DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado, hosts three matches today, as the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 Finals Series gets under way.
Samoa and USA kick off what is set to be a fascinating weekend of rugby by competing for fifth place, and a golden ticket to Australia for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, before Tonga and Japan take centre stage for the first of the semi-finals. Later, Fiji and Canada meet in the second semi-final.
Samoa v USA
DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, Denver, Colorado
Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Craig Evans (Wales)
Television Match Official: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
No silverware is available to Samoa or USA in this, the first of an Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup triple-treat in Denver, but a golden ticket to Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 awaits the winner of this ninth-ever meeting between the two sides.
Samoa have won six of the eight matches between the two sides, including the most recent in last year’s tournament at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Japan, and both previous encounters on USA soil.
Qualifying for Australia will be the goal of both sides. Samoa will want to maintain their run of featuring in every tournament since 1991, while USA will want to make sure they don’t miss out this time, after failing to qualify for France 2023.
Piling the pressure further on Scott Lawrence’s Eagles, his side’s loss to Japan in California last weekend was their fifth in a row in the Pacific Nations Cup, their worst losing streak in the competition since they lost their first five matches between 2013 and 2014.
But both Lawrence and first-time captain Jason Damm saw progress in their performance in defeat last weekend compared to the loss to Canada in Calgary in their first match.
“We generally did well for longer periods of time in this game, in terms of executing our plan for more minutes with ball in play,” Lawrence said. “We just ran into a good team who punished us in the minutes we didn’t have the ball.
Damm, meanwhile, told RugbyPass TV: “Obviously, it’s not the result we wanted but it’s a step ahead of the performance against Canada, so we’ll keep building on that energy and that work.”
The side that loses this match faces a two-leg South America/Pacific play-off against Chile for the 22nd place at Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.
Matchday squads:
Samoa (1-15): 1 Aki Seiuli 2 Luteru Tolai, 3 Michael Alaalatoa (captain); 4 Benjamin Petaia Nee-Nee, Michael Curry; 6 Olajuwon Noa, 7 Alamanda Motuga, 8 Iakopo Mapu; 9 Connor Tupa’i, 10 Rodney Iona; 11 Tuna Tuitama, 12 Henry Taefu, 13 Melani Nanai, 14 Elisapeta Alofipo; 15 Lolagi Visinia
Replacements: 16 Ray Niuia, 17 Jarred Adams, 18 Marco Fepulea’i, 19 Potu Leavasa, 20 Abraham Papali’i, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Christian Leali’ifano, 23 Thomasi Alosio
USA: 1 Jack Iscaro, 2 Kapeli Pifeleti, 3 Pono Davis; 4 Marno Redelinghuys, 5 Jason Damm (captain); 6 Viliami Helu, 7 Cory Daniel, 8 Paddy Ryan; 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Chris Hilsenbeck; 11 Toby Fricker, 12 Tommaso Boni, 13 Dominic Besag, 14 Rufus McLean; 15 Mitch Wilson
Replacements: 16 Kaleb Geiger, 17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 18 Maliu Niuafe, 19 Tevita Naqali, 20 Christian Poidevin, 21 Ethan McVeigh, Luke Carty, 23 Erich Storti
Tonga v Japan
DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, Denver, Colorado
Referee: Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Robin Kaluzniak (Canada)
Television Match Official: Tual Trainini (France)
Tonga’s main concern heading into this year’s Pacific Nations Cup was to ensure qualification for RWC 2027 as soon as possible. They achieved that goal from the sidelines last weekend, when Samoa – who had lost to ‘Ikale Tahi a week previously – were beaten by Fiji in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Primary objective assured, they now have a secondary goal. Equal – or even better – their best-ever finish in this tournament. They have never won the Pacific Nations Cup, but finished second in 2011 and 2016.
In their way, however, are Eddie Jones’ high-octane Japan, who already have their ticket to Australia, courtesy of their third-place pool finish in France two years ago, and a side Tonga have not beaten since 2015.
The Brave Blossoms have won eight of their last nine Pacific Nations Cup outings. The one blot on their copybook was in last year’s final against Fiji. Jones has already made it perfectly clear he expects his side to go one better in 2025.
It looks like the odds are stacked in the favour of last year’s finalists. But Tonga will want to show more of their improvement from their PNC 2024 challenge, when they finished fifth after losing both of their pool phase matches.
Matchday squads:
Tonga (1-15): 1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, 2 Samiuela Moli, 3 Ben Tameifuna (captain); 4 Veikoso Poloniati, 5 Harison Mataele; 6 Tupou Afungia, 7 Foto Lokotui, 8 Siosiua Moala; 9 Sonatane Takulua, 10 Patrick Pellegrini; 11 John Tapueluelu, 12 Uilisi Halaholo, 13 Fetuli Paea, 14 Nikolai Foliaki; 15 Salesi Piutau
Replacements: 16 Sosefu Sakalia, 17 Tau Koloamatangi, 18 Solomone Tukuafu, 19 Justin Mataele, 20 Tevita Ahokovi, 21 Siaosi Nai, 22 James Faiva, 23 Josiah Unga
Japan: 1 Sena Kimura, 2 Hayate Era, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi; 4 Jack Cornelsen, 5 Warner Dearns (captain); 6 Ben Gunter, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 8 Amato Fakatava; 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 10 Seungsin Lee; 11 Tomoki Osada, 12 Charlie Lawrence, 13 Dylan Riley, 14 Kippei Ishida; 15 Sam Greene
Replacements: 16 Kenji Sato, 17 Kenta Kobayashi, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Waisake Raratubua, 20 Tiennan Costley, 21 Faulua Makisi, 22 Kenta Fukuda, 23 Yuya Hirose
Fiji v Canada
DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, Denver, Colorado
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Lex Weiner (USA)
Television Match Official: Tual Trainini (France)
Canada, like USA, missed out on a spot at Rugby World Cup 2023. Unlike USA, Canada head into this weekend’s Pacific Nations Cup semi-final against defending champions Fiji with a guaranteed place at Australia 2027.
Their ticket to Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 came after they had picked up their first Pacific Nations Cup win in 15 tournament outings, against USA in the opening round. The Eagles’ loss to Japan in California a fortnight later confirmed Canada’s spot.
History, however, is now against the Canadians. They haven’t beaten Fiji since 2013, and are on a 12-match losing streak against sides from Oceania, since beating Tonga 12 years ago.
The Flying Fijians won’t want to give up the title they won for a record sixth time in 2024. Mick Byrne’s side have been in miserly form so far in this year’s competition, conceding only 25 points in their two pool matches, and none in the second half of either outing against Tonga and Samoa.
But Steve Meehan’s Canada, ranked 24th in the world, wouldn’t be averse to springing a much bigger surprise than even their opening-weekend victory over the Eagles.
Matchday squads:
Fiji (1-15): 1 Eroni Mawi, 2 Tevita Ikanivere (captain), 3 Mesake Doge; 4 Mesake Vocevoce, 5 Isoa Nasilasila; 6 Etonia Waqa, 7 Elia Canakaivata, 8 Viliame Mata; 9 Simione Kuruvoli, 10 Caleb Muntz; 11 Taniela Rakuro, 12 Inia Tabuavou, 13 Seta Tamanivalu, 14 Kalaveti Ravouvou; 15 Ponipate Loganimasi
Replacements: Zuriel Togiatama, 17 Haereiti Hetet, 18 Samu Tawake, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Motikai Murray, 21 Sam Wye, 22 Kemu Valetini, 23 Joji Nasova
Canada: 1 Calixto Martinez, 2 Dewald Kotze, 3 Cole Keith; 4 Piers Von Dadelszen, 5 Callum Botchar; 6 Mason Flesch (captain), 7 Siôn Parry, 8 Matthew Oworu; 9 Jason Higgins, 10 Peter Nelson; 11 Josiah Morra, 12 Spencer Jones, 13 Noah Flesch, 14 Nic Benn; 15 Shane O’Leary
Replacements: 16 Jesse Mackail, 17 Emerson Prior, 18 Conor Young, 19 Izzak Kelly, 20 Matt Heaton, 21 Brock Gallagher, 22 Talon McMullin, 23 Kainoa Lloyd
Fiji Water Flying Fijians utility back, Kalaveti Ravouvou on attack against the Ikale Tahi Tongan defence during their Pacific Nations Cup match at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva on Saturday, August 30, 2025. Picture: JONACANI LALAKOBAU
