Japan's Victory Over Samoa Shuffles World Rugby Rankings

Brave Blossoms climb to 13th, while Samoa drops to 14th following semi-final loss.

With three consecutive wins, Japan is now only 0.57 points away from catching up with Georgia, the team that defeated them in July /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

During the second semi-final of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup in Tokyo, Japan secured a thrilling 49-27 victory over Samoa, resulting in a notable shift in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings. Prior to the match, Japan was ranked one place below Samoa.

However, following their impressive performance, Japan has now surpassed Samoa in the rankings, securing the 13th position with a rating of 73.53 points, marking a significant increase of 1.24 points from their previous total.

With three consecutive wins under their belt, Japan is only 0.57 points away from catching up with Georgia, the team that defeated them in July. Meanwhile, Samoa has dropped to the 14th position with 72.30 points.

Japan maintained a consistent lineup against Canada and the USA in the Pacific Nations Cup but made a strategic alteration when facing Samoa. The notable change involved promoting captain Harumichi Tatekawa from the reserve to a starting role while Seungsin Lee shifted to fullback.

In the match against Samoa, a four-time champion, the Samoan team found themselves primarily on the defensive during the first half, even with one player down. However, they displayed resilience and determination. Despite this, Japan managed to assert their dominance, scoring six tries compared to Samoa's three, ultimately securing a significant victory.

In the first semi-final, Fiji triumphed over the USA with a score of 22-3, but this victory did not change either team's rankings. Fiji's rating remained steady at 78.43 points, maintaining its 10th position, while the USA held the 19th with 66.08 points.

Additionally, in the fifth-place play-off, Tonga secured a 30-17 victory over Canada, leading to an increase of 0.34 points in their rating, now standing at 68.12 points. However, this improvement did not change their ranking, as they remain in the 16th position. Meanwhile, Canada maintains the 22nd position, narrowly ahead of Hong Kong China.