Pacific Nations Cup 2024: Round Two Preview

August 29, 2024
2505
Ultimate Rugby

Round two of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2024 gets underway this weekend with Tonga and USA making their belated entry into the competition.

Having seen Fiji beat Samoa 42-16 and Japan overcome Canada 55-28, both teams will be looking for a positive start.

Tonga face a tough trip to Apia to play Samoa, Pacific Nations Cup champions as recently as 2022, while USA are at home to Canada.

SAMOA v TONGA – APIA PARK, APIA – KO 17:00 (05:00 BST)

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Samoa’s centennial celebrations as a test-playing rugby nation culminate this weekend with the highly anticipated match against traditional rivals Tonga.

Since the first meeting in 1926, Samoa have won 38 matches to Tonga’s 26, with two draws, while in Apia, Samoa have been totally dominant in the professional era.

You have to go back to 1980 to find the last time Tonga tasted success in the Samoan capital, and their record at Apia Park since the game went open is P13, W0, D2, L11.

Tonga’s last win over Samoa at any venue was in 2018, when they came away from Suva with a 28-18 victory.

WHERE TO WATCH

The match is live on RugbyPass TV or on Digicel if you’re in the Pacific Islands.

PNC HONOURS

Samoa are a close second to Fiji in terms of most Pacific Nations Cup with four titles, the last of which was in 2022.

Tonga have yet to lift the coveted trophy, but they did finish runners-up in 2011 and in consecutive years in 2017 and 2018.

SAMOA FORM: SECOND-HALF SURRENDER

Having beaten Italy and then Spain in the July internationals, Samoa went into the Pacific Nations Cup with plenty of confidence. And that much was evident in their first-half display against Fiji, with the Theo McFarland-led side up by a point at half-time and threatening to pull off a famous victory.

However, Samoa were a poor imitation of themselves after the break as they played into a stiff breeze, conceding 27 unanswered points and losing two men to the sin-bin for needless acts of ill-discipline.

TONGA FORM: A FALSE START TO 2024

While Samoa beat both Italy and Spain, Tonga lost to the same opposition, so given the form line, and the history, Tonga will do well to hand new head coach Tevita Tu’ifua his first win in charge of the team.

Tonga scored 34 points in those defeats – but only five of them were scored before half-time, so they need to find a way to get into the match from the first whistle on Friday.

RANKINGS RECKONER

Samoa go into the match ranked 13th and Tonga are three places below them in 16th.

However, that could be turned on its head if the ‘Ikale Tahi come away from Apia with a famous win, and one by more than 15 points.

If that happens, Tonga will be the higher-ranked of the two nations.

Samoa cannot improve their position with a win this weekend.

SAMOA TEAM NEWS

Head coach Mase Mahonri Schwalger has made six personnel changes and one positional following the round one defeat to Fiji.

Hooker Sama Malolo and tight-head Tietie Tuimauga are the new additions to the front row and Izaiha Moore-Aiono and first-time starter Iakopo Petelo Mapu come into the XV at openside and number eight.

In the backs, Afa Moleli is promoted from the bench to play full-back, which results in Tomasi Alosio shifting to the left wing, while the other change comes at outside-centre where Stacey Ili replaces last week's debutant, Lalomilo Lalomilo, who drops to the bench.

Former Brumbies fly-half, Rodney Iona, now with NOLA Gold in the MLR, is in line to make his first test appearance for nearly two years after being named among the replacements.

Samoa (1-15): 1. Aki Seiuli, 2. Sama Malolo, 3. Tietie Tuimauga, 4. Benjamin Petaia Nee-nee, 5. Samuel Slade, 6. Theo McFarland (capt), 7. Izaiha Moore-Aiono, 8. Iakopo Petelo Mapu, 9. Melani Matavao, 10. Alai D'Angelo Leuila, 11. Tomasi Alosio, 12. Alapati Leiua, 13. Stacey Ili, 14. Tuna Tuitama, 15. Afa Moleli.
Replacements: 16. Luteru Tolai, 17. Andrew Tuala, 18. Brook Toomalatai, 19. Michael Curry, 20. Jonah Mau'u, 21. Danny Tusitala, 22. Rodney Iona, 23. Lalomilo Lalomilo.

TONGA TEAM NEWS

Head coach Tevita Tu’ifua has named a much-changed team to the one that last took to the field for the 29-20 home defeat to Spain on 19 July.

There are five new players in the forwards and four in the backs, while three of the starting XV are set to be wear different numbered jerseys.

In the pack, Penisoni Fineanganofo makes his debut at hooker, Onehunga Kaufusi returns to the second row after nearly three years out to join Harison Mataele, who now has a four on his back instead of a five, and there is an all-new back-row combination. Tupou Afungia and Siosiua Moala win their first caps at six and seven and number eight Lotu Inisi is back to win his third cap and his first since Pacific Nations Cup 2022.

Scrum-half Manu Paea and John Tapueluelu are the only survivors in the backs from the Spain defeat. Paea is joined at half-back by RWC 2023 bolter and new Moana Pasifika recruit, Pat Pellegrini, who starts at fly-half for only the second time.

With Fine Inisi coming into the team at outside-centre, vice-captain Fetuli Paea moves from 13 to 12, while Esau Filimoehala and Nikolai Foliaki join Tapueluelu, who is now on the left wing, in the back three.

Tonga's bench contains two uncapped players in Tevita Ahokovi and sevens international Samuel Tuitupou.

Tonga (1-15): 1. Tau Koloamatangi, 2. Penisoni Fineanganofo, 3. Ben Tameifuna (capt.), 4. Harison Mataele, 5. Onehunga Kaufusi, 6. Tupou Afungia, 7. Siosiua Moala, 8. Lotu Inisi, 9. Manu Paea, 10. Patrick Pellegrini, 11. John Tapueluelu, 12. Fetuli Paea (vice capt.), 13. Fine Inisi, 14. Esau Filimoehala, 15. Nikolai Foliaki (vice capt.)
Replacements: 16. Solomone Aniseko, 17. Jethro Felemi, 18. Brandon Televave, 19. Tevita Ahokovi, 20. Sosefo Sakalia, 21. Aisea Halo, 22. Tyler Pulini, 23. Samuel Tuitupou.

REFEREE

World Rugby U20 Championship 2024 final referee, Takehito Namekawa of Japan, takes charge of his first Pacific Islands fixture. It is his third test as a whistle blower.

USA v CANADA – DIGNITY HEALTH SPORTS PARK, LOS ANGELES – KO 18:00 (SUNDAY 02:00 BST)

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Canada lead the overall head-to-head but most of their 39 wins were achieved some time ago. USA have won 24 matches, the majority of them in the professional era, and have only been beaten once in the last 14 meetings.

At home, USA have had the better of Canada since August 2013, a run of eight matches.

This is the first time the teams have met since the home-and-away Rugby World Cup 2023 North American qualifiers in September 2021. Neither team made it to France.

WHERE TO WATCH

Peacock, a streaming service from NBC Universal, will be showing the match in the United States, while TSN viewers will be able to watch in Canada.

PNC HONOURS

Neither USA nor Canada have won the Pacific Nations Cup in the four tournaments they have been involved in.

Both, however, have finished in second: Canada in 2013 and USA in 2014.

USA FORM: EAGLES SUFFER FROM WHITE LINE FEVER

USA lost 22-20 to Romania and 42-7 to Scotland in their two July internationals. Both were games where the Men’s Eagles spurned countless chances, with just one visit in every six into the opposition 22 yielding a try.

AJ MacGinty scored 63 per cent of their points (17/27) and the bad news for Men’s Eagles’ fans is that their principal playmaker is unavailable for the Pacific Nations Cup.

On a positive note, USA’s scrum held up well (93 per cent across the two games) and they got over the gain-line more often than not, so they have a solid base to build from.

CANADA FORM: BRAVE BUT WELL BEATEN

Canada had no answer to Japan’s high-tempo game-plan in last Sunday’s Pacific Nations Cup opener and were well off the pace to begin with, shipping two very early converted tries before going into half-time 38-7 down.

A valiant second-half display brought some respectability to the final scoreline in Vancouver (55-28) and the form of the try-scoring McMullin twins, Talon and Takoda, and the flawless goal-kicking of Peter Nelson was hugely encouraging. Also, Canada’s record of not losing a single scrum on their own feed remained intact.

Canada went into the tournament with a 35-22 win over Romania and a 73-12 defeat to Scotland.

RANKINGS RECKONER

It’s been more than a decade since Canada beat the Men’s Eagles in the USA. But if they can end that long wait with a win by more than 15 points, they will become North America’s highest-ranked team for the first time since June 2016.

A smaller margin of victory would still be enough to lift Canada above Romania into the top 20, a position they have not occupied since February 2019.

USA can only climb above Spain into 18th if they win by an emphatic margin.