PNC: Samoa, Japan claim wins
Samoa and Japan got their Pacific Nations Cup campaigns on the perfect start when they claimed victories over The United States and Canada respectively.
Samoa survived a stirring second-half fightback by the USA to hold onto a 21-16 victory. Japan extended their unbeaten run against Canada to seven matches with a 20-6 in San Jose.
Japan 20-6 Canada
All-time record points scorer Ayumu Goromaru kicked 15 points and Yoshikazu Fujita scored the only try of the game while Canada's points came from the boot of Gordon McRorie who kicked a penalty in each half.
Goromaru kicked Japan ahead after only eight minutes and the lead increased to 8-0 five minutes later when Kotaro Matsushima darted through the Canadian line and offloaded to Fujita who cruised in for his 25th test try. Canada responded brilliantly, however, as McRorie converted his first penalty of the game after Hitoshi Ono was penalised.
Goromaru extended the Japanese lead in the 29th minute to 11-3 before missing a 39th minute penalty as the teams went into the break.
Canada were penalised for not using the ball at the back of the scrum in the 44th minute to allow Goromaru to make up for his earlier miss. Another successful penalty took the lead to 14 points before McRorie slotted a 61st minute penalty for the Canadians.
Goromaru added his fifth and final penalty in the 67th minute to make it 20-6 to hand the Brave Blossoms the victory.
Scorers:
For Canada:
Pens: McRorie 2
For Japan:
Try: Fujita
Pen: Ayumu Goromaru 5
Teams:
Canada: 15 Matt Evans, 14 Jeff Hassler, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Connor Braid, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Liam Underwood, 9 Gordon McRorie, 8 Tyler Ardron (captain), 7 Richard Thorpe, 6 Thyssen de Goede, 5 Jon Phelan, 4 Brett Beukeboom, 3 Doug Wooldridge, 2 Ray Barkwill, 1 Hubert Buydens.
Replacements: 16 Aaron Carpenter, 17 Djustice Sears-Duru, 18 Andrew Tiedemann, 19 Tyler Hotson, 20 Callum Morrison, 21 Phil Mack, 22 Nathan Hirayama, 23 Phil Mackenzie.
Japan: 15 Ayumu Goromaru (captain), 14 Yoshikazu Fujita, 13 Kotaro Matsushima, 12 Yuu Tamura, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Harumichi Tatekawa, 9 Atsushi Hiwasa, 8 Hayden Hopgood, 7 Michael Broadhurst, 6 Justin Ives, 5 Luke Thompson, 4 Hitoshi Ono, 3 Hiroshi Yamashita, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Hisateru Hirashima.
Replacements: 16 Keita Inagaki, 17 Takeshi Kizu, 18 Shinnosuke Kakinaga, 19 Kazuhiko Usami, 20 Tsuyoshi Murata, 21 Keisuke Uchida, 22 Toshiaki Hirose, 23 Tim Bennetts.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Federico Anselmi (Argentina,, Nick Ricono (USA)
USA 16-21 Samoa
The Pacific Islanders scored all of their points in the first half, tries from captain Alesana Tuilagi and fullback Ahsee Tuala and 11 points from the boot of flyhalf Patrick Paapale helping them into a 21-3 interval lead.
Eagles debutant Alan MacGinty kicked USA back into the contest before converting Titi Lamositele's 74th minute try as the Eagles pressed hard.
Samoa crossed the Eagles’ line in the 32nd minute when Tuala returned a clearance kick with interest and offloaded for Tuilagi to score his first international try for over two years. Paapale converted.
Tuilagi returned the favour five minutes later when, following a quickly taken penalty, kicked the ball to the far corner and Tuala swooped to score.
The introduction of experienced forward Scott Lavalla shortly after the re-start helped galvanise the Eagles to reduce the deficit when Irish-born playmaker MacGinty kicked his second penalty of the match in the 54th minute.
A late hit from Tuilagi on another former Leicester Tigers player, Blaine Scully, earned USA another opportunity and MacGinty made no mistake from the kicking tee.
A series of pick and go's then culminated in Lamositele, a first half replacement for Matekitonga Moeakiola, reaching out for the line and touching down for the Eagles' only try. MacGinty converted to set up a grandstand finish.
USA kept pounding away at the line in the final five minutes but to no avail, as Samoa held on to claim a hard-fought win.
For USA:
Try: Lamositele
Cons: MacGinty
Pens: MacGinty 3
For Samoa:
Tries: A Tuilagi, Tuala
Cons: Faapale
Pens: Faapale 3
USA: 15 Chris Wyles, 14 Taku Ngwenya, 13 Seamus Kelly, 12 Thretton Palamo, 11 Blaine Scully, 10 Alan MacGinty, 9 Shalom Suniula, 8 Danny Barrett, 7 John Quill, 6 Cam Dolan, 5 Greg Peterson, 4 Hayden Smith, 3 Matekitonga Moeakiola, 2 Phil Thiel, 1 Eric Fry.
Replacements: 16 Zach Fenoglio, 17 Chris Baumann, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Scott Lavalla, 20 Andrew Durutalo, 21 Mike Petri, 22 Andrew Suniula, 23 Zach Test.
Samoa: 15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Sinoti Sinoti, 13 Paul Perez, 12 Faialaga Afamasaga, 11 Alesana Tuilagi (captain), 10 Patrick Faapale, 9 Vavao Afemai, 8 Sanele Vavae Tuilagi, 7 Jack Lam, 6 TJ Ioane, 5 Faatiga Lemalu, 4 Filo Paulo, 3 Anthony Perenise, 2 Manu Leiataua, 1 Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu'u, 17 Viliamu Afatia, 18 Jake Grey, 19 Maselino Paulino, 20 Oneone Faafou, 21 Pele Cowley, 22 Johnny Leota, 23 Fa'atoina Autagavaia.
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant Referees: Federico Anselmi (Argentina), Andrew McMaster (Canada)
@WorldRugby
