PNC Wraps Up in Salt Lake with RWC Qualifier Chase
PNC Wraps Up in Salt Lake with RWC Qualifier Chase
Salt Lake City capped off the Pacific Nations Cup over the weekend, with an added World Cup Qualifier, too.
In that World Cup Qualifier, Samoa and Chile tied 32-32 to set up a winner-take-all game in Chile this coming weekend.
Replacement Abraham Papali’i scored a second-half double as Samoa came back from a 25-8 halftime deficit to tie the game.
“We had to dig deep," said Samoa captain Michael Alaalatoa. "Chile put us under a lot of pressure – they played really well when they entered our half. But that’s the effort we’ve been looking for, for the last six or seven weeks that we’ve been together. We know we’re capable of playing rugby like that and I’m glad we were able to show that today.
Chile captain Clemente Saavedra was determined to stay positive, despite the ending: “It was a really good match,” he said. “We had a really good first half. The second half, we have to do an analysis on Monday to see what we can do better, but the group is really good. We’re playing in Vina del Mar, so on balance I’m quite happy. The first 20 minutes in the second half has to be much better in Vina del Mar.”
“We're pretty clear on what the scenario is now," concluded Alaalatoa. "It’s nil-all, so we just need a win, so both sides are going to throw everything at it."
As for the Pacific Nations Cup, Canada and Tonga, by virtue of being in the top four, had secured their spot in the Rugby World Cup 2027. In their battle for 3rd in the PNC, Tonga ran out to an early lead only to see tries from Matt Oworu and Brock Gallagher either side of halftime tied it up 14-14.
It remained close as Siegfried Fisi'ihoi's try was answered by a Peter Nelson penalty goal, and Tonga led 21-17. But Patrick Pellegrini's 2nd and 3rd tries of the match ensured Tonga kept Canada at arm's length, and Tonga took the game 35-24. Nelson scored 14 for Canada, while Pellegrini, also the team's goalkicker, logged 25. For Canada, they will be happy with how they disrupted Tongan lineout possession, but they won't be happy with the penalty count or their tackling accuracy.
In the final, Fiji ran out to a 26-10 lead and held on despite a torrid Japanese comeback to beat Japan 33-27.
Three tries in the 10 minutes before halftime, and one right after the break, appeared to put the game away for Fiji. But two seocnd-half tries and Seungsin Lee's kicking edged Japan within a score. However, the final 16 minutes of the game, which promised more dramatics, didn't produce any points, and Fiji held on to win the 2025 PNC.
