Fiji on Sunday claimed the last place in the World Cup quarter-finals in the most dramatic of fashions, suffering a shock 24-23 defeat at the hands of Portugal, but picking up a bonus point which was enough to knock Australia out of the tournament.
Fiji, who only needed one point from the game, finished runners-up in Pool C behind Wales and are to play England in Marseille on Sunday, a day after Argentina, who also qualified with a victory over Japan, take on Wales at the same Stade Velodrome.
The result of the 40th and final pool game of the tournament, settled by a 78th-minute converted try by Rodrigo Marta, also consigned the Wallabies to third spot in Pool C, the two-time champions missing out on the knock-out phase for the first time ever.
Photo: AFP
The Fijians looked out of sorts in a nervy display marred by a number of handling errors under intense pressure from Portugal, whose victory — thanks to a converted try two minutes from time — was their first at a World Cup.
“It is incredible and unbelievable,” Portugal coach Patrice Lagisquet said. “The players always find resources that I never expected.”
“That last try, it was amazing. They still surprise me after four years and it is an incredible group,” he added.
All square at 3-3 at halftime, the game burst into life in the second half when Raffaele Storti touched down for the Portuguese.
Fiji hit back three minutes later through Levani Botia, but with the flanker yellow-carded for a high tackle, the Portuguese struck again through prop Francisco Fernandes.
The Fijians came back once more in the last quarter and appeared to have won it when Mesake Doge scored a try, with Frank Lomani adding the conversion and two penalties.
However, Portugal struck in dramatic fashion through Marta with Samuel Marques’ conversion clinching the win.
“We’re disappointed to not get that win,” Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui said. “We were a bit tired in terms of context of the game, but Portugal can enjoy tonight.”
Turning to England, Raiwalui added: “We have got to reassess tomorrow and recover, they are a very good tournament team England.”
Wing Mateo Carreras scored a hat-trick of tries as Argentina beat Japan 39-27 in a thriller in Nantes to finish as Pool D runners-up behind England.
Defeat meant that Japan failed to advance to the knock-out phase.
“We are where we want to be,” said Argentina coach Michael Cheika. “But we want to go further, we want to reach the semi-final and the final, that’s clear.”
Tonga completed their World Cup with a 45-24 win over Romania in Lille to finish fourth in Pool B behind leading nations Ireland, South Africa and Scotland.
In Australia, the media rued the “cruelest” exit for two-time world champions the Wallabies, who finished third in Pool C, level on 11 points with Fiji, who advanced after beating the Wallabies earlier in the tournament.
The Australian and the Daily Telegraph both described Fiji’s narrow defeat as the “cruelest way possible” for the Wallabies to bow out of the World Cup.
Australian sports Web site The Roar branded the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign “a slow-motion car crash that spiraled out of control as their historic first pool exit was confirmed.”
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