Future looks bright for IRB Pacific Nations Cup

The IRB Pacific Nations Cup may have had a familiar look to it with the Junior All Blacks having retained their title with five bonus point victories, but the reputation of the tournament continues to grow following Australia A's inclusion in 2007.

Australia A finished as runners up to the Junior All Blacks in their debut year, albeit nine points adrift, with Manu Samoa once again 'the best of the rest' in third place with 13 points after three victories over Fiji, Tonga and Japan.

"It has been very successful, there seemed to be a great atmosphere around the whole tournament and great excitement surrounding it," Will Glenwright, the International Rugby Board's General Manager for the Pacific Islands, told Total Rugby Radio.

"I guess that is on account of two factors, one being the inclusion of Australia A, another high quality team into the competition, but I think perhaps more importantly the fact that it's a World Cup year and that four of the participating teams were using this as an opportunity to prepare for the Rugby World Cup.

"There was certainly a heightened level of excitement and I guess also to be fair it was the second year of the tournament and its starting to build a reputation, so it was a great, great tournament."

For Glenwright it was also easy to see the differences between the inaugural tournament in 2006 and this year's expanded event, and not just out on the field, but also behind the scenes in the respective Unions.

"Well obviously the inclusion of Australia A improved the competition level, the standard of play and I think also the performances of Samoa and, to a lesser extent, Japan indicated that teams are improving," he said.

"First and foremost the standard of play is improving and I think also the way the teams are operating, learning how to deal with a regular week in, week out competition, which is similar in format I guess to the Rugby World Cup.

"The teams seem to be getting more organised, better structured and getting better systems in place. So all in all, probably apart from the improved standard of play, there is better organisation by the participating Unions."

The Junior All Blacks were unquestionably the class act again 2007 with the likes of Ma'a Nonu, Rico Gear, Marty Holah, Stephen Brett and Andrew Ellis among their ranks, scoring 34 tries and 228 points, while conceding only 34 points in five matches.

Impressive performances

At times their opponents seemed to have no answer to their attacking game - including Australia A who suffered a 50-0 mauling in round four - but at others the likes of Japan and Tonga made life difficult for the Junior All Blacks, even if they ultimately lost heavily after tiredness set in as a result of their first half efforts.

"The Junior All Blacks were clearly a class above as they were last year, and I think that's indicative of the depth that New Zealand rugby has at the moment," Glenwright admitted. "There were some close games, though, and also some excellent performances.

"I think if you ignore the end scorelines, some of the performances during the tournament were very good. For example, Japan's first half performance against the Junior All Blacks was very impressive.

"I think Fiji's performance against Samoa in the first round in the mud up in Apia with mainly locally based players was pretty impressive … and their draw with Australia A in the last round would have given them great hope building up to the World Cup."

Fiji's 14-14 draw with Australia A in Suva last weekend was the closest any team came to upsetting them or the Junior All Blacks, but the reality is that, regardless of the scorelines, the other nations need to play against this level of opposition regularly in order to improve.

Quality opposition critical for development

"It is critical for them; it is a very important part of their development because through the Pacific Nations Cup these teams are now guaranteed a set number of games against this high quality opposition.

"Not only is it important for the coaching staff, but I think also for the players to benchmark themselves against the standard of players in the Australia A and Junior All Blacks sides, these guys are regular Super 14 players and many of them are Test players.

"Because of that they are really at a level that the Pacific Island players can aspire to and to be able to do that week in, week out in a high intense and competitive environment like the Pacific Nations Cup is very important.

"It is something we are confident will continue in the long term, because certainly the participation of Australia A and the Junior All Blacks is of paramount importance to the tournament."

For Manu Samoa there was the "pride and status" that goes with finishing as the top of the Pacific nations to celebrate, but the next step for Michael Jones and his fellow coaches is to start competing more with the big two and one day even "knock them off".

The way forward

"So that they can get an idea of the fitness levels that are required and the strength that is required and in particular the skills and the depth of skills that are required to compete at that level.

"That is something I am sure the teams will take back with them. Not only in preparation for the Rugby World Cup, but also coaching staff will take into account in their High Performance Units that have been established in those countries.

"The development of fitness level and that skills base and that conditioning base will be something that they are going to work on over the coming years and I would imagine will be addressed and the results of which will be seen not only in the athletes, but in the teams that came out of the Pacific islands and Japan over the coming years."

The future therefore looks bright after a tournament which unveiled some talented players, including rugby league converts Berrick Barnes and Clinton Schifcofske for Australia A, not to mention Fiji newcomers Filimone Bolavucu and Waisea Luvenivali and Junior All Blacks fly half Stephen Donald.