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Saint-Etienne: The Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup campaign is in crisis after the men in gold suffered the country’s first loss to Fiji in 69 years in their second pool match in France.
As far as spectacularly bad Wallabies performances go, this was right up there, as thousands of Australian fans in gold jerseys who’d travelled to France sat in disbelief watching their team capitulate in remarkable fashion.
Josua Tuisova scores for FijiCredit: Getty Images
An injury ravaged Wallabies side, without captain Will Skelton (calf), prop Taniela Tupou (hamstring) and halfback Tate McDermott (concussion), went down 22-15 to Fiji and are now facing the prospect of being eliminated in the group stages of a Rugby World Cup for the first time ever.
The Wallabies will almost certainly need to beat Wales next Sunday (Monday morning AEST) to keep their hopes of remaining in this tournament alive.
Australia trailed 12-8 at half-time and went further behind 22-8 with 12 minutes remaining.
That was until Suliasi Vunivalu found his way to the tryline, from a lovely pick and go, to get the Wallabies within seven points.
The Wallabies were outplayed by Fiji and now face a tough test against Wales to progress in this World Cup. Credit: Getty Images
As cries of “Fiji, Fiji, Fiji” reverberated around Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, the Pacific island underdogs held on in a tense final period to seal the biggest boilover of this World Cup in a result that puts immense pressure on coach Eddie Jones, who has now won just one of seven Tests since returning in January.
Australia’s discipline was diabolical as they conceded 18 penalties to Fiji’s seven.
A 15-game Wallabies winning streak over Fiji is also over – it’s the first time Australia have lost to the Fijians since a Test in 1954 at the SCG.
After two days of insisting that Skelton was still a chance to play, the Wallabies officially ruled the second-rower out 70 minutes before kick-off.
He was seen wearing a moonboot on the sidelines before the match, which leaves his availability for upcoming pool matches against Wales (September 24) and Portugal (October 1) in jeopardy.
Skelton’s absence paved the way for hooker Dave Porecki to become Australia’s 88th Wallabies captain in a game that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Wallabies No.10 Carter Gordon had a horror match. The young playmaker started off by losing the ball after being crunched under the ribs by Fiji prop Eroni Mawi.
Gordon was targeted all day by Fiji in defence before a game-defining moment in the 43rd minute that he’d rather not watch again.
Defending in the back field, Gordon jumped up to catch a high kick, but was nowhere near the ball.
A fortuitous bounce saw Josua Tuisova retain possession and sprint to the line as Australian halfback Nic White protested that he’d been bumped off the ball.
Officials thought it was nothing more than shoulder-on-shoulder contact. It was Fiji’s only try of the match, which meant they did not secure a bonus point.
Gordon was pulled off by Jones in the 50th minute, with fullback Ben Donaldson shifting to No.10 and Mark Nawaqanitawase slotting in at No.15.
Both sides banked a penalty each in the opening 12 minutes in a high-energy period where Fiji controlled the pace of the game and showed their desire to throw the ball around.
Fiji hit the lead in the 21st minute when Simione Kuruvoli knocked over a long-range penalty, but Australia wrestled their way back ahead after some brilliant quick thinking from Nawaqanitawase.
Australia’s first try was set up though by a magnificent 50-22 from Nic White, deep in Australia’s half, after Richie Arnold managed to grab the ball back at a breakdown, perhaps illegally given he was on the ground when doing so.
Nawaqanitawase sprinted down the field and despite cries from White to not take a quick throw-in, the winger fizzed a ball to Samu Kerevi, who then threw a pass back to the New South Welshman for a five-pointer.
Donaldson missed his conversion, by a fair distance to the left, before Fiji went back ahead 12-8 courtesy of two more penalties.
But this was Fiji’s day in a Rugby World Cup game for the ages.
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