There was no stopping Fiji Warriors as they successfully defended their World Rugby Pacific Challenge for a fourth consecutive year, but there was no shortage of drama in a tournament that continues to bridge the gap between junior and test match rugby.
We take a look back at some of the highlights from the four-team tournament.
WORLD RUGBY PACIFIC CHALLENGE 2019
WINNERS: Fiji Warriors
WHEN: 8-16 March, 2018
WHERE: Suva, Fiji
FINAL STANDINGS: 1. Fiji Warriors 2. Junior Japan 3. Tonga A 4. Samoa A
LEADING POINTS AND TRY SCORER: Tira Paterson (Fiji Warriors), 30 and six
IN SUMMARY
WARRIORS DOMINATE: Fiji Warriors lifted the Pacific Challenge trophy for the fourth year in a row, and have now won nine titles in the competition’s 12-year history. Having rounded off their campaign with a convincing 48-16 victory over Samoa A, the Warriors extended their winning run in the competition to 13 matches, while also taking their try tally to 28, a new record for a single tournament since the four-team format was adopted in 2016.
PLATFORM FOR HIGHER HONOURS: Four of the players instrumental to the Warriors’ title-winning success made the squad for Rugby World Cup 2019 after impressing in Suva. Scrum-half Frank Lomani, loose-forward Mosese Voka and prop Eroni Mawi started every match and scored a brace of tries apiece, while hooker Mesulame Dolokoto wore the starting jersey in two games.
NERVES OF STEEL: Tonga A captain and full-back Liueli Simote was the hero of the hour in round two after he coolly slotted a stoppage-time penalty from all of 45 metres to snatch the most dramatic of wins against Samoa A. Once the final whistle sounded on the 13-12 victory, Simote was mobbed by his team-mates amid scenes of utter jubilation. It ultimately spared Tonga A from a repeat of their last-place finish from the year before, with Samoa A propping up the standings instead.
Full results can be found HERE