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 TEIVOVO.COM - FMF FLYING FIJIANS
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Saturday 26 May 2007
Second-half surge gives FMF Flying Fijians victory
The FMF Flying Fijians put up a gutsy second-half performance to score four unanswered tries in their 30-15 bonus point win over Japan at Churchill Park on Saturday after trailing 15-3 at the interval.
Like last week, Fiji rugby fans got another glimpse of Fiji rugby’s future as coach Ilivasi Tabua again opted for his younger players in this the second round of the Pacific Nations Cup.
Halfback Seveci Taka maintained a high tempo for the full 80 minutes while centre Daniele Baleinadogo disrupted the Japan attacks with some efficient tackling. Doncaster flanker Netani Talei produced several telling line-breaks to keep the Japanese in retreat, and 21-year-old Taniela Rawaqa manned the fullback’s berth well and picked up 15 points.
Debutant prop Graham Dewes also stood firm and will give Tabua a bit of a selection headache when he looks at next week’s match against the Junior All Blacks with Alefoso Yalayalatabua putting his hand up last week.
The Cherry Blossoms, meanwhile, surprised the hosts in the first spell and gave Fiji food for thought ahead of their clash in the Rugby World Cup in September – they are both in Pool B with Wales and Australia.
This victory was much needed for the Fijians, who narrowly lost 8-3 last week in the tournament opener against Samoa at a waterlogged Apia Park.
Rawaqa gave Fiji the lead with a penalty from in front of the uprights, though with Japan on the backfoot on their own line, a more positive option might have been to go for the try.
Holding off the pressure and with little possession, the Japan forwards managed to turn the tables and lock Luke Thompson crashed over for the opening try with 20 minutes gone.
The Fiji defence lost a bit of composure and Japan took advantage of the lapses just before half-time to collect their second try, fullback Goshi Tachikawa going over in the corner. With a 15-3 lead, Japan looked comfortable.
But the second half saw a rejuvenated Fiji side that chose to move the ball quickly through the hands to the wings.
Early pressure gave Fiji another three-pointer before fly-half Vitori Buatava sent Taniela Rawaqa over untouched for Fiji’s first try.
Jack Prasad came on to give the backline a little urgency and almost immediately Talei broke the Japan defence once more before offloading to Vesi Rauluni. With some good follow up, Talei was over the try line and Fiji took the lead at 18-15.
Three minutes later, skipper Alifereti Doviverata led a powerful maul for a pushover try to Akapusi Qera, who had been on the field for less than a minute.
Isoa Neivua collected the all-important fourth try from with a 50-metre sprint that left the Japan defence gasping.
Overall, this proved an entertaining match with both sides showing some good phases in a cleanly fought contest.
The FMF Flying Fijians take on the Junior All Blacks next week at the National Stadium in Suva.
Quotes:
Alifereti Doviverata (FMF Flying Fijians captain)
“We started slowly. The boys committed a lot of mistakes like knock-ons in the first spell. But it is good that we got it together and in the second half managed to score four tries. I am glad that the boys stood strong in defence and delivered some big tackles that caused some needed turnovers. The Super 14 players in the Junior All Blacks side do not bother us as we will prepare our best to take them on next week. We like to play free-flowing rugby and that’s what we will aim to do.”
Ilivasi Tabua (FMF Flying Fijians coach)
“It is a good first win for me as coach and I was glad the way the young players blended with the older players for this win. The communication was a little slow in the first half but I kept the young boys until the second spell because I wanted them feel what it is like. They came out well. Jack Prasad was a timely change and Graham Dewes gives us another choice at loosehead prop. We can’t afford catch up rugby against the Junior All Blacks and that is something we have been stressing. We need to play for 80 minutes.”
Takuro Miuchi (Japan captain)
“We started off strongly because our game plan worked and that was to stop the Fijians from running the ball. The players’ defence was good but the Fijians just came back in the second half. I think we focused a little too much on defence in the second spell and not on scoring tries.”
John Kirwin (Japan coach)
“We committed too many errors in the second spell and we were not able to keep the ball. We were not pushing hard enough. We put in some very good tackles but the Fijians still managed to score the tries. We know how Fijians play running rugby and we shut that down in the first spell. But they kept spinning the ball out in the second spell.”
Saturday 26 May 2007
FMF Flying Fijians 30 Japan 15
IRB Pacific Nations Cup
Churchill Park, Lautoka
Half-time: 3-15
Referee: Frederico Cuesta (Argentina)
Touch judges: Brett Bowden (Australia), Samu Tuidraki (Fiji)
Fourth Official: Peni Finau (Fiji)
Crowd: 5,000
FMF FLYING FIJIANS: 15 Taniela Rawaqa, 14 Vesito Rauluni, 13 Vereniki Goneva (Gabiriele Lovobalavu 64), 12 Daniele Baleinadogo, 11 Isoa Neivua, 10 Vitori Buatava (Jack Prasad 52), 9 Seveci Takamaiwai, 8 Tomasi Soqeta (Akapusi Qera 68), 7 Netani Talei, 6 Alifereti Doviverata (capt), 5 Wame Lewaravu, 4 Langi Peters (Ifereimi Rawaqa 61), 3 Tiko Matawalu (Apisai Turukawa 58), 2 Viliame Gadolo (Sunia Koto 58), 1 Graham Dewes
Not used: Marika Vakacegu
Coach: Ilivasi Tabua
Tries: T Rawaqa, Talei, Qera, Neivua; Conversions: T Rawaqa (2); Penalty goals: T Rawaqa (2).
JAPAN: 15 Goshi Tachikawa, 14 Kosuke Endo, 13 Koji Taira, 12 Bryce Robins (Yuta Imamura 62), 11 Christian Loamanu, 10 Eiji Ando, 9 Tomoki Yoshida (Yuki Yatomi 70), 8 Takuro Miuchi (capt), 7 Takamichi Sasaki, 6 Hajime Kiso (Yasunori Watanabe 56), 5 Luke Thompson, 4 Hitoshi Ono, 3 Tomokazu Soma (Tatsukichi Nishimura 78), 2 Yuji Matsubara (Mitsugu Yamamoto 64), 1 Tatsukichi Nishimura (Masahito Yamamoto 64)
Not used: Takanori Kumagae, Kousei Ono
Coach: John Kirwan
Tries: Thompson, Tachikawa; Conversion: Tachikawa; Penalty goal: Tachikawa.
Scoring sequence (Fiji’s scores shown first):
4min – PEN GOAL FIJI, T Rawaqa (missed) – 0-0
16min – PEN GOAL FIJI, T Rawaqa – 3-0
20min – TRY JAPAN, Thompson; conversion Ando (missed) – 3-5
32min – PEN GOAL JAPAN, Ando – 3-8
36min – TRY JAPAN, Tachikawa; conversion Ando – 3-15
40min – PEN GOAL JAPAN, Ando (missed) – 3-15
Half-time
41min – PEN GOAL FIJI, T Rawaqa – 6-15
51min – TRY FIJI, T Rawaqa; conversion T Rawaqa – 13-15
55min – TRY FIJI, Talei; conversion T Rawaqa (missed) – 18-15
69min – TRY FIJI, Qera; conversion T Rawaqa (missed) – 23-15
77min – TRY FIJI, Neivua; conversion T Rawaqa – 30-15
Full-time
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