INTERNATIONAL TEST RUGBY: Pacific Nations Cup Gets Underway

02.07.2011
Samoa v Japan in Tokyo (Pacific Nations Cup)

Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground

Referee:

Preview
The 2011 Pacific Nations Cup was due to be held in Japan but due to the massive earthquake there earlier in the year it was decided to hold the bulk of the games in Fiji. This is the only test to be held in Japan. It pits the local team against Last year’s Pacific Nations Cup winner Samoa

Both teams will use this tournament as a valued warm up leading to the 2011 Rugby World Cup finals. Japan has the home advantage and a 4-test lead up to this fixture.

Japan waltzed through the Asia Five Nations competition, defeating Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka to take it’s fifth successive title. In the process they scored 310 points (average 77.5 per game) whilst conceding just 35 (Hong Kong bagged 22 of them!) They will find, as always, the Pacific Island nations a much tougher proposition, especially as this year more overseas players are gracing the Island teams, with Rugby World Cup selection in view.

Last year Japan defeated the eventual winner in Apia but the Samoan side has a number of overseas-based players making it probably a stronger side.

Last Five Encounters
30.10.2010 Samoa 13-10 in Tokyo (Friendly)
19.06.2010 Japan 31-23 in Apia (Pacific Nations Cup)
18.06.2009 Samoa 34-15 in Sigatoka (Pacific Nations Cup)
05.07.2008 Samoa 37-31 in Apia (Pacific Nations Cup)
16.06.2007 Samoa 13-3 in Sendai (Pacific Nations Cup)

Japan last defeated Samoa in Japan in 1999, winning 37-34 in Osaka for the then Pacific Rim Trophy.

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Samoa 12th, Japan 13th

IRB Ranking Points
Samoa 74.02, Japan 71.45

Prediction: A close tussle-Samoa by 4 points

Teams

Japan
15- Goshi Tachikawa (Toshiba) Age 34, Tests 20
14- Kosuke Endo (Toyota) 30, 35
13- Yuta Imamura (Kobe Steel) 26, 30
12- Ryan Nicholas (Suntory) 32, 27
11- Takehisa Usuzuki (Toshiba) 25, 2
10- Shaun Webb (West) 29, 26
9- Fumiaki Tanaka (Panasonic) 26, 25
8- Koliniasi Ryu Holani (Panasonic) 29, 16
7- Tadasuke Nishihara (Panasonic) 23, New cap
6- Takashi Kikutani, Capt. (Toyota) 31, 39
5- Luke Thompson (Kintetsu) 30, 30
4- Toshizumi Kitagawa (Toyota) 30, 34
3- Kensuke Hatakeyama (Suntory) 25, 18
2- Yusuke Aoki (Suntory) 27, 18
1- Hisateru Hirashima (Kobe Steel) 28, 21
Replacements
16- Takeshi Kizu (Kobe Steel) 22, 5
17- Naoki Kawamata (Panasonic) 25, 14
18- Justin Ives (Panasonic) 27, 4
19- Itaru Taniguchi (Kobe Steel) 26, 3
20- Atsushi Hiwasa (Suntory) 24, 2
21- Murray Williams (Toyota) 28, New cap
22- Hirotoki Onozawa (Suntory) 33, 60
Head Coach: John Kirwan

After selection Michael Leitch failed a fitness test and was replaced in the starting XV by new cap Nishihara.

Adapted from http://www.jrfu.org/ Data from RiJ Newsletter, thanks to Ian McDonnell

Samoa
15 James Sooialo (Northern United RFC, New Zealand) Age 22, New cap
14 Sailosi Tagicakibau (London Irish, England) 28, 15
13 George Pisi (ASM Clermont Auvergne, France) 24, 5
12 Seilala Maposua, Capt. (Kubota, Japan) 31, 17
11 Alesana Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) 30, 21
10 Tusi Pisi (Suntory, Japan) 29, New cap
9 Lualua Vailoaloa (Parramatta RFC, Australia) 29, 1 (in 2005)
8 George Stowers (Neath Swansea Ospreys) 32, 18
7 Manaia Salavea (Narbonne, France) 25, 5
6 Ezra Taylor (Connacht, Ireland) 28, New cap
5 Daniel Leo (Bordeaux-Begles, France) 29, 23
4 Joseph Tekori (Castres, France) 27, 15
3 Anthony Perenise (Hurricanes, New Zealand) 28, 7
2 Tii Paulo (ASM Clermont Auvergne, France) 28, 2
1 Sakaria Taulafo (London Wasps, England) 28, 8
Replacements
16 Ole Avei (Bordeaux-Begles, France) 28, New cap
17 Logovii Mulipola (Vaiala) 23, 2
18 Filipo Levi (Newcastle, England) 32, 25
19 Maurie Faasavalu (Harlequins, England) 30, 6 (last in 2003!)
20 Uale Mai (Marist Old Boys) 32, 13
21 Tasesa Lavea (ASM Clermont Auvergne, France) 30, 3
22 Timoteo Iosua (Vaiala) 24, 1 (in 2006)
Head Coach: Fuimaono Titimaea Tafua

Team lists adapted from http://www.jrfu.org/, and data from www.rugbyinternational.net unpublished lists. Note: The data for Samoan players on jrfu.org do not match my data nor that of Stuart Farmer’s at www.scrum.com