2007 IRB Pacific Nations Cup

The 2007 IRB Pacific Nations Cup was a rugby union competition held between six Pacific Rim sides; Australia A, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the Junior All Blacks (New Zealand's second XV). This was the first year that Australia A had competed Australia had declined the invitation to compete in the inaugural competition in 2006 because they wanted to focus on their domestic competition, but on 18 October 2006 it was announced that they would send their second XV. For this reason, the inaugural tournament was renamed the Pacific Nations Cup instead of the IRB Pacific Five Nations as it had been called in 2006.

2007 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
Tournament details
Countries Australia A
 Fiji
 Japan
 Junior All Blacks
 Samoa
 Tonga
Tournament format(s)Round-robin
Date25 May - 24 June 2007
Tournament statistics
Teams6
Matches played15
Attendance89,830 (5,989 per match)
Tries scored92 (6.13 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Clinton Schifcofske (Australia A)
(64 points)
Top try scorer(s)Ryan Cross (Australia A)
Lachlan Turner (Australia A)
(4 tries)
Final
Champions Junior All Blacks (2nd title)
Runners-up Australia A

The tournament was a round-robin of 15 games where each team played one match against each of the others. There are four points for a win, two points 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.

New Zealand's Junior All Blacks won the Cup for the second time in Round 4, gaining an unbeatable lead after beating Australia A 500 in Dunedin.[1]

Table

2007 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 Junior All Blacks550022834+1943445025
2 Australia A5311172104+6822142016
3 Samoa53029667+291281013
4 Fiji511370115-45915129
5 Tonga510469184-1151025015
6 Japan510451182-131526004
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

Results

Round 1

25 May 2007
19:30 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia A  60 15  Tonga
Try: Turner (3)
Cross (2)
Polota-Nau
Hewat
Schifcofske
Con: Schifcofske (6)
Hewat
Pen: Schifcofske (2)
Report
Stats
Try: Kiole
Tupou
Con: Apikotoa
Pen: Apikotoa
Aussie Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 5,912
Referee: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)

26 May 2007
13:00 (UTC+12)
Fiji  30 15  Japan
Try: T. Rawaqa
Talei
Qera
Neivua
Con: T. Rawaqa (2)
Pen: T. Rawaqa (2)
Stats Try: Tachikawa
Thompson
Con: Ando
Pen: Ando
Churchill Park, Lautoka
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Federico Cuesta (Argentina)

26 May 2007
15:00 (UTC-11)
Samoa  10 31  Junior All Blacks
Try: Lemi
Con: G. Williams
Pen: G. Williams
Report
Stats
Try: Afoa
R. Gear (2)
Tuiali'i
Filipo
Con: Donald (3)
Apia Park, Apia
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: James Leckie (Australia)

Round 2

2 June 2007
13:00 (UTC+12)
Fiji  8 57  Junior All Blacks
Try: Lovobalavu
Con: Buatava
Report Try: Laulala
Ellis
Jane
R. Gear
Tuiali'i
Penalty try
Hamilton
Tu'ipulotu
Con: Donald (4)
Brett (3)
Pen: Donald
ANZ National Stadium, Suva
Attendance: 21,988
Referee: Paul Marks (Australia)

2 June 2007
13:30 AEST (UTC+10)
Tonga  17 20  Japan
Try: Tupou
H. Tonga'uiha
Lilo
Con: Apikotoa
Report
Stats
Try: Endo
Watanabe[2]
Con: Ando (2)
Pen: Ando (2)
BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour
Attendance: 2,528
Referee: Federico Cuesta (Argentina)

2 June 2007
15:30 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia A  27 15  Samoa
Try: Polota-Nau
Mumm
Beale
Con: Schifcofske (2/2)
Hewat (1/1)
Pen: Schifcofske (2/3)
Report
Stats
Try: Va'a
Thompson
Con: G. Williams (1/2)
Pen: G. Williams (1/1)
BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour
Attendance: 2,528
Referee: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)

Round 3

19 May 2007[3]
15:00 (UTC-11)
Samoa  8 3  Fiji
Try: M. Schwalger 25' m
Con: Crichton (0/1)
Pen: Crichton (0/1)
Williams 78'
Report
Stats
Pen: T. Rawaqa (1/1) 3'
Buatava (0/1)
Apia Park, Apia
Referee: Paul Marks (Australia)

9 June 2007
13:00 (UTC+13)
Tonga  13 39  Junior All Blacks
Try: Lilo (2)
Pen: Lilo
Report
Stats
Try: Filipo
Witcombe
Holah
Tu'ipulotu
Tuitavake
Hamilton
Con: Brett (3)
Pen: Brett
Teufaiva Sport Stadium, Nukuʻalofa
Attendance: 10,129
Referee: Federico Cuesta (Argentina)

9 June 2007
18:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia A  71 10  Japan
Try: Holmes (3)
Cross (2)
Schifcofske
Sare
Hardy
S. Ma'afu
Beale
Con: Schifcofske (9)
Pen: Schifcofske
Report
Stats
Try: Robins
Con: K. Ono
Pen: K. Ono

Round 4

16 June 2007
14:00 JST (UTC+09)
Japan  3 13  Samoa
Pen: Ando
Report
Stats
Try: Fa'atau
Con: Crichton
Pen: Crichton (2)
Yurtec Stadium, Sendai
Attendance: 7,905
Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales)

16 June 2007
14:30 (UTC+12)
Fiji  15 21  Tonga
Try: Leawere
Lovobalavu
Con: Luvenivali
Pen: Luvenivali
Report
Stats
Try: Hufanga
Lutui
Vahafolau
Pen: Lemoto (2)
Churchill Park, Lautoka
Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)

16 June 2007
16:30 NZST (UTC+12)
Junior All Blacks  50 0  Australia A
Try: Donald
Donnelly
Lauaki
Tuitavake
Hamilton
Nonu
Braid[4]
Con: Donald (6)
Pen: Donald
Report
Carisbrook, Dunedin, Otago
Referee: Willie Roos (South Africa)

Round 5

23 June 2007
15:00 (UTC-11)
Samoa  50 3  Tonga
Try: Johnston (2)
Lemi (2)
Ulia
M. Schwalger
Al. Tuilagi
Con: Crichton (4)
Lui (2)
Pen: Crichton
Report
Stats
Pen: Hola
Apia Park, Apia
Referee: Willie Roos (South Africa)

23 June 2007
15:00 (UTC+12)
Fiji  14 14  Australia A
Try: Bolavucu (2)
Con: Luveniyali (2)
Report Try: Turner
Pen: Shepherd (2)
Schifcofske

24 June 2007
14:00 JST (UTC+09)
Japan  3 51  Junior All Blacks
Pen: Ando
Report
Stats
Try: Crockett
Tu'ipulotu
Brett
Tuitavake
Nonu
Wulf
Donald (2)
Con: Brett (2)
Donald (2)
Pen: Brett
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo
Attendance: 13,123
Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales)

Top scorers

See also

References and notes

  1. Junior All Blacks Clinch IRB Pacific Nations Cup, Pacific Magazine, 18 June 2007.
  2. IRB and scrum.com reports disagree on second try scorer. IRB data used.
  3. Early date due to pre-existing Test commitments
  4. IRB and scrum.com disagree on try scorers. IRB data used.
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