The Fijians pull off an upset by beating Australia

After beating England at Twickenham in a friendly match, the Fijians stepped forward with confidence when it came time to compete in the World Cup. But on Sunday 17 September, the Flying Fijians performed on a completely different level. At Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne, after the Pacific players took up their cause, they achieved the feat of downing Australia (22-15), with two world titles on the clock to return to the race to qualify for the quarter-finals. finals.

After losing to the Welsh in their first meeting despite a comeback in the last minutes (32-26), Simi Radradra and his teammates once again witnessed a strong end to the match. But this time, they were the ones who withstood opposing pressure to claim their first victory over the Wallabies since… 1954.

This meeting was also particularly crucial for some players in the Australian ranks, such as centers Samu Kerefi and Marika Koroibete, both of whom were born in Fiji. An example of the “looting” carried out by the Wallabies and New Zealand for many years in the diaspora in other Pacific countries (Fiji, Samoa and Tonga), which the FIR is trying to compensate for by allowing a choice of another sporting nationality later in their careers.

While waiting to change their crest – perhaps – in the future, the Aussie Fijians had a strange moment when they encountered the sibi (a dance performed before kick-off, in the same way). Like the New Zealanders’ Haka) from their opponents. But nothing fazes Mark Nawakanitawasi. Also from the Fiji Islands, the winger was the first to shine when he surprised the defense with a quick touch before shooting the ball unopposed (24^H).

Fijians resist the return of the Wallabies

“We must be able to win the fighting stages, Australian coach Eddie Jones said this on Friday, During the pre-match press conference. When transitional stages come, we must be two steps ahead of them, because they excel in this field. The fight will be interesting, they have a very big group and we want to challenge them in this sector. » Trouble for the Wallabies, although their players benefited from the result, they had difficulty implementing the former hooker’s instructions.

Even the Australians struggled throughout the entire match, particularly as they were hampered by the last-minute withdrawal of their captain and second-row Will Skelton due to a foul. “Slight shrinkage” In the calf. The giant from La Rochelle (2m03, 145kg) watched helplessly from the stands the performance of the Fijians, led by their half-team Simeone Korovoli, very active in the game and decisive against the poles (fourteen points with his foot).

The Fijians certainly extended the lead in the second half thanks to a quick attempt from Lyon midfielder Josua Tuisova (43rd).^H). But ultimately, it was class and a departure from their usual madness, as the Pacific players held on at the end of the game, despite a late effort from Australian full-back Ben Donaldson (68).^H). Before facing Georgia and Portugal, the two weakest teams on paper in the group, Fiji is now level with Australia (6 points) in the standings and can start dreaming very seriously of first qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals. Since 2007.