The Junior All Blacks may have already retained the IRB Pacific Nations Cup title with their 50-0 defeat of Australia A, but the other fourth round encounters proved closer affairs on Saturday.

Fiji and Japan both held half time leads only to go on to lose to the visiting Tonga and Samoa respectively. Tonga had the most to celebrate, three second half tries seeing them move off the bottom of the standings with their first win - 21-15 - in 2007.

Japan have taken their place, having missed out on a bonus point with Loki Crichton's last minute penalty giving Samoa a 13-3 victory against a tough tackling home side.

FIJI 15-21 TONGA

Tonga scored three unanswered tries in the second half to beat Fiji 21-15 and not only record their first victory of the IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2007, but also their first on Fijian soil since a 24-11 triumph in Suva on 12 June 1993.

The Tongans had come into the match at Churchill Park in Lautoka - a venue they had never won at in 44 years of trying - buoyed by a promising performance against the Junior All Blacks in Nuku'alofa last weekend, but with only one point from three rounds.

However that elusive first victory looked unlikely with Fiji still maintaining their 15-6 half time advantage as the hour mark passed, Tonga paying the price for three penalties missed in the first half by their debutant fullback Mesiu Lemoto.

That was until Tonga's second half performance was rewarded with two tries in the space of six minutes, the first from Suka Hufanga after an initial break from wing Seti Kiole. Hufanga dummied to pass to a man outside, only to roll around to touch the ball down.

Lemoto missed the conversion, but more relentless pressure from the Tongan forwards resulted in a try for hooker Aleki Lutui that gave his side the lead for the first time in the match, albeit only by a point - 16-15 after another miss from the fullback.

The Fijians tried to hit back, but it seemed as though they would suffer another one point loss to Tonga, having lost 24-23 in the inaugural tournament in 2006. However, deep into injury time number 8 Samiu Vahafalau powered over the line to complete the comeback.

Fiji had struggled to find any rhythm in the second half, a far cry from their previous encounter at Churchill Park on 26 May when they rallied from 15-3 down at half time against Japan to pick up their opening victory with a 30-15 scoreline.

They had though taken a third minute lead with a penalty from fly half Waisea Luveniyali, one of three players handed debuts by Fiji coach Ilivasi Tabua, before second row Kele Leawere's try 10 minutes later made it 8-0 to the home side.

Lemoto kicked a penalty on his third attempt for Tonga to cut the deficit, before inside centre Gabiriele Lovobalavu scored Fiji's second try late in the first half. Luveniyali converted the try, only for a Lemoto penalty to send his side in trailing 15-6.

"We came back in the second half with full determination. The boys had more patience and controlled the game then followed the momentum," Tonga head coach Quddus Fielea said afterwards.

"Samiu Vahafolau played very well at number 8. He was winning balls in the lineouts, fast to the breakdown, and put in some heavy tackles to put pressure on the Fijians. And I thought our front rowers were awesome."

His counterpart Tabua added: "We knew that they would play it close and defend well in the rucks and the scrums. That's their strong points. We played well in the first half, but your scrimmaging was pushed around after the break and we didn't control the game.

"We gave away so many penalties. We were penalised at the breakdown for coming in at the wrong side of the rucks. Our lineouts were not really there and these are areas we need to work on before the game against Australia A next week."

Tonga's victory means that the race to be the leading South Sea islanders in the Pacific Nations Cup will go right down to the final weekend. Samoa, who Tonga face in Apia, occupy that position at present with eight points, one more than Fiji and two than Tonga.

Match statistics:

FIJI: 1. Graham Dewes 2. Sunia Koto (Vereniki Sauturaga, 73) 3. Henry Qiodravu (Apisai Turukawa, 50) 4. Ifereimi Rawaqa 5. Kele Leawere 6. Deryck Thomas (Dale Tonawai, 50) 7. Aca Ratuva 8. Sisa Koyamaibole (Alifereti Doviverata, 63) 9. Moses Rauluni (Captain) 10. Waisea Luveniyali 11. Isoa Neivua 12. Gabiriele Lovobalavu 13. Kameli Ratuvou 14. Michael Tagicakibau (Vereniki Goneva, 63) 15. Norman Ligairi.

Replacements not used: Jone Daunivucu, Sisa Waqa.

Tries: Kele Leawere, Gabiriele Lovobalavu.
Conversions: Waisea Luveniyali.
Penalties: Waisea Luveniyali.

TONGA: 1. Taufa'ao Filise (Toma Toka, 63) 2. Aleki Lutui 3. Tevita Taumoepeau 4. Sione Kalamafoni 5. Chris Hala'ufia (Teu'i Muli Kaufusi, 40) 6. Hale T-Pole 7. Otenili Latu (Captain) 8. Samiu Vahafolau 9. Soane Havea 10. Tevita Tu'ifua 11. Seti Kole (Siua Taumololo, 71) 12. Hudson Tonga'uiha (Epeli Taione, 48) 13. Suka Hufanga 14. Sione Fonua 15. Mesiu Lemoto.

Replacements not used: Feki Moala, Isileli Fine, Tevita Ahoafi.

Tries: Suke Hufanga, Aleki Lutui, Samiu Vahafolau.
Penalties: Mesiu Lemoto (2)

JAPAN 3-13 SAMOA

Manu Samoa coach Michael Jones admitted his side were lucky to leave Sendai's Yurtec Stadium with a 13-3 victory against a Japan side who dominated both possession and territory in this IRB Pacific Nations Cup encounter.

However Japan's failure to convert that pressure into points on the board ultimately cost them when a try against the run of play by replacement Lome Fa'atau 11 minutes from time sealed Manu Samoa's first victory since their opening match against Fiji.

The sides had been locked at 3-3 until the only try of the match, which came a minute after fly half Eiji Ando missed a penalty from 35 metres out, albeit in front of the posts. That miss, allied with two in the first half, was to prove costly.

From the resulting drop out, Japan were penalised for holding on and a quick tap saw Manu Samoa work the ball out wide, where the impressive Kosuke Endo appeared to have stopped his opposite wing Alesana Tuilagi.


However Tuilagi managed to offload magnificently out of the tackle to Fa'atau, who duly raced 50 metres to score with full back Loki Crichton kicking the conversion and then an 80th minute penalty to deny Japan even a consolation bonus point.

"I told our players we got out of jail," Jones admitted. "It was definitely Japan's day."

His former All Black teammate John Kirwan added: "It was a great Test match. It was won and lost on an incident. I thought we deserved to win or draw, but that's the way it goes. You get punished for your mistakes."

Kirwan, though, will have been pleased with the way his charges bounced back from their 71-10 mauling by Australia A last weekend, not to mention the defence as the slighter Japanese stopped and drove back their bigger Samoan opponents.

Japan had led 3-0 at half time after Endo's 16th minute penalty, although that lead evaporated within seven minutes of the restart when it was cancelled out with a penalty from Crichton, moved from fly half to fullback this week by Jones.

"We needed to take more opportunities in the first half," said Kirwan, whose side prop up the standings ahead of the visit of the Junior All Blacks next weekend. "We created enough pressure to turn into points. Little things cost us but we need to live with that."

Match statistics:

JAPAN: 1. Tatsukichi Nishiura 2. Yuji Matsubara 3. Tomokazu Soma 4. Hitoshi Ono 5. Luke Thompson 6. Hare Makiri 7. Glen Marsh 8. Takuro Miuchi (Captain) 9. Tomoki Yoshida 10. Eiji Endo 11. Kosuke Endo 12. Shotaro Onishi 13. Yuta Imamura 14. Christian Loamanu 15. Bryce Robins.

Replacements: 16. Mitsugu Yamamoto 17. Ryo Yamamura 18. Takanori Kumagae 19. Yasunori Watanabe 20. Yuki Yatomi 21. Koji Taira 22. Go Aruga.

Penalties: Eiji Ando.

SAMOA: 1. Justin Vaa 2. Muliufi Salanoa 3. Census Johnston 4. Iosefa Tekori 5. Daniel Leo 6. Leo Lafaialii (Captain) 7. Justin Purdie 8. Alfie To'oala 9. Junior Poluleuligaga 10. Elvis Seveali'i 11. Alesana Tuilagi 12. Seilala Maposua 13. Anitelea Tuilagi 14. David Lemi 15. Loki Crichton.

Replacements: 16. Tamato Leupolu 17. Donald Kerslake 18. Filipo Levi 19. Semo Sititi 20. Steve So'oialo 21. Josh Keil 22. Lome Fa'atau.

Tries: Lome Fa'atau.
Conversions: Loki Crichton.
Penalties: Loki Crichton (2).