Tonga A will walk away empty handed in the 2013 IRB Pacific Rugby Cup after finishing its New Zealand tour of the tournament with a 70-19 thrashing by the Crusaders Knights in Christchurch last Thursday March 28. 

 

The result is the team’s worst out of six games played in Australia and New Zealand over the last month. Tonga A has struggled to keep up with the pace of Australian and New Zealand Super 15 development squads, its best result was a 32- 18 loss against Sydney Academy.

 

The 2013 IRB Pacific Rugby Cup is made up four Pacific Nation Development Squads: Tonga A, Samoa A, The Fiji Warriors and Junior Japan. The tournament includes Australian and New Zealand tours as the Pacific teams play six games each against local Super Rugby development squads. The winner of the tournament is decided by points. Tonga A, Fiji Warriors and Samoa A have completed all there games and Junior Japan is due to play its last game this Sunday 7 April 2013. 

 

The Fiji Warriors are expected to win the tournament after recording only two defeats out of its six games. The Fijians managed two wins and two draws. Samoa A recorded two wins and four defeats. Junior Japan has lost all its games so far, its best result was a 47-28 loss to Sydney Academy.

 

Tonga A will finish at the bottom of the table regardless of the outcome of Junior Japan’s final game this week. The Japanese team has managed to scrap extra points from their scoring performance in the tournament putting them ahead of Tonga A.

 

HSBC Waratahs A - 0 v Fiji Warriors - 0

ACT XV - 58 v Samoa A - 19

Reds College XV - 24 v Tonga A - 3

Sydney Academy - 24 v Samoa A - 33

ACT XV - 62 v Tonga A - 12

Brisbane Academy - 17 v Fiji Warriors - 24

Emirates Western Force A - 34 v Samoa A - 11

Sydney Academy - 32 v Tonga A - 18

Brisbane Academy - 76 v Junior Japan - 26

Rebel Rising - 22 v Fiji Warriors - 27

Highlanders Development - 37 v Fiji Warriors - 37

Reds College XV - 59 v Junior Japan

Hurricanes Development - 68 v Tonga A - 3

Blues Development - 17 v Samoa A - 19

Crusaders Knights - 30 v Samoa A - 27

Blues Development - 41 v Fiji Warriors - 10

Chiefs Development - 50 v Tonga A - 18

Sydney Academy - 47 v Junior Japan - 28

Hurricanes Development - 38 v Fiji Warriors - 20

Crusaders Knights - 70 v Tonga A - 19

Chiefs Development - 35 v Samoa A - 25

Blues Development - 43 v Junior Japan - 19

Highlanders Development - 63 v Junior Japan - 10

Hurricanes Development - 0 v Junior Japan - 0 (Pending)