Australia beat Fiji 21-18 this Sunday at home, but the Wallabies had to wait until the 78th minute to register the test of victory, by Captain Harry Wilson.
Before attacking their three-game series against the British and Irish lions in two weeks, then rugby championship in mid-August, the Wallabies challenged the Fiji this Sunday in their Newcastle stadium to start their summer tour. And the Australians, who left a complicated 2024 year (6 wins, 7 defeats), won their first game of the year, but that it was hard: 21-18. It must be said that the two teams follow each other in the World Rugby ranking (Australia 8th, Fiji 9th) and this resulted on the field by a very tight meeting.
The Wallabies signed a good first half, returning to the locker room by leading 14-5 thanks to the trials of the hooker Dave Porecki (9) and the third Fraser McREight line (39th) transformed by Noah Lolesio, while the back Salesi Rayasi had marked for the Fiji just after the Sirène. But the Fijians succeeded in an excellent start to the second half, reducing the scoring on a penalty by Caleb Muntz (14-8) then passing in front of a test of the third Palois Lekima Tagitagu line transformed by Muntz (14-15).
The melee half added a penalty to the 68th (14-18) and the Australians began to tremble. But they ended up having the last word thanks to their captain and third line Harry Wilson, two minutes before the siren (19-18), after a long sequence of play up close. Ben Donaldson converted and it is therefore a three -point victory for Australia.
Schmidt: “In thirteen days, we will no longer be entitled to the same number of errors”
After the match, Australian coach Joe Schmidt was not fully satisfied: “I am extremely relieved because I want to get a result. But I am disappointed with the performance and I know that the players will seek to do more than themselves, and this must happen in a very short period of time. In thirteen days, we will no longer be entitled to the same number of errors that the Fiji inflicted on us. The Fiji were superb. Some players, which we knew they would be elusive, fast and powerful, responded and showed all of this. »»
Wallabies will clearly have to hoist their level of play to compete with the Lions in the three -game series. As for the Fiji, they will return to Suva, their capital, to challenge Scotland next Saturday.
