With just eight places separating the nations in the World Rugby Rankings – from Samoa in 9th to Canada in 17th – and a Rugby World Cup campaign just around the corner, the stage is set for a highly competitive Pacific Nations Cup.
The World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup kicks off on Saturday, giving six nations – Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, USA, Canada and Japan – priceless competition ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2015.
Having seen the country’s sevens team win a first HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event, qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio and claim a bronze medal at the Pan-Am Games all in the space of two months, the Eagles 15s side now has a chance to add to the feel-good factor permeating through USA Rugby with a successful World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup 2015 campaign.
For USA this year’s Pacific Nations Cup will take on even greater significance as they face two of their RWC 2015 Pool B rivals in Samoa and Japan just two months out from the global showpiece.
First up are Samoa at the Avaya Stadium in San Jose. “We’re obviously going to go into a match wanting to win,” said USA sevens all-time record try scorer Zack Test, who is line for his 15s debut after being named on the bench by Eagles head coach Mike Tolkin. “But if things don’t go our way 100 per cent, we’re not going to dig ourselves six feet under. It’s our preparation for the big show in October.”
Samoa have won all three previous meetings between the sides, most recently at RWC 2007, but there was only one score in it on each occasion and another close game can be expected.
Samoa, of course, have the advantage of going into the match with a full run-out already under their belts, following last week’s historic test match against New Zealand in Apia. If the Pacific Islanders bring the same level of intensity to their tackling to Saturday’s game, the USA are in for a rough ride.
SAMOA V USA: SIX UP FOR THE TUILAGI CLAN
Samoa head coach Stephen Betham has made wholesale changes to his starting line-up, with only five players – prop Sakaria Taulafo, second-row Teofilo Paulo and openside Jack Lam in the forwards and backs, captain and wing Alesana Tuilagi and centre Paul Perez – retaining their places from the All Blacks game.
Tuilagi is joined in the team by younger brother and debutant, Vavae, who is set to become the sixth member of the family to play international rugby after being selected at number eight.
Winger Sinoti Sinoti, Alesana Tuilagi’s team-mate at Newcastle, earns a belated international recall on the back of his superb performances in the English Premiership. The 29-year-old won the last of his two caps in November 2013.
While a handful of the Eagles squad have had a busy summer playing sevens – captain Chris Wyles was one of the stars of their Olympic qualifying win in North Carolina last month – they have not played together as a team at 15s since being beaten 20-14 by Fiji on their European tour in November 2014.
Highly-rated fly-half Alan McGinty is handed his Eagles debut by Tolkin after impressing for the all-conquering Life University. Dublin-born McGinty qualified under the residency ruling back in January.
CANADA DRAW ‘LINE IN SAND’ AHEAD OF JAPAN OPENER
Like the USA, Canada are competing in the Pacific Nations Cup for only the third time, having been introduced to the fold in 2013 as part of World Rugby’s strategic plan to provide a more comprehensive and competitive test match programme for all tier two nations.
Coach Kieran Crowley admits this year’s Pacific Nations Cup, which kicks off for them with a game against Japan in San Jose, offers his side an opportunity to “put a line in the sand” after a disappointing 2014. The Canucks finished bottom of last year’s North American conference after suffering defeats to Japan and USA, before embarking on a November tour to Europe which yielded only one win, against Namibia.
“We’ve really worked hard the past week on our game and our game-plan to get the combinations in place to move forward,” said Crowley. “We’ve drawn a line in the sand and hopefully this is where we can build from throughout the rest of the year.”
Tyler Ardron will captain the team against Japan and is joined by a number of experienced internationals including Hubert Buydens, Aaron Carpenter and DTH van der Merwe. Fresh from winning sevens gold at the 2015 Pan American Games, John Moonlight, Nathan Hirayama, Conor Trainor, Harry Jones and Phil Mack (pictured) will all make the quick transition back to 15s.
Asian champions Japan produced a superb second-half display to come from 25-9 down and win last year’s fixture 34-25, stretching their unbeaten run against the Canucks to six matches.
James Bennetts is set to win his first cap for Eddie Jones’ side off the bench after he was named in the Brave Blossoms’ 23-man squad. The 24-year-old centre is the only uncapped player in the squad, which will be led by prolific goal-kicker Ayumu Goromaru.
“He has been training very hard and really improved over the last three months so I am looking forward to giving him the opportunity to win his first cap,” Jones said of Bennetts.
Japan’s most capped player of all time, Hitoshi Ono, will win his 88th cap in a pack that includes Michael Broadhurst for the first time since November 2013. “This is our first proper test match since November so we are looking forward to playing against another step up the ladder for the World Cup,” said Jones.
FIJI V TONGA: MCKEE EYES WORLD’S TOP 10
Fiji and Tonga have the honour of getting this year’s tournament underway at the ANZ Stadium in Suva, kick-off 15:00 local time.
John McKee began his reign in charge of Fiji this time last year with a 45-17 win over Tonga in the Pacific Nations Cup – Fiji’s third win in a row against the Tongans and their 17th overall in 24 meetings between the nations.
However, the Flying Fijians will be without a couple of key performers in Nemani Nadolo and Akapusi Qera. Nadolo, who contributed 20 points to Fiji’s victory during the 2014 competition, has returned to New Zealand to rehab a torn muscle injury, while Qera is rested after taking a knock to the knee in the recent one-point loss to Maori All Blacks.
With a more physical, direct approach expected from the Tongans, McKee has made nine changes to his starting line up from the Maori All Blacks game.
“For us we want good quality ball and play the game according to our strengths in attack and defence,” he said. “We need to match Tonga (physically). In the match against Maori All Blacks it was more like Super Rugby. There was not much contest around the breakdown but we expect pick and go from Tonga.”
France-based former Fiji sevens captain Levani Botia has forced his way into the number 13 spot while veteran Sunia Koto has replaced Tuapati Talemaitoga at hooker.
Another eye-catching selection comes at fly-half where the Waratahs’ much sought after playmaker, 24-year-old Ben Volavola, makes his test debut and takes on the goal-kicking duties.
Fiji are ranked 11th in the World Rugby Rankings and McKee wants them to overhaul ninth-placed Samoa: “We hope to have a successful PNC campaign so that we can get back in the top 10. We want to be the top team in the Pacific,” McKee stated.
Meanwhile, hot-stepping Super Rugby wing Telusa Veainu will make his debut for Tonga, while fly-half Latiume Fosita keeps the vastly more experienced Kurt Morath on the bench. The ‘Ikale Tahi will be led out in Suva by enduring openside flanker Nili Latu.
Tonga’s first Rugby World Cup game may only be two months away but High Performance Manager Peter Harding says their focus is very much in the here and now.
“No Fijian or Tongan is going to go into this test match against each other without it being full metal jacket – it’s going to be all to the wall if you know what I mean,” he said. “It’s a test match and we’re going to win it. We’ve got the quality and we’ve got the class and our objective is to win the game.”
Watch Pacific Nations Cup LIVE – round 1 fixtures (all kick offs local time)
Fiji v Tonga, ANZ Stadium, Suva, kick-off 15:00
Canada v Japan, Avaya Stadium, San Jose, kick off 17:00
USA v Samoa, Avaya Stadium, San Jose,kick off 19:00
