Fiji thwarted Samoa’s ambitions to go to the top of the Pacific Nations Cup table after a second-half turnaround saw the home side clinch a 19-14 victory yesterday.
In the earlier match, Japan narrowly beat Tonga 21-19 for their third straight Pacific Nations victory over the team after Tonga’s Tevita Halaifonua missed a last-minute conversion attempt from wide out.
Samoa were the favorites going into the Fiji clash, with their only defeat from three matches this year a narrow one point loss to the Junior All Blacks.
The Samoans retain second spot after the loss, but have a bye in the final round next week.
Fiji went into the halftime break 9-3 down and well behind in possession and territory, but showed greater steel in the second spell.
Both teams scored only a try apiece in the second half, but Fiji’s greater passion and 14 points from the steady boot of inside-center Seremaia Bai made the difference.
The first half was tryless, with Samoa unable to turn a dominance of possession and territory into a big lead.
The pressure told though, with two of three penalties kicked by outside-center Gavin William coming from Fijian breakdown offenses inside their own 22.
But the second half was a different story, with a revitalized Fiji playing with more passion and making fewer mistakes.
The home side were rewarded 10 minutes after the break when reserve back Vereniki Goneva scored the first try of the match.
Fijian hesitancy on defense saw Samoa hit back when a defender became trapped behind his own goal-line under a pile of Samoan bodies, with reserve forward Ofisa Treviranus awarded the try.
Japan’s win in the earlier match, their first from three matches in the five-nation tournament this year, lifts them off the bottom of the table above Tonga, who are still to record a victory.
Japan have beaten Tonga for three straight years in the Pacific Nations Cup, providing their only wins in the four-year history of the tournament.
Victory was a close-run thing in the end, but reflected a two-thirds dominance of territory and a strong performance by the forwards, who were in charge in the line-outs and breakdowns.
They were supported by a back-line led by the tactical nous of flyhalf James Arlidge and incisive running of inside-center Ryan Nicholas.
The physical Tongans had the best of the first 20 minutes of the match, outmuscling their leaner opponents, with inside-center Joseph Vaka, one of the standout players for Tonga, scoring the first try.
However, Japan’s greater speed and precision saw them reply with tries by fullback Shaun Webb in the 22nd minute and 33rd minute, taking a 15-7 halftime lead.
Tonga showed more commitment in the second spell with tries from hooker Ilaisa Ma’asi and winger Halaifonua, but Halaifonua missed the chance to even the scores.
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
The Edmonton Oilers on Thursday defeated the Dallas Stars 6-3 to book their place in the Stanley Cup Finals, setting up a repeat of last year’s NHL showpiece against reigning champions the Florida Panthers. The Oilers, bidding to become the first Canadian team to win the NHL’s championship series since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, head to Florida for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series set for Wednesday. Florida, who are to play in the NHL showpiece for the third straight season, won last year’s title 4-3 to extend Canada’s decades-long Stanley Cup drought. Connor McDavid led Edmonton back to the championship series on
RSS