Fiji wrest Pacific rugby title from Samoa

Fiji wrestled the Pacific Rim rugby championship from Samoa in Tokyo yesterday, beating the champions 28-17 in a bruising encounter.

A solid Fiji defence and some pinpoint kicking from first five-eighth Nicky Little, who amassed 23 points, saw the Fijians put in a top all-round performance to lead the game from start to finish.

But that opening 40 minutes had accounted for both Samoan locks, pushing skipper Semo Sititi into the second row as cover.

Samoa assistant coach Michael Jones, while praising Fiji, admitted that the second-row loss had put his team in disarray.

New Zealand will confirm their elite team for the world championships today, although Carter, Watson, Matt Reed, Shane Reed, Gemmell and Docherty are inside the world's top 50 to earn an automatic start in Edmonton.