Japan Snatches First Pacific Nations Cup Rugby Title With Final Play-Try
Japan won its first Pacific Nations Cup rugby championship by beating host Fiji 24-13 in the tournament’s last match, sealing the title with the final play.
Japan entered today’s game in Lautoka, Fiji, needing a four-try bonus-point victory to secure the cup and got the championship-clinching five-pointer in the 84th minute when Yuta Imamura darted over.
The Cherry Blossoms, who finished the tournament level with Tonga on 10 points in the four-team standings, claimed the trophy for the first time in the event’s six editions because they had beaten the Tongans 28-27 four days ago. The teams were using the event as part of their preparations for this year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
“We’re working really hard,” Japan coach John Kirwan, a World Cup winner with New Zealand in 1987, said in an interview with Fox Sports. “It’s been a great tournament and we’re really proud to have come away with the win.”
Tokyo had been scheduled to host all six matches before five games were relocated to Fiji following the March earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan’s northeast coast.
Tonga had earlier moved atop the standings by beating Samoa 29-19 in the opening match of the final-round doubleheader at Lautoka’s Churchill Park.
In the second game, Japan trailed 8-0 at halftime before quick tries by Go Aruga, Ryan Nicholas and a conversion by Shota Horie put the Cherry Blossoms 17-13 ahead. Imamura then carved through a shorthanded Fijian defense to score the title-sealing try under the posts.
Fiji had two players red-carded and another three received yellow cards, reducing the home side to 13 men or less for more than half the match. The Fijians played the closing minutes with only 12 of their 15 players on the pitch.
“We paid for our mistakes,” Fiji captain Dominiko Waqaniburotu, who was one of the players shown a yellow card, told Fox Sports. “We still have a lot of work to do.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Baynes in Sydney at dbaynes@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net
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