to the Final Qualification Tournament, in Dubai, in November.
Win or lose, then, and Samoa still have plenty of chances to qualify for the tournament in Australia in two years’ time. But they will be keen to ensure they have a spot at the earliest opportunity.
Defending Pacific Nations Cup champions Fiji, however, have no intention of giving up their title, and will look to improve on their four-try win over Tonga last weekend.
The Flying Fijians’ head coach Mick Byrne highlighted areas Fiji have been working to improve following that performance in Suva. “We were a bit loose in our breakdown and ball carries, [it’s a] great opportunity for us to work on that and present ourselves better in the next game,” he told journalists.
Matchday squads
Samoa (1-15): 1 Aki Seiuli, 2 Pita Anae Ah-Sue, 3 Michael Alaalatoa (captain); 4 Ben Nee-Nee, 5 Michael Curry; 6 Taleni Seu, 7 Alamanda Motuga, 8 Iakopo Petelo-Mapu; 9 Joel Lam, 10 Rodney Iona; 11 Tuna Tuitama, 12 Henry Taefu, 13 Melani Nanai, 14 Elisapeta Alofipo; 15 Lolagi Visinia
Replacements: 16 Luteru Tolai, 17 Jarred Adams, 18 Bradley Amituanai, 19 Olajuwon Noa, 20 Malaesaili Elato, 21 Connor Tupai, 22 AJ Alatimu, 23 Tomasi Alosio
Fiji: 1 Haereiti Hetet, 2 Tevita Ikanivere (captain), 3 Samu Tawake; 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 5 Temo Mayanavanua; 6 Etonia Waqa, 7 Kitione Salawa, 8 Elia Canakaivata; 9 Simione Kuruvoli, 10 Caleb Muntz; 11 Ponipate Loganimasi, 12 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, 14 Kalaveti Ravouvou; 15 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula
Replacements: 16 Zuriel Togiatama, 17 Meli Tuni, 18 Mesake Doge, 19 Mesake Vocevoce, 20 Motikiai Murray, 21 Philip Baselala, 22 Kemueli Valetini, 23 Taniela Rakuro
USA v Japan
Venue: Heart Health Park, Sacramento, California
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant referees: Damian Schneider (Argentina), Robin Kaluzniak (Canada)
Television Match Official: Tual Trainini (France)
After their defeat against Canada in Calgary on week one, USA – who missed out on qualification for Rugby World Cup 2023 – find themselves in a similar situation to Samoa as they prepare to face Japan in Sacramento this weekend.
With both Canada and Japan level on five points in Pool B, USA need a big win of their own and must deny Japan a bonus point if they are to have a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals in Denver, otherwise the fifth-place play-off against the side that finishes bottom of Pool A awaits.
Back-row Jason Damm steps into the captain’s role as Benjamin Bonasso sits out in Sacramento. Paddy Ryan and Luke Carty also join camp for the first time this year, while Ruben de Haas returns to the starting scrum-half position.
But Japan head coach Eddie Jones has already set out the Brave Blossoms’ stall in this year’s tournament. The losing finalists in 2024, he said, want to go one better this time around. They will be full of confidence after their record-breaking 57-15 victory over Canada in Sendai last weekend.
Japan’s second-half performance against Canada in Sendai last weekend, when they pulled away from a 17-10 lead at the break to win 57-15, scoring six tries in the final 40 to get their bid for this year’s Pacific Nations Cup title off to a winning start.
Jones blamed opening match rust for the Brave Blossoms’ slow start to the tournament, telling RugbyPass TV immediately after the match: “We were really poor in the first half, but sometimes when it’s your first game of the tournament, that can happen.”
On a decisive weekend, he will look for his side to get out of the blocks much faster.
USA (1-15): 1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2 Kapeli Pifeleti, 3 Kaleb Geiger; 4 Marno Redelinghuys, 5 Jason Damm (captain); 6 Paddy Ryan, 7 Christian Poidevin, 8 Makeen Alikhan; 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Christopher Hilsenbeck; 11 Toby Fricker, 12 Tavite Lopeti, 13 Dominic Besag, 14 Rufus McLean; 15 Erich Storti
Replacements: 16 Shilo Klein, 17 Payton Telea, 18 Kullen Davis, 19 Tevita Naqali, 20 Vili Helu, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Luke Carty, 23 Mitch Wilson
Japan: 1 Kenta Kobayashi, 2 Hayate Era, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi; 4 Waisake Raratubua, 5 Warner Dearns (captain); 6 Ben Gunter, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 8 Amato Fakatava; 9 Kenta Fukuda, 10 Seungsin Lee; 11 Tomoki Osada, 12 Charlie Lawrence, 13 Dylan Riley, 14 Kippei Ishida; 15 Sam Greene
Replacements: 16 Kenji Sato, 17 Sena Kimura, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Akito Okui, 20 Faulua Makisi, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Yuya Hirose, 23 Haruto Kida
