Israel Folau and Henry Speight yesterday scored try doubles as Australia launched their international season with a 37-14 win over Fiji in Melbourne.
Fullback Folau was outstanding in attack, running more than 150m for the match, while Fijian-born winger Speight finished well as the Wallabies outscored Fiji five tries to two after leading 18-0 at halftime.
Flyhalf Bernard Foley kicked three conversions and two penalty goals to finish with 12 points.
The Wallabies began well and dominated the first half, but Fiji had more success in the second half with tries to Vereniki Goneva and Timoci Nagusa.
It was a tonic for the Wallabies to win their season opener by 23 points, with Test debutant Karmichael Hunt catching the eye at inside center, along with towering lock Adam Coleman.
Hunt, whose introduction to rugby in 2015 was blighted by a cocaine scandal stemming from his days in the Australian Football League (AFL), made his Wallabies debut aged 30.
Hunt and Folau are the only players in Australian history who have been dual rugby internationals and played in the AFL at senior level.
Flanker Michael Hooper, who was named captain ahead of 117-Test hooker Stephen Moore, said it was a good start to the year for the Wallabies.
“I am really happy with the guys, the intent was really strong and the work rate was there,” Hooper said. “We probably left two or three tries out there, but the Fijians are pretty hard to deal with at times.”
It was Australia’s 14th straight win over Fiji since a 3-3 draw in Melbourne in 1961. Their last defeat to the Pacific Islanders was way back in 1954.
The Wallabies hit the ground running and were 15-0 up in the first 11 minutes.
Foley aimed a high kick to the right wing for Folau, who outjumped fullback Kini Murimurivalu to score the opening try in the fourth minute.
The Wallabies were in again when forwards Coleman and Scott Higginbotham exchanged passes and gave the opening for Speight to score out wide.
The Wallabies went a man down when Folau was yellow-carded for a high tackle, but they added three more points through a Foley penalty goal while Folau was off the field.
Foley took off from his own quarter with an intercept off a Ben Volavola pass, but was he run down, before he added a further penalty for an 18-0 lead at halftime.
Fiji-born center Tevita Kuridrani had a try disallowed for the Wallabies when he put his foot into touch early in the second half.
However, Foley put Folau through a gap on halfway and he burned off the Fijian cover defense to score his second try and stretch the Wallabies’ lead to 25-0.
Goneva scored Fiji’s first try after he beat off Speight’s diving tackle, before Moore came off the bench to score a pushover try.
Winger Nagusa dived over for Fiji’s second try with three minutes left, but Australia kept the ball alive after the full-time siren and were rewarded with Speight’s second try after great passing from replacement Quade Cooper and Hunt.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was