TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan overcame Pacific Nations Cup semifinal opponents Samoa 49-27 on Sunday to book a showdown against Fiji in next weekend’s championship decider.
Brave Blossoms playmaker Lee Seung Sin showed his attacking versatility in a switch from his usual spot at flyhalf to fullback, setting up two first-half tries with kicks before dotting down himself for a 28-13 lead at the break.
Head coach Eddie Jones said defending champions Japan had risen to the challenge of increasingly difficult opponents in the six-team tournament, but needed to improve in the “key areas” of defense around the ruck and kick-chase defense when hosting the final against a strong Fiji side.
“As much as I’m pleased to be in the final, our only aim is to win the final, and we’re going to play against a high-quality team in Fiji. So we’ve got a good week’s preparation to get ready,” said Jones, who improved to three wins and three losses since returning as Brave Blossoms coach.
The semifinal in front of 14,893 at a sweltering Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground was a rematch of the memorable 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D encounter won 28-22 by the Brave Blossoms in Toulouse.
Fielding an almost entirely different lineup this time around, Japan applied early pressure and made a breakthrough when Lee’s grubber found Dylan Riley with space down the right in the sixth minute.
Japan doubled their lead against the hard-tackling Samoans from a 10th-minute penalty try that saw winger Elisapeta Alofipo sin-binned for an intentional knock-on.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, the visitors made inroads with powerful ball-carrying by their pack and got on the board with winger Tuna Tuitama’s 13th-minute try.
Man-of-the-match Lee, who made way for match-day captain Harumichi Tatekawa to start at No. 10, chipped to set up Tomoki Osada for a 16th-minute try before adding the extras for a 21-7 margin. Samoa cut into the lead with two Rodney Iona penalties before Lee went over with a minute left in the half.
Lee’s clever kicking also set the stage for Kanji Shimokawa’s 44th-minute five-pointer, one of three second-half tries for the hosts.
The 23-year-old Lee remains Japan’s firm choice at flyhalf heading toward the 2027 World Cup, according to Jones, who said the Kobe Steelers star had deputized at fullback in the absence of the incumbent No. 15, Waseda University prodigy Yoshitaka Yazaki, and utility back Takuya Yamasawa.
“After the World Cup, there was only one recognized No. 10 in Japan, which was (Rikiya) Matsuda. So one of the first jobs I had was to develop a No. 10 and Seung Sin is that player,” Jones said.
“We feel Seung Sin has got the capabilities to be a very good test 10. So ideally we want him to play there.”
Japan and Fiji, 22-3 winners against the United States in the previous day’s semi, will face off in the final next Saturday at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka Prefecture.
Rugby: Lee stars in switch to fullback as Japan outlast Samoa
