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
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
Champions New Zealand Māori (1st title)
Runners-up Australia A
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
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 Māori550013462+7218101021
2 Australia A540122077+1433163120
3 Samoa520395117-2212131110
4 Fiji520394117-2312151110
5 Japan5104121181-601325217
6 Tonga510471181-110623116
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

Round 1
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'
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Pen: 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'
 Report Try: 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
14 June 2008
15:05 (UTC+12)
Fiji  7 – 11 New Zealand Māori
Try: Naqelevuki 36' c
Con: T. Rawaqa
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Try: 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
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'
 Report Pen: 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)
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Try: 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
28 June 2008
13:35 (UTC+13)
Tonga  15 – 20  Samoa
Pen: Hola (3) 3', 9', 27'
Lilo (2) 50', 67'
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Try: Dewes 50' m
Ratuvou 80' m
Pen: T. Rawaqa 5'
Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Jonathon White (New Zealand)

Round 5
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'
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Try: 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'
 Report Try: 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

See also

References
  1. Roos retired hurt during the game and was replaced by compatriot François Veldsman (South Africa).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.