Pacific Nations Cup: Canada loses heartbreaker to Samoa

Canada, ranked 18th in the world, has now lost all five previous meetings with Samoa. Glasgow Warrior Leone Nakarawa helped himself to a first half try double, before Scotland’s final World Cup Pool B opponents Samoa hit back with two tries of their own through Bristol prop Anthony Perenise. In this department, the team still has a long way to go.

Despite the advantage, Japan were unable to find a way through and eventually conceded a penalty with the last kick of the game as an exhausted Fiji held on for a nervy win. They left the field as a phalanx after the pre-game warmup. We have to start taking these. “In the first half we had a couple of turnovers we shouldn’t have”.

“A lot of emotion in that one”, said Canadian captain Tyler Ardron, forced to leave the game in the fourth minute with a knee injury.

“I don’t think it’s too bad, to be honest. I was walking around”. Pritchard kicked two penalties and two conversions.

Three minutes later, Pritchard converted another penalty to extend the margin.

Until then, it had looked like Michael Stanley’s long-range kicking would lift Samoa to a comeback win. “You’ve got to execute really well and we just weren’t sharp enough in our execution”. “The ball’s going to bounce the wrong way once in a while”.

But after Canada stole a Samoan lineout on the Canadian goalline with the clock running down, two Canadians collided and the ball spilled loose, only for Samoa’s Sakaria Taulafo to dive on it for the winning try. Pritchard, Canada’s all-time points scorer, also missed two second-half penalty kicks.

If Fiji and Samoa remain unbeaten by overcoming Japan and hosts Canada this morning, then they will be set for a rematch to determine who will be crowned Pacific Nations Cup 2015 champions in Vancouver. They will play Fiji in the final.

Tonga defeated the U.S. 33-19 in the opening game of the tournament tripleheader at BMO Field. All matches will take place on August. 3 in Burnaby, B.C.

The Fijians were lucky to escape with a 27-22 victory over Japan despite being reduced to 13 men for the final minutes of their clash, also in Toronto.

The Japanese had taken an early lead through three penalties from fullback Ayumu Goromaru before Fiji hit back with a devastating 10-minute spell.

An offload by Napolioni Nalaga after a run down the line set up Matavesi for a try in the 26th minute.

But Japan came roaring back after the restart, with right wing Akihito Yamada dotting down in the corner to make it 24-14.

The Springboks, who can now finish no higher than third in the Rugby Championship, have slipped to only 0.61 points ahead of Ireland, the leading northern hemisphere nation in the rankings. Japan ended 1-2 with their only win coming against Canada.

Tonga put the pressure on early and never let up throughout the game.

After Niua added another penalty, Tonga scored another try when the ball was fed across the back line to Vainikolo for his second try of the match.

Vainikolo was named the man of the match. The U.S. fell to 1-2.