2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup

The 2008 Pacific Nations Cup was a rugby union tournament held between six national sides on the Pacific Rim: Australia A, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand Māori (just for this year). The inaugural competition was held in 2006. This year the tournament started on 7 June and ended on 6 July 2008.

2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
Tournament details
Countries Australia A
 Fiji
 Japan
Māori people New Zealand Māori
 Samoa
 Tonga
Tournament format(s)Round-robin
Date7 June - 5 July 2008
Tournament statistics
Teams6
Matches played15
Attendance85,865 (5,724 per match)
Tries scored92 (6.13 per match)
Top point scorer(s)James Arlidge (Japan)
(56 points)
Top try scorer(s)Stephen Hoiles (Australia A)
(5 tries)
Final
ChampionsMāori people New Zealand Māori (1st title)
Runners-up Australia A
← 2007 (Previous)
(Next) 2009 →
Japan v Australia A (Round One, June 8, 2008, Level-5 Stadium, Fukuoka, Japan)

The tournament is a round-robin where each team plays all of the other teams once. There are four points for a win, two for a draw and none for a defeat. There are also bonus points offered with one bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and one bonus point for losing by 7 points or less.

Table

edit
2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
Team Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Tries For Tries Against Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1   New Zealand Māori 5 5 0 0 134 62 +72 18 10 1 0 21
2   Australia A 5 4 0 1 220 77 +143 31 6 3 1 20
3   Samoa 5 2 0 3 95 117 -22 12 13 1 1 10
4   Fiji 5 2 0 3 94 117 -23 12 15 1 1 10
5   Japan 5 1 0 4 121 181 -60 13 25 2 1 7
6   Tonga 5 1 0 4 71 181 -110 6 23 1 1 6
Source : irb.com

Points breakdown:
*4 points for a win
*2 points for a draw
*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match

Schedule

edit

Round 1

edit
7 June 2008
14:05 (UTC+12)
Fiji  34 – 17  Samoa
Try: Rauluni 15' m
Nagusa (2) 26' c, 61' m
T. Rawaqa 42' c
I. Rawaqa 46' c
Con: T. Rawaqa (3/5)
Pen: T. Rawaqa 71'
ReportTry: Fa'afili 65' m
Lemi 68' m
Sititi 78' c
Con: Sasulu (1/3)
Churchill Park, Lautoka
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)

7 June 2008
16:35 NZST (UTC+12)
New Zealand Māori  20 – 9  Tonga
Try: T. Ellison 49' c
Weepu 72' c
Con: Bruce (2/2)
Pen: Bruce (2) 26', 55'
ReportPen: Apikotoa (3) 29', 53', 63'
North Harbour Stadium, Albany
Attendance: 4,600
Referee: Paul Marks (Australia)

8 June 2008
14:00 JST (UTC+09)
Japan  21 – 42  Australia A
Try: Taniguchi (2) 61' m, 64' c
Con: Arlidge (1/2)
Pen: Arlidge (2) 42', 48'
Drop: Arlidge 6'
ReportTry: Turinui 13' c
Gerrard 19' c
Kimlin (2) 34' c, 70' c
Humphries 40' c
Norton-Knight 44' c
Con: Gerrard (6/6)
Level-5 Stadium, Fukuoka
Attendance: 7,493
Referee: Willie Roos (South Africa)

Round 2

edit
14 June 2008
15:05 (UTC+12)
Fiji  7 – 11  New Zealand Māori
Try: Naqelevuki 36' c
Con: T. Rawaqa
ReportTry: Eaton 49' m
Pen: T. Ellison 12'
Bruce 77'
Churchill Park, Lautoka
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)

14 June 2008
15:05 (UTC-11)
Samoa  15 – 20  Australia A
Try: Tafunai 43' m
Salanoa 79' c
Con: Mai (1/2)
Pen: Sasulu 33'
ReportTry: Tahu 11' c
Turinui 67' c
Con: Gerrard (1/1)
Carraro (1/1)
Pen: Gerrard 23'
Carraro 74'
Apia Park, Samoa
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)

15 June 2008
14:05 JST (UTC+09)
Japan  35 – 13  Tonga
Try: Kikutani 46' m
Onozawa 55' m
Webb 59' m
Robins 79' m
Pen: Arlidge (5) 4', 26', 31', 39', 43'
ReportTry: Filipine 50' c
Con: Hola (1/1)
Pen: Hola (2) 3', 6'
Yurtec Stadium Sendai, Miyagi
Attendance: 6,304
Referee: Willie Roos (South Africa)[1]

Round 3

edit
21 June 2008
16:35 NZST (UTC+12)
Māori  17 – 6  Samoa
Try: Bruce 30' c
Weepu 40' c
Con: Bruce (2/2)
Pen: Bruce 13'
ReportPen: G. Williams (2) 47', 66'
Waikato Stadium, Waikato
Referee: Ian Smith (Australia)

22 June 2008
14:05 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia A  90 – 7  Tonga
Try: Ioane (2) 6' m, 40' c
Turinui 8' m
Hoiles (4) 14' c, 34' c, 38' m, 44' c
Tahu 39' c
Norton-Knight (2) 55' c, 61' c
Mitchell (2) 66' m, 70' c
Phibbs 68' c
Turner 77' c
Con: Carraro (4)
Sheehan
Norton-Knight (2)
Halangahu (3)
ReportTry: Ma'asi 52' c
Con: Lilo
North Sydney Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 6,817
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

22 June 2008
14:10 JST (UTC+09)
Japan  12 – 24  Fiji
Pen: Arlidge (4) 5', 14', 34', 54'ReportTry: Naqelevuki 50' c
T. Rawaqa 56' c
Goneva 78' c
Con: T. Rawaqa (3/3)
Pen: T. Rawaqa 11'
Olympic Stadium, Tokyo
Attendance: 10,994
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)

Round 4

edit
28 June 2008
13:35 (UTC+13)
Tonga  15 – 20  Samoa
Pen: Hola (3) 3', 9', 27'
Lilo (2) 50', 67'
ReportTry: Mai 34' c
Lemi 63' c
Con: G. Williams (2/2)
Pen: G. Williams (2) 74', 75'
Teufaiva Stadium, Nukuʻalofa
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Ian Smith (Australia)

28 June 2008
14:35 NZST (UTC+12)
Māori  65 – 22  Japan
Try: Lawrence (2) 8' m, 67' c
Bruce (2) 12' c, 76' m
T. Ellison 34' m
Gear (3) 48' c, 55' c, 63' c
Sweeney 60' c
Kawau 80+2' m
Con: Bruce (6)
Pen: Bruce (1) 41'
ReportTry: Robins 22' m
Loamanu 27' c
Thompson 40' c
Con: Arlidge (2)
Pen: Arlidge (1) 6'
McLean Park, Napier
Attendance: 4,950
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)

29 June 2008
14:05 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia A  50 – 13  Fiji
Try: Ioane 2' c
Turner (2) 27'c, 64' m
Lucas 33' c
Mitchell 39' c
Turinui 45' c
Hoiles 75' c
Con: Halangahu (6)
Pen: Halangahu 23'
ReportTry: Dewes 50' m
Ratuvou 80' m
Pen: T. Rawaqa 5'
Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Jonathon White (New Zealand)

Round 5

edit
5 July 2008
12:10 (UTC+13)
Tonga  27 – 16  Fiji
Try: Taufaka 23' c
Kiole 63' m
Langilangi 78' c
Taione 80+2' m
Con: Hola (1)
Apikotoa (1)
Pen: Lilo (1) 60'
ReportTry: Radidi 25' c
Con: T. Rawaqa
Pen: T. Rawaqa (3) 11', 38', 71'
Teufaiva Stadium, Nukuʻalofa
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)

5 July 2008
15:05 (UTC-11)
Samoa  37 – 31  Japan
Try: Sititi 4' c
Tafunai 7' c
Tea 42' m
H. Tuilagi 52' c
J. Johnston 77' m
Con: G. Williams (3)
Pen: G. Williams (2) 32', 72'
ReportTry: Holani 17' c
Webb 41' c
Onozawa 63' c
Kikutani 75' c
Con: Arlidge (4)
Pen: Arlidge (1) 21'
Apia Park, Apia
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

5 July 2008
14:05 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia A  18 – 21  Māori
Try: Tahu (2) 8' c, 60' m
Con: Halangahu (1)
Pen: Gerrard (2) 44', 50'
ReportTry: Latimer 26' c
Messam 39' c
Waldrom 77' c
Con: Weepu (3)
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 8,707
Referee: James Bolabiu (Fiji)

Top scorers

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Roos retired hurt during the game and was replaced by compatriot François Veldsman (South Africa).
edit