Pacific Nations Cup: Japan move the ball quickly, we need to slow them down with solid tackles - Byrne

FIJI Water Flying Fijians coach Mick Byrne says Japan love to move the ball really quickly across the field and they play quick ruck ball.

Byrne highlighted this to the media saying they will be looking to slow that down with solid tackles.

He says they have got a couple of players that are very hard to move once they are over the ball.

Byrne says he is glad that prop Mesake Doge was cleared by the Disciplinary Committee, calling the whole affair unjust.

He says they are glad that they challenged the ruling and they knew they had to stand up for Doge on that incident where he was red carded in the first half of the game against Canada.

Fiji’s 41-17 triumph in the same fixture a year ago is sure to be in the back of both teams’ minds, but Eddie Jones’ youthful Japan side has got some meaningful runs on the board in the time since, and again tore through the pool stages in 2025, outscoring their opposition by 68 in just the two Tests.

The Flying Fijians play Japan at 1.35pm today at America First Field, Salt Lake City, Utah.