CARDIFF // Australia got their World Cup off to a shaky start when they failed to secure the crucial bonus point in their 28-13 win over Fiji.
The Wallabies looked booked for four tries after No 8 David Pocock showed exactly why he was the Brumbies’ top scorer in the Super 15 this year with a brace in the first half that contributed to him being named man of the match.
Fellow forward Sekope Kepu added another five points just after the break with a leg-pumping run that broke two tackles to take the score to 23-3.
Fiji looked dead and buried, having had only five days to recover from their bruising tournament-opening defeat to England on Friday but a penalty from inspirational wing Nemani Nadolo kick-started the Pacific Islanders’ fightback. Ben Volavola’s wonderful solo score in the 60th minute ruffled Australia and set up a nervous final quarter.
Yet when Glen Jackson sent Australian outside-centre Tevita Kuridrani to the sin-bin in the 73rd minute, Fiji could not capitalise. A combination of fatigue, and an error count that haunted them throughout the match, resulted in Australia holding out for their 17th win over Fiji.
Extra Time Podcast: Can Japan inspire other shocks at the Rugby World Cup?
England secured the bonus point in overtime at Twickenham, but coach Michael Cheika was not overly perturbed at his side missing out.
“I am new to Test footy, but for me winning a Test match is all you need to do and then you go to the next one,” he said.
“If you lose a game in this pool you will be in strife. I preach to my team about being humble. I don’t think coming in to a match thinking we are going to get a bonus point off Fiji is a good thing.”
Wales now top Pool A after their smooth 54-9 success on Sunday over Uruguay, who coach Cheika now has in his sights for his side’s next match at Villa Park in Birmingham in three days. As he revealed before the tournament, he plans to make wholesale changes.
Fiji have now lost five successive World Cup matches going back to New Zealand four years ago, and should they lose to Wales in one week’s time, they will equal their worst ever tournament run set between 1987 and 1991 when they lost six.
“We’ll regroup after our effort today, let the guys fill the tanks and clear the mind and really start our preparations next week,” Fiji coach John McKee said.
“For us to play some very good rugby and come away with no points is disappointing. It will give the players some extra resolve to make a mark next week.
“The World Cup is not over yet, we have two games to go and we want to play really well in both and be competitive.”
Fiji had looked completely overwhelmed by the occasion following the opening ceremony on Friday, but this time they had no excuses. They were ponderous in defence during the first quarter though, and it allowed Australia time to work their way in to their first match since they thrashed USA in Chicago three weeks ago.
Time and again Pocock and Michael Hooper, who operated to such devastating effect in tandem during the Rugby Championship, poached the ball off their opponents and often in the Pacific Islanders’ half.
Where Fiji did not struggle, however, was up front and on two occasions during the first half they held the Wallabies’ scrum to a standstill.
The driving maul has been a notable tactic utilised well by England, South Africa, Georgia and Japan so far, and Australia used the template employed by the Brumbies this year, with Pocock in tow, seven times.
“He worked hard,” Cheika said of the dual tryscorer. “He was in the tackle contest area a lot; it is a strength of his and we want to put him there. He did his business in attack and his technical stuff well. With Hooper, their work rate was impressive.
“The physical nature of the game was really positive for us. We needed to come to terms with that relatively quickly.”
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE
