Fiji and its Pacific rival Samoa will play the final of the Epsom Cup/Pacific Rim rugby championship following victories in their respective semifinals at Tokyo Stadium on Wednesday. Fiji won the first game, overcoming Canada 52-23, while Samoa beat host Japan 47-8, to move both island sides into the final to be played Sunday at Chichibunomiya Stadium.
Canada and Japan, meanwhile, will play for third place in a curtain-raiser to the final, with both sides looking for a win to give their young players some much-needed confidence at international level.
Japan started well in its game with Samoa, causing some fans, rather prematurely, to start talking about a repeat of the famous 37-34 victory at Hanazono in 1999. However, like that victory, which many thought marked the revival of Japanese rugby, it was a false dawn.