Brave Blossoms put 62 points on Tonga to reach Pacific Nations Cup final

The second semi-final of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 was held at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado, between two teams who have already qualified for the Rugby World Cup, Japan and Tonga.

In the first Pacific Nations Cup semi-final at the same grond, USA overcame a tough challenge by Samoa to qualify for the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.

Japan then put on a second half clinic at the same stadium, beating Tonga 62-24 to take on USA in the Pacific Nations Cup final next weekend.

It was Tonga who started on the front foot against Japan, pinning the Brave Blossoms in their own 22 for multiple minutes.

Tevita Tu’ifua’s Tonga side thought they had scored in the opening three minutes, but the TMO deemed Fotu Lokotui to have knocked the ball on in the process.

Minutes later, Lokotui got his try, powering over the line after a dominant rolling maul by Tonga. Moana Pasifika first-five Patrick Pellegrini failed to add the extras, giving Tonga a 5-0 lead after just six minutes.

Eddie Jones’ side bounced back almost immediately, through hooker Hayate Era, who found himself with open space in front of him.

Era received a subtle offload after his tight-five teammate Shuhei Takeuchi broke through a number of Tongan tackles to get his arms free.

The Brave Blossoms’ star loose forward Amato Fakatava then smartly darted short side as his team’s scrum was heading backwards, only having to beat one defender to give Japan the lead.

It was the 30-year-old’s fifth try in three games, proving to be a handful for the opposition’s defence in multiple aspects of the game.

Ben Tameifuna then hit back in the 26th minute, off a quick tap from five meters out. Tameifuna dived low, and proved too strong for the Japanese defenders to score Tonga’s second try of the game.

Pellegrini added the extras, closing their deficit to only two with just over ten minutes to go in the first half.

Brave Blossoms’ captain Warner Dearns then backed up his double from the last pool match by dotting over against Tonga, this time it was through some sharp footwork at the line.

Dearns beat one defender, before powering through a couple of tackles to go in under the posts in the 32nd minute.

Just before the teams headed into the sheds for halftime, Tonga had a lineout drive opportunity from just outside the five meter line.

Tonga got clean lineout ball, and fired a pass from the top of the lineout down to Veikoso Poloniati, who stepped off his right foot to go past a couple of last ditch tackles to score his first try of the evening.

Pellegrini once again converted the extras, keeping the Sea Eagles within touching distance of the Brave Blossoms.

HT: 21-19 to Japan.

The second half started with a hiss and a roar as Japan’s star midfielder Dylan Riley went over in the 42nd minute, extending Japan’s lead to a converted try shortly after halftime.

Japan’s influential halfback Shinobu Fujiwara was next to cross for the Brave Blossoms after some sustained pressure, before a yellow card to Tupou Ma’afu-Afungia basically put the game out of reach for the Sea Eagles.

Tonga’s winger John Tapueluelu managed to find his way over the line in the 62nd minute to provide a glimmer of hope in the semi-final, but then two late tries from Kenji Sato and Keijiro Tamefusa put the game well and truely to bed.

A late yellow card for an early tackle by Siaosi Nai meant Japan were gifted a penalty try, as referee Luc Ramos and the TMO deemed Nai to have directly stopped a certain try.

Japan: 62 (Hayate Era, Warner Dearns, Amato Fakatava, Shinobu Fujiwara, Dylan Riley, Kenji Sato, Keijiro Tamefusa, tries; Seungsin Lee 2 pen, 7 cons)
Tonga: 24 (Ben Tameifuna, Veikoso Poloniati, Fotu Lokotui, John Tapueluelu, tries; Patrick Pellegrini 2 cons)
HT: 21-19 to Japan.