“I'm emotionally drained,” Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui said after his side beat Australia 22-15 in this morning’s World Cup pool match for their first victory over the Wallabies in 69 years, adding: “I couldn't be prouder”.
He might be if the side he has coached since February make the quarter-finals of this year’s tournament, which has suddenly become a big possibility.
If Fiji win their last two pool matches against Georgia and Portugal with bonus points, they are guaranteed to make the first knock-out round, with England or Samoa their likely opponents.
Australia’s pool match against Wales, who narrowly beat Fiji in the opening round, in Lyon next Monday suddenly becomes crucial for the hopes of the Wallabies, but Eddie Jones’ side may miss out even if they are victorious.
That’s because the first “tie-breaker” in the event of two nations finishing with an equal points tally at the end of group stage is the head-to-head result of the pool match. Should the Wallabies finish equal with Fiji, then the Pacific Islanders go through for their first quarter-final appearance since 2007.
Fiji lost their opener against Wales in controversial fashion 32-26.
Not many of those who have watched Fiji’s recent progression will see this morning’s victory as a surprise. They beat England at Twickenham in a World Cup warm-up and have also pushed France close recently. They came to the tournament ranked higher than pool rivals Australia and Wales.
They are a side who have harnessed all their outstanding abilities of running and offloading alongside a powerful set piece and disciplined attack. They conceded only seven penalties to the Wallabies’ mammoth 18 – with 11 coming at the breakdown – another reminder for the All Blacks that the most disciplined teams will be the most successful at this tournament.
“I told the boys, today is our final,” outstanding centre and captain Waisea Nayacalevu said. “Today will determine whether we want to go up to the quarters, so the mindset was do or die, do our best, fight to the end and the result will take care of itself.”
The result will lead to more scrutiny on Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, winless in four Tests before the World Cup and who tasted success for the first time in his team’s World Cup opener against Georgia.
Jones, the former England head coach, vented in a bizarre rant at several Australian journalists before the team’s departure for France and the knives will be sharpening back home.
Former Wallabies wing David Campese, a frequent critic, has wasted little time writing in a column for Planet Rugby: “Whilst I’m delighted for Fiji, I am devastated that Australia are so – well un-Australian. We’re a nation that thrives on running rugby, on intuitive attack and to watch the side I once represented getting caught up in a kicking duel in the last three minutes pretty much sums up the ambition and decision making in our rugby right now.”
Coach Raiwalui, born in Auckland but educated in Australia and a former Fiji captain, joked before this match that there would be 30 Fijians on the field in Saint Etienne and it was perhaps significant that Australia’s two try scorers Mark Nawaqanitawase and Suliasi Vanivalu have Fijian heritage.
The result may not have been a shock but it’s the first one at this tournament in which an established tier one nation has been upset by a side from outside the establishment. Fiji are involved in the Pacific Nations Cup but remain excluded from the Rugby Championship, although the Fiji Drua’s inclusion in Super Rugby has strengthened their national team considerably.
Portugal pushed Wales all the way in losing only 28-8 in Nice (the Welsh scored a converted try in the final minute), and Uruguay, incredibly, were trailing only 13-12 after 54 minutes against France before losing 27-12.
The less developed rugby nations are making their mark in France and it will likely lead to more calls to extend the World Cup from 20 nations to 24. A “plate” knockout format for those teams who don’t make the Cup quarter-finals could also add value.
Wales coach Warren Gatland said after watching the performances of Uruguay and Portugal: “It’s important that we continue to develop these tier-two nations and maybe we are able to increase the number of teams in the World Cup to 24.”
He added with admirable honesty: “You don’t want top-tier nations dominating, you want upsets, as long as I’m not part of it.”
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