Samoa can secure their future in the top tier of junior rugby with a win over Japan at the Under 20 Championship in Italy tomorrow morning.
The Baby Manu finished pool play last week with a win over the host nation, after opening defeats against Australia and South Africa.
Despite missing out on their goal of a top eight finish, second-five Josh Ioane says they need to refocus quickly in order to avoid playing in a relegation match.
"This is a must win game for us - get the boys up for that game. Being the only Pacific Island team in this divison at the moment we [need to] stay here, so it's a must-win game for us. We played Japan in the Oceania tournament before the World Cup and we can't take them lightly. We've got to put our best foot forward and try put in a good performance - trust our systems and just play out footy".
Argentina and Italy are playing off in the other ninth place semi final.
The Samoa Under 20s perform the Siva Tau. Photo: Massimiliano Pratelli/Fotosportit.