Fiji on Sunday produced the upset the Rugby World Cup needed, beating Australia to end almost seven decades of rugby pain at their hands, while 2019 finalists South Africa and England made it two wins from two.
The Fiji players described as “jackals” by their impressive coach Simon Raiwalui outmuscled the Wallabies to deservedly prevail 22-15 in a thrilling match that blows open Pool C.
It was the first time Fiji had ever beaten Australia at a World Cup.
Photo: AP
Defending champions South Africa and England won in contrasting styles, the Springboks thrashing Romania 76-0 in Pool B, while the English ground out a 34-12 win over Japan in Pool D.
Fiji’s impressive victory gives them a great chance of reaching the last eight for the first time since 2007 with their remaining matches against a robust Georgia and whipping boys Portugal.
Raiwalui said this was a new Fiji that can combine steel in the forward line with extravagant three-quarter play.
“We wanted to change who we are, our identity, what we stood for,” the New Zealand-born former Fiji lock said. “We have traditional areas where those tier 1 teams, developed nations, attack us and we think those are the areas that we’ve really improved in.”
Rather than a “bunch of talented individuals,” Raiwalui said this Fiji is a “team of talented players.”
Australia and coach Eddie Jones by contrast have it all to do if they are to avoid the ignominy of becoming the first Wallabies team to fail to reach the knockout stages.
Jones, who in his first spell in charge took Australia to the 2003 final only to lose to England in the dying seconds of extra-time, and his team face a monumental test of character against Wales at the weekend.
However, the 63-year-old former England coach, who Australian rugby chiefs took a gamble on bringing back to replace Dave Rennie in January, is adamant his young side can still go deep in the tournament.
“We’ve had a bit of a setback today, but that’s all part of being at a World Cup. I do remember South Africa lost a game and won the [2019] World Cup,” Jones said.
South African minds will switch quickly to Saturday’s keenly awaited match with Six Nations Grand Slam champions Ireland, but perhaps the most significant move by the Springboks came off the pitch. In an effort to resolve their Achilles heel, kicking at goal, they called up their 2019 World Cup-winning playmaker Handre Pollard, replacing hooker Malcom Marx, who was ruled out of the tournament last week.
“We have no doubt he’ll step up to the challenge,” South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber said. “He’s been here before, so he knows the physical and mental demands of the World Cup.”
Nienaber was in philosophical mood when asked about the Ireland match, which many believe would decide who tops the pool and who finishes second.
Awaiting the runners-up in the quarter-finals is likely to be hosts France, with the winners of Pool B most probably facing New Zealand.
“Destiny will decide who we will play in the quarter-final,” Nienaber said.
England did not win over many neutral observers in their attritional win over Japan, but for diehard supporters the style means little as they sit top of Pool D after two matches.
England flyhalf George Ford, who contributed 14 points with the boot to go with his team’s four tries, admitted it had hardly been box office.
“Probably not the prettiest to watch and we had to build the game in a different way to get our points in the end, but I thought it was good discipline from the boys,” he said.
Ford was slightly on the defensive when it was suggested that the players had seemed frustrated at halftime.
“There was no frustration from our end, we understand what wins Test matches,” the 30-year-old said. “There’ll obviously be decisions we’ll look back and think we could have done better, but overall we’re very happy with the way we played.”
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