Fiji puts pool rivals on notice
The Wallabies have been given a stark reminder their passage into the knockout rounds at the World Cup is far from assured after Fiji shocked England in their warm-up clash.
The Australians have their own pre-tournament hit-out against hosts France in Paris on Sunday, but performances from their Pool C rivals have put the Wallabies on notice.
Fiji, who Australia faces in their second pool match in Saint-Etienne, defeated England for the first time, scoring three sensational tries in a 30-22 victory at Twickenham.
Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui, hailed the Drua’s participation in Super Rugby Pacific as a major boost for his island nation.
“The Drua has been huge for us, we’ve been able to expose 40 to 50 players to playing at the highest level in Super Rugby,” Raiwalui told reporters after the England win.
“The gap is closing.
“People think of Fijian-style game as throwing it around but it’s also about collisions and being the best side we can be.”
The Wallabies open their World Cup campaign against Georgia on Saturday, September 9 – with the world No.11 side giving Scotland a scare in their final warm-up.
Georgia led 6-0 at half-time at Murrayfield before the Scots scored five second-half tries – including one from former Wallaby No.8 Jack Dempsey – to secure a 33-6 victory.
The Georgians showed plenty of energy and organisation for the first 40 minutes but could not sustain their effort.
The eighth-ranked Wallabies also face pool clashes with Wales and Portugal, who an Australia A team downed 30-17 over the weekend, with the top two teams moving on to the quarterfinals.
