International Rugby Fixtures

[Atmos]

Pacific Nations matches this weekend 9 July, both played in Suva, Fiji

Tonga v Japan

Samoa v Fiji

The Samoa Fiji game would be good to see - they share Pool D with Wales at RWC time (also SA and Namibia) and both of them could well be a threat to Wales making it beyond pool play.

Edited July 6, 2011 by Atmos

[StreetCowboy]

Pacific Nations matches this weekend 9 July, both played in Suva, Fiji

Tonga v Japan

Samoa v Fiji

The Samoa Fiji game would be good to see - they share Pool D with Wales at RWC time (also SA and Namibia) and both of them could well be a threat to Wales making it beyond pool play.

That should be a bunch of exciting games. I think Scotland's pool, with England and Argentina, will be one of the tightest; there's no games that we couldn't lose, but none that we will go into not hoping to win... unlike four years ago.

SC

[Atmos]

Japan 28 beat Tonga 27

The modern rugby player - have boots, will travel!

one name in the Japan team - James Arlidge - from NZ he played for three provincial teams (Auckland, Northland, Otago) two Super Rugby teams (Blues. Highlanders), NZ Maori, NZ Barbarians. In 2008 he played for Japan in this tournament - and one of the games was against NZ Maori (who went on to win the tournament) - he was top points scorer that year. Add in his 40 appearances for Newport Gwent Dragons and he's a true rugby nomad - qualified to play for Japan through residency. He would have played for Japan in the 2007 RWC - but broke his legs in a warm-up match against the Classic All Blacks.

and

Fiji 36 beat Samoa 18

Edited July 9, 2011 by Atmos

[Atmos]

The Samoa Fiji game would be good to see - they share Pool D with Wales at RWC time (also SA and Namibia) and both of them could well be a threat to Wales making it beyond pool play.

Warren Gatland to fly to Pacific Nations Cup to check out Rugby World Cup opponents

7/07/2011

Warren Gatland will make a round trip of more than 22,000 miles to get the lowdown on Wales' World Cup opponents.

The Kiwi coach has been putting his preliminary World Cup squad through their paces at a training camp in Poland. But he will embark on a 24-hour flight to Suva, Fiji, today in time to watch the South Sea Islanders take on Samoa in the Pacific Nations Cup on Saturday.

The local rivals meet in the second round of the PNC before facing Wales in the World Cup in September.

All too aware of Wales' dismal record against South Sea Islanders at the World Cup, Gatland will travel around the globe in a bid to give his side an edge in new Zealand.

Gatland's men have been drawn alongside both Fiji and Samoa in Pool D, alongside South Africa and Namibia.

Wales infamously lost 16-13 to Samoa in 1991 World Cup and were again humiliated 38-31 eight years later.

Fiji knocked Wales out of the 2007 World Cup, with a 38-34 scoreline.

Edited July 9, 2011 by Atmos

[Atmos]

Pacific Nations Cup

The IRB Pacific Nations Cup reaches its climax in the Fijian city of Lautoka on Wednesday with all four teams, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Japan, in contention to win the title.

Tonga will open proceedings at Churchill Park against Pacific neighbours Samoa at 12:40 local time before hosts Fiji take on Asian champions Japan at 15:10.

All four teams have won once over the first two match days but Tonga lead with six points meaning that a bonus point win over Samoa would give Isitolo Maka's side a first ever PNC title

Wednesday 13 July

Tonga - Samoa

Japan - Fiji

Edited July 12, 2011 by Atmos

[Atmos]

Injury-time try gives Japan Pacific Nations Cup

LAUTOKA, Fiji — An injury-time time try by Yuta Imamura saw Japan snatch the Pacific Nations Cup rugby crown with a crucial 24-13 bonus-point win over a 12-man Fiji in a tense final match.

In a tournament that went down to the wire, the John Kirwan-coached Japan needed to beat Fiji and score four tries for the bonus point if they were to overtake Tonga on a countback at the top of the table.

The odds looked stacked against them when they trailed 8-0 at halftime and had trouble containing the bigger Fijians.

But as the game progressed Irish referee Peter Fitzgibbon punished Fiji for a lack of discipline with three yellow cards and two reds, allowing Japan to take advantage of the numerical imbalance.

Tonga overcome Samoa

Tonga overcame Samoa 29-19 in a hard-fought clash in Fiji, in their final match of the Pacific Nations Cup.

***********

Samoa now head to Sydney to play the Wallabies in a test match on Sunday, their third test in eight days (lost to Fiji and Tonga); hard to see anything but a huge win to the Wallabies.

[StreetCowboy]

http://www.asian5nations.com/node/448

Lao eke out crucial away win in Division V Home & Away Series

I doubt it was on TV

Can Laos hold onto their lead at home in a fortnight?

I'm not sure if there will be a supporters' bus running from Bangkok

SC

[Atmos]

But as the game progressed Irish referee Peter Fitzgibbon punished Fiji for a lack of discipline with three yellow cards and two reds, allowing Japan to take advantage of the numerical imbalance.

the outcome:

Loose forward Sisa Koyamaibole and fly-half Waisea Luveniyali will miss Fiji's one-off Test against New Zealand on Friday after being sent off in last week's Pacific Nations Cup match against Japan.

Luveniyali was suspended for four weeks and Koyamaibole for two weeks by International Rugby Board judicial officer Mosese Naivalu at a hearing in Suva.

Edited July 18, 2011 by Atmos

[Atmos]

Samoa now head to Sydney to play the Wallabies in a test match on Sunday, their third test in eight days (lost to Fiji and Tonga); hard to see anything but a huge win to the Wallabies.

happy to say I was very wrong with that prediction -glad I'm not a betting man!

Edited July 18, 2011 by Atmos

[Atmos]

Lao eke out crucial away win in Division V Home & Away Series

coverage/match report in Phnom Penh Post, and a pic

[StreetCowboy]

Lao win Division V and retain Mekong Cup for another year

Lao beat Cambodia 11-7 today in rain-sodden Vientiane to win the HSBC Asian Five Nations Division V rugby series.

http://www.asian5nations.com/node/454

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Bangkok Sevens

http://www.asian5nations.com/asian-7-series

12-13 November

or perhaps

http://www.bangkoksevens.com/tournament/

29-30 October

Probably not the same event...

SC

[StreetCowboy]

On Astro Arena (Channel 801) this weekend - the Borneo Sevens

(not live)

SC

[StreetCowboy]

On Astro Arena (Channel 801) this weekend - the Borneo Sevens

(not live)

SC

Japan clinch top spot in the Asian Sevens

http://www.asian5nations.com/node/480

Exciting semi-finals, but in the final, Japan outclassed the Philippines.

Despite pushing Korea close and beating Sri Lanka on Day 1, Thailand finished a disappointing 11th, their only win on the second day their last-place play-off against Brunei to avoid the wooden chopsticks (or whatever)

SC

[StreetCowboy]

My apologies for missing this:

Weekend just passed - the Bangkok Sevens - postponed from November due to flooding...

http://www.asian5nations.com/node/495

http://www.voxy.co.nz/sport/hong-kong-win-bangkok-sevens/5/114660

Good result for HK, even if the Japanese first team was on duty in Nevada. Not so good for the UAE and Philippines...

SC

Anyone else going to the HK Sevens towards the end of next month?

[StreetCowboy]

The Five Nations fixtures have been published

http://asian5nations.com/node/39

Thailand will be playing in Division Two in Malaysia 31 may - 2 June; and you can catch Division 3 at the same time (30/5 & 1/6).

If I could find an excuse, I could be tempted to go to Dubai for the first game UAE v Hong Kong, combined with the Division 4 play-offs... a couple of years ago I enjoyed seeing the Arabian Gulf win their final game 21-19 to condemn Korea to relagation; and as a curtain-raiser, Lebanon beat Jordan.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing you all here at the beginning of June

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Anyone planning a trip to KL to watch Thailand in the Division 2 games?

I wasn't sure whether to post in this thread, or the "Ten Things You'll Never Hear in Thailand"...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/540863-ten-things-you-will-never-hear-in-thailand/page__fromsearch__1

SC

[StreetCowboy]

I suppose everyone has been transfixed by the excitement in Manila, and too busy to find time to post on this thread...

On Saturday Philippines(http://www.prfu.com/), whose Union only achieved international recognition in 2008, play Sri Lanka for a place in the Asian Five Nations in 2012

http://asian5nations.com/node/546

The final will be shown late at night on Star or ESPN on Saturday, I think (better check the listings for your provider) and repeated again on Sunday morning.

The suspense is killing me,

SC

[StreetCowboy]

I suppose everyone has been transfixed by the excitement in Manila, and too busy to find time to post on this thread...

On Saturday Philippines(http://www.prfu.com/), whose Union only achieved international recognition in 2008, play Sri Lanka for a place in the Asian Five Nations in 2012

http://asian5nations.com/node/546

The final will be shown late at night on Star or ESPN on Saturday, I think (better check the listings for your provider) and repeated again on Sunday morning.

The suspense is killing me,

SC

I think its on live as well, I just hadn't made a mental note of that, as I have a prior engagement...

Four pm, Bangkok time, I think, ESPN

SC

[StreetCowboy]

So I decided to watch the Sunday morning delayed telecast, only to be pissed about by ESPN, who wanted to show the end of a particularly interesting game of rounders, and then some fella wittering on about the highlights of the English soccer, while the rescheduled the big game.

Anyway, I'm sitting here listening to the Philippines National Anthem for the first time...

By the way, also planning to go over to HK for the Korea game in a fortnight, if anyone else is planning on going. OL reckoned tickets will be hard to get hold of, and I might be struggling to find a scalper....

SC

[StreetCowboy]

UAE v Hong Kong live on Star Sports, 11 pm Thai time Friday

live from the Sevens, somewhere in the desert near Dubai

SC

[StreetCowboy]

http://asian5nations.com/node/561

A bit of encouragement for all our Afghan members

SC

[StreetCowboy]

And Hong Kong run away 85 - 10 winners in Dubai against UAE.

Earlier in the afternoon, Qatar beat Lebanon to win the Div. IV tournament.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

So I decided to accept the advice of liver and wallet, and watch the HK - Korea game on Star, rather than at the Football Club; so I'll postpone my flights indefinitely. Its a shame, in a way, but I had hoped to catch the Queen Mother Cup and the BMW Mile the same weekend...

http://asian5nations.com/node/569

SC

[StreetCowboy]

So here I am sat watching the replay of the HK v Korea game in eager anticipation. Unlike the rest of you, I didn't watch it live yesterday, so fon't tell me the score for 80 minutes longer; thanks!

Looks like a good crowd at the football club; i'm embarrassed that there's an empty seat there with my name on it.

And, indeed, somewhere in HK an empty toilet bowl that was meant for my wallet...

Looks like a nice bit of weather as well; a bit of low cloud on the hills behind the stadium; let's sit back and enjoy ...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, please be upstanding for the National Anthems"

[StreetCowboy]

"... and you can see some of the educated minds of the HK rugby fraternity adding their tuppence-worth... every ground has a spot like that, where the miscreants gather" as a young lady walks past with two jugs of beer...

[StreetCowboy]

And Korea force their way over near the posts and convert to take a two-point lead in the 79th minute

And Ross Armour kicks it down for a line-out ... can they steal the Korean throw? Or will Korea move into second place in the Asian Five Nations...The clock shows 80 minutes, as the Korean hooker prepares to throw

Korea knocks on and the HK has a scrum on the 22... Anyone for a drop goal?

No it goes out to the far wing, Korea intercepts and 'the referee decides he's got a couple of seconds up his sleeve' and they play the line-out... McQueen knocks on, and that's it.

'What a great day for Korean rugby, relegated in 2010... and they've beaten the number two seeds 21 - 19... what an exciting game, what an advert for Asian rugby..."

SC

edit: and HK cling on to second place, thanks to bonus points from each game, but Korea has a game in hand...

Edited May 6, 2012 by StreetCowboy

[StreetCowboy]

Are you all sitting comfortably (well, standing now for the anthems) for the Korea - Japan game.

Japan yet to lose a match (or even drop a bonus point) since the inauguration of the Asian Five Nations in 2008... Korea coming from a tense and exciting win over Hong Kong last weekend

Live on Eurosports and Star Sports

Tops!

SC

[StreetCowboy]

And no surprises as Japan add another five points to their total. 19 games, 19 wins, 19 bonus points, winning 52 - 8 against Korea in Seoul.

Next weekend, Hong Kong travel to Tokyo to take their turn at trying to trip up the Japanese juggernaught.

Elsewhere, UAE held on to leave Khazakhstan staring at relegation, unless they can beat Korea next weekend.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Anyone else following the Korea v UAE game on Twitter

https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=asian5nations

A win for the UAE will give Hong Kong a shot at second place when they play Khazakstan at 4 pm (3pm THAI) this afternoon at Mong Kok Stadium, and also live on Eurosport

SC