Fiji defeated a very brave and tenacious USA team 22-3 Saturday evening in Tokyo, securing a place in the Pacific Nations Cup final.
The USA will play the loser of tomorrow’s Japan-vs-Samoa game for 3rd in a week.
The game was certainly Fiji’s, as the Pacific Island team overall won the point of contact and successfully disrupted the Eagles’ best scoring chances. But luck was a bit of a factor, and didn’t go the USA’s way.
Just before kickoff there was a very brisk wind that threatened to affect how the game would be played. However, as the evening wore on the wind died down to almost nothing, so while the USA went against the wind in the first half, it wasn’t really a factor at all.
Coming into the game as one of the PNC’s best tackling teams, the Eagles continued to excel at that part of the game early.
Fiji looked to gain ground with the boot, testing debutant Toby Flicker, but the new fullback was up to the task and made some good takes under pressure. His first take allowed him to set up captain and wing Nate Augspurger, who beat his man with a sidestep and chipped ahead. The pressure from the USA chase eventually forced a lineout and some phases later Fiji was penalized.
Flyhalf Chris Mattina put the kick over for a 3-0 USA lead.
Much of the early going was the USA getting into some kind of threatening position only to lose possession at a key moment. Off another attacking lineout the Eagles ran Augspurger through the middle off a set move. He offloaded to Tavite Lopeti, who charged on from just inside the 22 and was almost to the line. His offload, however, wasn’t controlled by Paul Mullen, who had Fijians in his face, and Fiji escaped.
Still the Eagles had a lineout well inside the Fijian half. However when the USA maul was stopped the Eagles weren’t really prepared, and Fiji was able to earn a holding-on penalty from the next ruck.
Another good attacking chance came when Fiji were guilty for diving over (which is something they’ll need to clean up). But the ensuing lineout was not to hand and Fiji got out of that one, as well.
At about the 15th minute Fiji were hit with a penalty inside their half and Mattina lined that one up, but his kick was away, leaving the score at 3-0.
Having had a prime scoring chance not quite happen, the Eagles encountered the first of three instances when a player was free and clear on a run to the line only to be called back.
This chance came off a blocked kick. The ball fell to Vili Helu and the big lock looked set to go; but the play was called back for a penalty against the USA … a penalty not in clear evidence … from a distance, anyway.
Fiji took that penalty and attacked off the lineout. They charged on and looked like they might score, only for No. 8 Thomas Tu'avao to somehow get his hand under the ball and hold it up.
Fiji continued to work on their attack, but the USA defense was very quick to come up on the Fiji backline. This forced Fiji to try to pass quickly to the wing, which they decided they couldn’t do, and they instead punched it up to engage contact. The USA tackling was very good and ultimately in the first half the Eagles logged a tackle success rate of 88%, which, against Fiji, is pretty good.
That defensive approach allowed that slim 3-0 lead hang on toward 20 minutes. Finally a penalty off scrum allowed Fiji to line up a kick for flyhalf Caleb Muntz, and he put it over to tie the game.
As the second half progressed Fiji got more of the ball and found a lot of success in the scrum, earning penalties and disrupting USA possession. The USA scrum wasn’t helped by the fact that loosehead prop Jack Iscaro had to leave for a temporary sub for almost 10 minutes, and then Mullen had to leave in the first half with Kullen Davis coming on.
Fiji was able to break through, and it was their defense that told the tale. On defense Fiji was very aggressive and physical. They had been penalized a couple of times for diving over, but really it was their dominant tackles driving ballcarriers back that did the job. When the Eagles stole a Fijian lineout throw near the USA line, Fiji responded by swarming onto the USA ballcarriers, driving them, back, shoving them off the ball and, finally, seeing No. 8 Elia Canakaivata pick up and dive over. It was a disappointing try for the USA to give up, but Fiji probably deserved the score based on the pressure they exerted. Muntz converted the tough kick and it was 10-3 for Fiji.
The Eagles did have another chance off a scrum but the connections weren’t quite there, and the half ended 10-3.
Things Begin to Open Up
The Eagles had a good chance early in the second half, getting a penalty and a lineout, but they lost that lineout once again. Augspurger rescued the ball on some broken play and cute through for a big gain. It was a piece of brilliance from the captain, but the support wasn’t quite there and eventually the Eagles were penalized for a gator roll in the ruck.
Fiji got another penalty, and then another one and seemed set to score with an overload in the backs. Fricker, however, blitzed up to make a tackle and forced a knock-on. it was a big, try-saving play by the fullback.
Unable to quickly pass wide, Fiji gave themselves a bit more depth and space, and the opportunities began to come. And then it only took one broken tackle and a couple of wild passes to put Canakaivata over. This was one of a couple of key calls by Welsh referee Craig Evans that did somewhat affect the game. The final pass to Canakaivata did appear to be forward, and yet it wasn’t looked at with any details and apparently TMO Tual Trainini didn’t have a problem with it.
Muntz made the conversion and it was 17-3 for Fiji.
Now the Eagles had to get back in the game, and when Fiji captain Tevita Ikanivere was sin-binned for a dangerous clearout (which didn’t look that dangerous, actually), the Americans had their chance.
