2015 Pacific Nations Cup

[Beerfalo]

http://www.rugbycanada.ca/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=3817&leagueID=0&page=86415

The dates and locations of the 2015 edition of the Pacific Nations Cup have been announced. Shockingly only one game will be played outside North American soil, though travel wise it makes sense. Canada has a real tough task ahead of them. They've been lackluster, to say the least, since they qualified for the RWC and have to face tough physical tests in Samoa and Tonga, as well as a Japanese squad that has given us nothing but trouble for years. At least this year we'll get to crown a champion.

2015 PACIFIC NATIONS CUP POOLS AND SCHEDULE:

POOL A
Samoa
Tonga
Japan

POOL B
Fiji
USA
Canada

ROUND 1 - Saturday, July 18
Fiji vs Tonga at ANZ Stadium - Suva, Fiji
Canada vs Japan at Avaya Stadium - San Jose, California, USA
USA vs Samoa at Avaya Stadium - San Jose, California, USA

ROUND 2 - Friday, July 24
Canada vs Tonga at Swangard Stadium - Burnaby, BC, Canada
Fiji vs Samoa at Bonney Field - Sacramento, CA, USA
USA vs Japan at Bonney Field - Sacramento, CA, USA

ROUND 3 - Wednesday, July 29
USA vs Tonga at BMO Field - Toronto, ON, Canada
Fiji vs Japan at BMO Field - Toronto, ON, Canada
Canada vs Samoa at BMO Field - Toronto, ON, Canada

ROUND 4 - Monday, August 3
5th Seed vs 6th Seed at Swangard Stadium - Burnaby, BC, Canada
3rd Seed vs 4th Seed at Swangard Stadium - Burnaby, BC, Canada
1st Seed vs 2nd Seed at Swangard Stadium - Burnaby, BC, Canada

 

[Wendigo7]

Japan early favourites?

 

[jonny24]

I guess I know where I'll be on July 29th.

Looks like the pools play only teams outside their pool?

 

[Every Time Ref]

Any of these games likely to be shown in the UK? Sounds worth watching

 

[canadafan]

Not an ideal format but better than last year's.

 

[jonny24]

You'll probably be able to get some sort of stream. TSN usually broadcasts Canada's home games, and Rugby Canada often streams our other games. No idea about the rest though. Not sure I can see TSN broadcasting two non-Canada games on the same day, even if they never have anything on.

What do you guys suppose the kick off times will be for the triple headers? 12, 3:30, 7?

 

[rusty_lock]

PNC has traditionally been streamed on IRB.com so I would imagine that that will continue

 

[LittleGuy]

You'll probably be able to get some sort of stream. TSN usually broadcasts Canada's home games, and Rugby Canada often streams our other games. No idea about the rest though. Not sure I can see TSN broadcasting two non-Canada games on the same day, even if they never have anything on.

What do you guys suppose the kick off times will be for the triple headers? 12, 3:30, 7?

That would be a disaster if they chose times like that, hardly anyone would turn up for the 1st game especially on the midweek dates, and people would probably float in maybe half way or even later in the second game, I was thinking the times would be more like.....

4:00, 6:30, 9:00. Or maybe 3:00, 5:30, 8:00.

 

[Blackdevil]

Japan early favourites?

samoa are favourites

 

[dudeabides]

Looking forward to this one tonight, they say it airs on Espn 3:

Men's Eagles | v. Samoa
1. Eric Fry
2. Phil Thiel
3. Matekitonga Moeakiola
4. Hayden Smith
5. Greg Peterson
6. Cameron Dolan
7. John Quill
8. Danny Barrett
9. Shalom Suniula
10. AJ MacGinty
11. Blaine Scully
12. Thretton Palamo
13. Seamus Kelly
14. Takudzwa Ngwenya
15. Chris Wyles (C)

Men's Eagles | Reserves
16. Zach Fenoglio
17. Chris Baumann
18. ***i Lamositele
19. Scott LaValla
20. Andrew Durutalo
21. Mike Petri
22. Andrew Suniula
23. Zack Test

Samoa | v. USA
1. Sakaria Taulafo
2. Manu Leiataua
3. Anthony Perenise
4. Teofilo Paulo
5. Faatiga Lemalu
6. TJ Ioane
7. Jack Lam
8. Vavae Tuilagi
9. Vavao Afemai
10. Patrick Faapale
11. Alesana Tuilagi (C)
12. Faialaga Afamasaga
13. Paul Perez
14. Sinoti Sinoti
15. Ah See Tuala

Samoa | Reserves
16. Motu Matuu
17. Viliamu Afatia
18. Jake Grey
19. Maselino Paulino
20. Oneone Faafou
21. Pele Cowley
22. Johnny Leota
23. Gaatoina Autagavaia

Men's Eagles | Pacific Nations Cup
v. Samoa - Saturday, July 18 - 7 p.m. PT - Avaya Stadium - San Jose, Calif.
v. Japan - Friday, July 24 - 8 p.m. PT - Bonney Field - Sacramento, Calif.
v. Tonga - Wednesday, July 29 - 3:30 p.m. ET - BMO Field - Toronto, Ontario
Finals Day (matchup/kickoff time TBD) - Monday, Aug. 3 - Swangard Stadium - Burnaby, British Columbia

Link


Edit: You can also watch Canada vs Japan on Espn 3 at 8 pm ET

http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index?rb=true&watchsrc=true&search=pacific nations cup&type=upcoming

 

[Tmartin995]

From what I've seen, these games looked very competitive. Hope at least one of these sides will make a big impact at the World Cup.

Any ideas how close each of the countries were to their strongest line up? Or were teams experimenting and treating it as a way of finalising their WC squads?

 

[SelimNiai]

Saw a couple of videos today. Some big hits flying around in the Samoa USA game, but as you say, seemed to be some competitive games which is a good thing

EDIT: USA dropped Todd Clever from the squad due to "multiple squad conduct violations."

 

[ratsapprentice]

Todd Clever dunzo...

http://usarugby.org/news/item/todd-clever-released

Shame to end in these circumstances, but he isn't the player he used to be, and he had become, frankly, a bit of a gob****e when talking to refs.

Bit more detail in here: http://www.goffrugbyreport.com/news/todd-clever-dropped-eagles

With the relationship apparently soured, this week Clever missed two mandatory sessions. The first warranted a warning and a message that there should not be a second. The second led to the announcement that he is off the team.
Whether this rift can be repaired remains to be seen - rifts between players and coaches, including between players and Tolkin, have been repaired before.

 

[Muzzy]

From what I've seen, these games looked very competitive. Hope at least one of these sides will make a big impact at the World Cup.

Any ideas how close each of the countries were to their strongest line up? Or were teams experimenting and treating it as a way of finalising their WC squads?

I think Samoa are experimenting during the PNC as they did in 2011. Fiji have some rotation policy going but its probably quite close to the final overall squad. They're probably just trying to figure out who's best for the starting 15. Quite a lot of competition in certain places for Fiji. I'm not sure about Tonga. In the past Tonga's world cup team has been quite different so their PNC team so not sure if that will be the case again.

Saw a couple of videos today. Some big hits flying around in the Samoa USA game, but as you say, seemed to be some competitive games which is a good thing

EDIT: USA dropped Todd Clever from the squad due to "multiple squad conduct violations."

Did you see this one?

 

[Muzzy]

Am I tripping or were there a bunch of posts in here removed? I was just about to reply to some of them

 

[Blackdevil]

I think Samoa are experimenting during the PNC as they did in 2011. Fiji have some rotation policy going but its probably quite close to the final overall squad. They're probably just trying to figure out who's best for the starting 15. Quite a lot of competition in certain places for Fiji. I'm not sure about Tonga. In the past Tonga's world cup team has been quite different so their PNC team so not sure if that will be the case again.




Did you see this one?

The tongan coach said some players from france can't play pnc due to the pressure from their club, it seems fiji can't have this kind of problems, everybody seems to be very concerned (even for the pnc), what a change in comparaison with the last world cup.
i would like to see them in the pool with argentina etc.. instead of tonga, it's a pity to see them in the pool of death.

i was surprised to see matawalu on th bench, key play maybe mc kee preserves him, lovobalavu & nalaga to the game against samoa, can't wait to see the match.

The good points:
against tonga, the scrum was really better, many improvements, nice to see that and ben volavola a good find, he doesn't miss his debut with fiji

bad points:
lots of penaties conceded as always, the lost of nadolo (but apparently he just miss the pnc and will be available for the world cup)
timoci nagusa, i know he wasn't a key player for fiji but he always been available for fiji these last years, i think he deserves to be there, fiji "forgets" him in the last world cup, don't know about his injury but he missed the world cup twice, hard for him

 

[Blackanuck]

From what I've seen, these games looked very competitive. Hope at least one of these sides will make a big impact at the World Cup.

Any ideas how close each of the countries were to their strongest line up? Or were teams experimenting and treating it as a way of finalising their WC squads?

Eddie Jones (head coach of Japan) told the media before the tourney that he's basically just using the PNC to identify his depth players for the 31-man RWC squad. To be fair, that's what all the teams are doing to a certain degree, but Jones said he'll treat the game against the USA as "80 minutes of training"

Canada is definitely experimenting a bitâ€"especially in the second rowâ€"but are pretty close to full strength. Some pretty key guys are injured/being put in bubble wrap, though.

 

[Blackdevil]

fijian team against samoa

line-up
Peni Ravai
Sunia Koto
Manasa Saulo
Api Ratuniyarawa
Leone Nakarawa
Peceli Yato
Akapusi Qera â€" Captain
Sakiusa Matadigo
Nemia Kenatale
Ben Volavola
Asaeli Tikoirotuma
Gabiriele Lovobalavu
Vereniki Goneva â€" Vice Captain
Waisea Nayacalevu
Metuisela Talebula

reserves:
Viliame Veikoso
Campese Maafu
Taniela Koroi
Nemia Soqeta
Malakai Ravulo
Henry Seniloli
Josh Matavesi
Napolioni Nalaga

no matawalu? he was on the bench against nz maori and tonga and now he's not even selected for the game, WTF?

 

[aucklander]

Samoa lineup against fiji

Samoa lineup against the Flying Fijians.
Very happy to see Motu Matu'u get his chance to shine. Great to see the coach has stuck with the same loosies for this match - so much depth in this dept. Looking forward to seeing Cowley-Stanley combination. Only disappointment is not seeing Sinoti getting more game time as he didnt see too much of the ball due to the lack of distribution from Patrick Faapale to the outside backs, good to see afamasaga has been dropped. He is just not ready to be playing at international level. Tuilagi on the other hand is probably being used more often for match fitness. The following players are being rested/injured and not participating in the PNC. Maurie Faasavalu/Alafoti Fa'osiliva/Kahn Fotuali'i/Tusi Pisi/Nanae Williams/George Pisi/David Lemi/Ole Avei/Kane Thompson/Ofisa Treviranus/Ray Lee lo/Alapati Leiua/Logovi'i Mulipola/Taiasina Tuifu'a/Ken Pisi/Paul Williams
1 Sakaria Taulafo
2 Motu Matu'u
3 Anthony Perenise
4 Teofilo Paulo
5 Fa'atiga Lemalu
6 TJ Ioane
7 Jack Lam
8 Vavae Tuilagi
9 Peleifofoga Cowley
10 Michael Stanley
11 Alesana Tuilagi (c)
12 Johnny Leota
13 Paul Perez
14 Alofa Alofa
15 Faatoina Autagavaia
16 Ma'atulimanu Leiataua
17 Viliamu Afatia
18 Jake Grey
19 Iosefa Tekori
20 Faifili Levave
21 Vavao Afemai
22 Patrick Faapale
23 Faleniu Iosi

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Fiji are playing some beautiful rugby ATM against Samoa.