A very solid defense and an effective attack. Fiji gave this Sunday the first big surprise of the Rugby World Cup in France by defeating Australia by 22-15 and scoring his greatest feat in the first scene of this sport that also put group C red hot towards qualification for the quarterfinals.
Although both teams are not far apart in the current world ranking (Australia is seventh and Fiji ninth), the Wallabies have two world titles and a much superior league that made them great favorites, and which now fills them with questions and could even be eliminated in the group stage.
However, except for a few minutes in the first half, it was the islanders who were ahead throughout the game, with a very solid defense and an attack that was based above all on the conversion of the numerous penalties that the Australians conceded.
The island team scored five penalties (four of them and one conversion came from the infallible today with his foot Simione Kuruvoli), in this duel played at the Geoffrey-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne.
Fiji only needed one try, against two that the Australians scored, to achieve a historic victory for a country of barely a million inhabitants.
Photo: EFE/EPA/YOAN VALAT
The Wallabies scored their second try in the 68th minute to lead 15-22, but their aggressive attempts to score an equalizer in the final stretch clashed with the islanders’ defensive solidarity.
The Australian coach, Eddie Jones, who came into this World Cup with many questions due to the mediocre play of his men, introduced five changes in the second half but could not break the deficit.
The Australian defeat left group C completely open. The fact is that Wales – who had defeated Fiji in their debut – is first with two victories and can decide if the Australians are left out of the quarterfinals in the almost final duel they will have next Sunday in Lyon.
Fiji has a presumably easier calendar ahead, as the weaker ones await Portugal y Georgiaalthough he cannot be trusted if he wants to confirm his place in the quarterfinals.
2023-09-17 18:07:53
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