ANALYSIS – Fiji had a fantastic start to the game, scoring the first two tries of the game in quick succession. They also led in the try-assists department, as Canada had trouble containing their passes throughout the game at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiōsaka, Japan.
Fiji Rugby Union Wins Against Rugby Canada in Japan
Fiji Rugby Union Had a Fast Start
Fiji Rugby Union scored two tries fairly quickly. This included the first try which was scored by Kitone Salawi. He stole the ball and scored the first try of the game within the first minute of play.
- Joji Nasova passed the ball to Simione Kuruvoli, who scored a try in the fifth minute of play.
- Viliame Mata passed the ball to Manasa Mataele. Mataele then found Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, who scored the try.
Fiji scored three tries within the first 23 minutes of the game. This played a big role in Fiji winning the game against Canada.
This is what the Fiji’s Motikai Murray said when responding to the question about starting the game well.
“The message before the game was to start strong and start fast, I think we did that pretty well.”
Fiji certainly delivered that and that is why they made the final where they will face Japan on September 19.
“The message before the game was to start strong and start fast, I think we did that pretty well.”
Fiji certainly delivered that, and that is why they made the final, where they will face Japan on September 19.
Fiji’s Passing Was Excellent
TSN and World Rugby showed stats late in the game on tries created via passes. Fiji had noticeably more tries scored via passes than Canada. This showed Canada’s players struggled to defend Fiji’s passes and offloads. Some examples include:
- Filipe Sauturaga scored thanks to Motikai Murray’s pass and some fantastic passing in the 51st minute of play.
- Frank Lomani passed it to Virimi Vakatawa and then passed the ball to Tevita Ikanivere.
What Fiji showed Canada was what a top ten nation in the world plays like. This experience will be important for Canada as they play their next game against the U.S., with Mason Flesch potentially playing a big role in that. This is what Rugby Canada captain Lucas Rumball said about Fiji’s off-load passes:
That is exactly what Fiji did against Canada, as they punished Canada throughout the game.
Rugby Canada’s Mason Flesch Had Two Tries
Mason Flesch played well against Fiji, scoring two of Canada’s four tries:
- Flesch scored in the eighth minute of play. Of a scrum, he was fast enough to score a try.
- He then scored a try in the 69th minute of play, Michael Smith created a turnover in favour for his team, and Flesch scored a fantastic individual try.
Flesch showed a bit of why he earned the 2026 MLR Forward of the Year award for the Chicago Hounds.
Other Factors: Canada Puts on a Competitive Performance against Fiji
Canada was heavy underdogs against Fiji. Considering the poor start Canada had, they did well to keep it competitive against Fiji.
Tevita Ikanivere was asked about the game, as Canada was only trailing by nine points at the end of the first half:
They will be facing host nation Japan on Sunday in Tokyo.
READ MORE: Rugby Canada ancd Exeter Chiefs Prop: DaLeaka Menin
Games Coming Up
Looking into next year, Rugby Canada head coach, Stephen Meehan, talked about facing Fiji next year:
As for the other semi-final match at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiōsaka, Japan defeated USA by a scoreline of 63-14. It was a dominant game for the host as they now face the two time-defending World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup champions, Fiji. Japan has lost to Fiji in the previous two editions of this competition. Japan will face Fiji in the final of the 2026 Pacific Nations Cup September 19 at 3:05 am ET.
READ MORE: Kévin Rouet: The Women’s 15’s Rugby Canada Head Coach
Also, the third-place game between Canada and USA will also take place on September 19 at 3:00 am ET. Both the third place and the final games will take place at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
Photo Credit: World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images on September 13, 2026.
