Japan and Fiji have named their teams for Saturday’s Pacific Nations Cup final at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo, with interim Fiji head coach Senirusi Seruvakula making three changes to his starting XV and Japan coach Eddie Jones making two, according to Planet Rugby. The headline call is Caleb Muntz back at fly-half, with two uncapped players named among the replacements.
Need to know
- Match: Japan v Fiji, Pacific Nations Cup final, Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo, Saturday.
- Kick-off: 19:05 in Tokyo, which Planet Rugby lists as 22:05 in Fiji and 11:05 in the UK.
- Officials: Jordan Way (Rugby Australia) referee, assisted by Damon Murphy (Rugby Australia) and Morgan White (Hong Kong China Rugby), with Matt Rodden (Hong Kong China Rugby) as TMO, per Planet Rugby.
- Coverage: Fiji TV is among the broadcasters listed by Planet Rugby, alongside RugbyPass, Sky NZ, Stan Sport, DISNEY+, beIN Sports, JSPORT, SuperSport and Paramount+.
Why it matters for Fiji
The Flying Fijians go into the weekend chasing a third straight Pacific Nations Cup title against a Japan side that has lost the last two finals to them. Planet Rugby reports Fiji lost all three of their matches in the recent Southern Series of the Nations Championship, which makes Saturday their first opportunity for silverware since that run.
Read against each other, the two outlets set out how narrow Fiji’s recent margin for error has been. Read Rugby Union reports that the semi-final win over Canada ended a run of three straight defeats — the Wales, England and Scotland losses listed by Planet Rugby — so on those reported results Fiji arrive in Tokyo having won one of their past four Tests. A title on Saturday would be the first tangible return of a season otherwise defined by those defeats.
The rankings cut the other way to the venue. Read Rugby Union places Fiji ninth in the world and Japan 12th, three places apart, meaning Fiji are the higher-ranked side but the away side, in a stadium where Japan have just put 63 points on the United States. The cap counts sharpen the contrast further: Planet Rugby totals Japan’s 23 at 312 caps between them, while Fiji have named two players who have yet to win their first.
There is also the matter of who is picking the side. Planet Rugby refers to Seruvakula as interim head coach, but the report does not say why the role is interim, whom he replaced, or how long he is expected to hold it. That gap matters for Fiji readers, because a final is the clearest public test an interim appointment can be handed. On the sources available for this report, no claim can be made about what the result would mean for his tenure, and none is made here.
Fiji’s changes: Muntz at 10, two uncapped on the bench
Seruvakula has recalled Caleb Muntz at No.10 after the fly-half came off the bench in the semi-final, with Isiah Armstrong-Ravula shifting to full-back and Isikeli Rabitu dropping to the replacements, according to Planet Rugby. On the reported sequence, that is a straight reversal of the semi-final arrangement in the two key decision-making positions: the player who finished the Canada match at 10 starts there, and the man who wore the jersey against Canada moves to cover.
Tuioraki Samusamuvodre starts at inside centre in place of the absent Kalaveti Ravouvou, while Elia Canakaivata comes in at No.8 with Isoa Tuwai moving to the bench. Read Rugby Union describes Canakaivata’s promotion as the only alteration to the Fijian pack, which means the three changes Planet Rugby records are weighted towards the back line, and towards the No.10 jersey in particular. A settled eight and a reshuffled midfield is an unusual profile to take into a final, and it is the clearest selection signal available from the two reports.
Planet Rugby reports the much-changed bench contains two uncapped players, loosehead prop Vilikesa Nairau and back Isaac Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens. Naming a first-choice front-row cover and a back-line finisher without a Test appearance between them is a notable call in a match with a trophy attached; neither outlet reports any explanation from the Fiji camp for it.
Tevita Ikanivere captains the side from hooker, with Frank Lomani at scrum-half, Virimi Vakatawa at outside centre and Manasa Mataele and Joji Nasova on the wings, per the team list published by Planet Rugby.
Jones banks on caps for Japan
Jones has moved Faulua Makisi into the starting side at No.8 after the forward came on early in the second half against the United States, with Jack Cornelsen switching from the back row to lock and Michael Stolberg dropping to the bench, Planet Rugby reports.
The second change brings Tomoki Osada onto the left wing, with Kazuma Ueda omitted from the matchday 23. Planet Rugby reports Jones is relying on the experience of 45-cap midfielder Dylan Riley, 36-cap lock Cornelsen and 35-cap captain Naoto Saito in a team totalling 312 caps. Where Fiji have gone to two uncapped replacements, Japan’s selection reads as the opposite instinct on the same evidence: both sides won their semi-finals comfortably, and only one has responded by leaning harder on experience.
“We have got good experience and toughness in the team, and we’re looking forward to a really physical and fast performance against Fiji,” Jones said, in comments reported by Planet Rugby. The coach said the squad was concentrated entirely on winning the final.
What Seruvakula said — and what is missing
Planet Rugby paraphrases rather than directly quotes the Fiji coach, so his remarks are reported here as the outlet framed them. Seruvakula said Fiji expect a strong Japan at home, noting the hosts had played two Tests against Australia and a warm-up against Canada before the tournament, and that his side would focus on its own strengths.
No direct quotation from Seruvakula, and no comment from a Fiji player or a Fiji Rugby official, appears in either of the reports reviewed for this article, and no Fiji Rugby press release or quote sheet covering the team announcement was found in the material available at the time of writing. That is a real limitation on this report: the reasoning behind the Muntz recall, the midfield change and the two uncapped replacements has not been set out publicly by anyone inside the camp. We will add those comments, and update the relevant sections above, if they are published before kick-off.
How the finalists got here
Planet Rugby reports the 2026 Pacific Nations Cup was reduced to four teams following the exclusion of Samoa and Tonga, with the finalists emerging from semi-finals last weekend. Neither outlet gives a reason for the exclusion of two of the region’s established Test nations, and no explanation from the organisers or either union appears in the material reviewed for this article. It is an obvious question for Pacific readers, and it is flagged here as unanswered rather than filled with speculation; we will report the reason once it is on the record.
Japan beat the United States 63-14 at Hanazono. Read Rugby Union reports the hosts led 28-0 after 16 minutes and that the Eagles scored both of their tries before the 34th minute.
Fiji beat Canada 45-29, scoring seven tries, according to Read Rugby Union, which says the win ended a run of three straight defeats.
Recent form and head-to-head
In the Southern Series of the Nations Championship, Planet Rugby reports Japan beat Italy 27-10 in Tokyo before losing 36-20 to Ireland in Australia and 42-15 to France in Tokyo.
Fiji lost all three of their ‘home’ matches, staged in the UK: 39-24 to Wales, 73-8 to England and 33-17 to Scotland, the same outlet reports.
Read Rugby Union reports Fiji have won the last three meetings between the two sides, and that the margin narrowed to six points last year. Planet Rugby puts figures to the two most recent finals: Japan lost the 2024 decider 41-17 at Hanazono and the 2025 decider 33-27 in Salt Lake City, both to Fiji. On those two scorelines alone, a 24-point Fijian win became a six-point one in the space of a year — the strongest indication in either report that Saturday is closer to a coin-toss than the head-to-head record suggests.
What comes next
Beyond Saturday, the next home Test of consequence we have reported for this side is the Flying Fijians’ Test against the Springboks at Polytec Stadium, scheduled ahead of the 2027 World Cup, which is the fixture a result in Tokyo would be carried into. Neither Planet Rugby nor Read Rugby Union links Saturday’s outcome to that match or to World Cup qualification, and this report makes no such connection.
A note on sourcing
Every fact in this report is attributed to one of two published rugby outlets, Planet Rugby and Read Rugby Union, both of which appear to be working from the same team announcements. No wire service, union website or tournament statement was available in the material reviewed at the time of writing, which means an error shared by those two reports would not have been caught here. Team lists, officials and kick-off times should be checked against Fiji Rugby and the tournament’s own channels before kick-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the Pacific Nations Cup final kick off in Fiji, and where can it be watched?
Planet Rugby lists kick-off at 19:05 local time in Tokyo, which is 22:05 in Fiji and 11:05 in the UK. The outlet names Fiji TV among the broadcasters carrying the match, alongside RugbyPass, Sky NZ, Stan Sport, DISNEY+, beIN Sports, JSPORT, SuperSport and Paramount+.
Who is refereeing the Japan v Fiji final?
Jordan Way of Rugby Australia has been appointed referee, according to Planet Rugby. His assistants are Damon Murphy of Rugby Australia and Morgan White of Hong Kong China Rugby, with Matt Rodden of Hong Kong China Rugby as television match official.
Why is Senirusi Seruvakula described as Fiji’s interim head coach?
Planet Rugby calls Seruvakula the interim head coach in its team-announcement report, and he selected the matchday 23 for Saturday’s final. Neither that report nor Read Rugby Union’s preview says whom he succeeded, why the role is interim, or how long the appointment runs, and no Fiji Rugby statement setting that out appears in the material reviewed for this article. We will update this report if one is published.
What would a third straight title mean for Fiji heading into the 2027 World Cup cycle?
A win would give Fiji a third consecutive Pacific Nations Cup and the first silverware of a season in which, per Planet Rugby, they lost all three Southern Series matches to Wales, England and Scotland, and it would be won with two uncapped players, Vilikesa Nairau and Isaac Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, in the 23. Neither Planet Rugby nor Read Rugby Union ties the result to 2027 World Cup qualification or to ranking movement, so this report makes no claim on either.
Why are Samoa and Tonga not in the 2026 Pacific Nations Cup?
Planet Rugby reports the 2026 tournament was reduced to four teams following the exclusion of Samoa and Tonga, but gives no reason for it, and Read Rugby Union’s preview does not address the question. No explanation from the tournament organisers or from either union appears in the material reviewed for this article, so the question is left unanswered here rather than guessed at. We will report the reason once it is published.
