By Nick Powell, Online Editor
Fiji……………………………………………23
Tries: Botia 48, Doge 68
Conversions: Lomani 49, 69
Penalties: Lomani 10, 74, 76
Portugal……………………………………24
Tries: Storti 45, Fernandes 51, Marta 78
Conversions: Marques 47, 53, 80
Penalties: Marques 38
Fiji edged into the quarter-finals despite losing a classic Rugby World Cup encounter to Portugal, who recorded their first victory in the tournament with a late Samuel Marques conversion.
The losing bonus point earned by the Flying Fijians was enough to set up a quarter-final clash with England on Sunday, but like their upcoming opponents’ performance yesterday this was a far from ideal way to prepare for that huge game.
Frank Lomani and Marques exchanged first half penalties in a period where both teams failed to fire, but Portugal struck either side of a Levani Botia try for Fiji through Raffaele Storti and Francisco Fernandes to open up a seven point lead.
Fiji drew level through Mesake Doge’s score and Lomani’s conversion, and the scrum-half knocked over two penalties to wrestle the lead back for his side.
But Storti fed Rodrigo Marta for a late score, and Marques presented nerves of steel to confirm Os Lebos’ first World Cup win, with Fiji hanging on to the bonus point the needed to go through and dump out Australia at the pool stage for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Both teams looked to play with great ambition in attack from the off, but scrappiness prevented any clear cut chances being created in the first quarter, with the only points coming from a Lomani penalty halfway through that period.
Portugal were struggling to retain possession at the ruck and set piece when they went forward while Fiji made six handling errors in the first 22 minutes, occurring almost whenever they tried to exhibit their trademark skill.
Evidently frustrated by their inability to move the scoreboard beyond three points, Fiji’s discipline was beginning to resemble one of their teams from the past, and a series of penalties gave Portugal their first real attacking opportunities of the match as the clock ticked into the final ten minutes of the first half.
And though they narrowly missed a chance to snatch the lead as Storti knocked on just short of the line following his innovative volley towards the corner, scrum-half Samuel Marques slotted a penalty from straight in front to level things.
That was how it stayed at the break as Fiji knocked on as they went on the attack, and though it was the lowest scoring half of this World Cup’s pool stages it was by no means the least entertaining.
It took all of 14 second half seconds for referee Luke Pearce to have his arm outstretched for a Portuguese penalty advantage, perhaps an early indication that Fiji’s disciplinary issues were not going to remain in the first period.
But it was not their discipline that cost them when Portugal went over five minutes into the second 40, as Jeronimo Portela brilliantly gathered a high kick from Manuel Cardoso Pinto, before a superb kick from Pedro Bettencourt gave Storti another chance to score in the corner, which he took terrifically as he powered over through the tackles of Vinaya Habosi and Sireli Maqala.
Portugal went straight on the charge in search of another, and looked to be a pass away from that score as they broke back up to the Fijian 22, but the ball went to ground and Maqala then surged up the field to within 10 metres of the Portuguese line.
It as only a few more phases before Fiji had their score, as Botia got the job done from short range, and Lomani slotted the conversion to level the contest.
Botia’s moment of satisfaction was unfortunately short-lived, as he went high on Rodrigo Marta and was sent to the sin-bin for head contact in the tackle, and it was soon to get worse for the Flying Fijians.
From the penalty Portugal kicked up to within ten metres of the Fijian line, and a strong driving maul was followed by powerful phases which ended in Fernandes going over in similar style to Botia.
Anxiety was etched on the face of Botia as Fiji again looked to wipe out Portugal’s lead, but he could at least know he would be back in the action soon as his yellow card was not upgraded in the TMO bunker.
Fiji were now enjoying a long spell of attacking dominance, but their poor handling continued to hamper them and as their openside finally returned from his time in the bin, the gap still remained at seven points with the Pacific Islanders now just one score away from being eliminated.
Botia’s presence initially did little to make Fiji more effective in attack, but as they made another entry into the Portuguese 22 in the final 15 minutes they finally got the score they had been searching for.
They kept it more simple than they had with previous opportunities, returning to the method of short passes and pick-and-go rugby that had seen Botia go over earlier, and this time it was Doge whose try gave Lomani another equalising conversion and took them so close to their quarter-final berth.
Fiji wanted the victory, and Botia led the charge up field before their backs finally showed some fluency. The ball ended up back in the hands of the La Rochelle man again, and he pinned Portugal in their on corner with a clever chip.
They were eventually rewarded with a penalty, with the ever reliable Lomani slotting over another kick and following it up again two minutes later, to stretch Fiji’s lead to six against a Portugal team that looked to be tiring.
But Os Lobos were always likely to get one more chance, with Fiji having to kick back to them from the restart, and though they were in their own 22 when they eventually received the ball Portugal stayed patient and went through the phases.
It was the superb Storti that made a blindside dart, and after he was hauled down metres shy of the line he offloaded to his opposite winger Marta who dived over to give Marques a kick to win it.
And the scrum-half showed ice cold composure to land the winning conversion, and give Portugal a fully-deserved win after one of the most enthralling group stage games in World Cup history.
FIJI: Maqala; Ravutaumada, Nayacalevu, Tuisova, Habosi; Botitu, Lomani; Mawi, Matavesi, Tagi, Nasilasila, Mayanavanua, Derenalagi, Botia, Mata.
Replacements: Ikanivere, Ravai Kovekalou, Doge, Cirikidaveta, Tuisue, Matawalu, Tela, Masi.
PORTUGAL: Cardoso; Storti, Bettencourt, Lima, Marta; Portela, Marques; Fernandes, Tadjer, Ferreira, Madeira, Cerqueira, Wallis, Martins, Simoes.
Replacements: Costa, Diniz, Alves, Torgal, Granate, Belo, Appleton, Pinto.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
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