Saturday, 25 June, 2005
Fiji scrap to opening victory
By Rusiate Mataika
The FMF Flying Fijians held on to defeat a fired-up Tonga on Saturday 19-11 at the Post Fiji Stadium in Suva after an error-ridden performance lacking direction.
Fiji had to dig deep to hold off Tonga’s forwards, who thrived in the loose and outperformed the Fijians in the first half despite going into the breather trailing 16-3.
Outstanding for the Fijian forwards was Apolosi Satala on debut who put in a few trademark big tackles on the Tongans to disrupt their offensives.
The Namoli man also set up a chance from broken play for outside centre Epeli Ruivadra in the 20th minute, but the hardworking Tailevu man lost the ball forward from a Tongan tackle two metres from the line.
Left winger Sireli Bobo, playing for the last hour with a broken jaw, scored Fiji’s lone try in the 30th minute. A good build-up with input from Jack Prasad and Sisa Koyamaibole led to a Norman Ligairi cut-out pass finding Bobo at top speed to surge past fly-half Fangatapu Apikotoa and the last line of defence.
The seven-pointer put Fiji ahead 16-3 after a kicking duel from Tonga fullback Pierre Hola and Fiji’s Nicky Little (2) and Seremaia Bai.
Koyamaibole has shown increasing maturing at No.8, peeling off the scrum and leading the Fijian forwards with bullocking runs in first- and second-phase attacks.
Back-up fly-half Prasad played impressively on the right wing after substituting Ba speedster Vilimoni Delasau who pulled a hamstring early on.
Prasad’s pace off the mark could be a signal for coach Wayne Pivac to put him in as a sub to vary Fiji’s offensive from the pocket.
The green front row showed that inexperience can leave a team shortchanged as the Tongans controlled the scrums in the first half.
Tighthead Josese Bale, playing his fifth Test having, was the most senior of the trio with Suva hooker Sunia Koto and Ravuama Samo playing their first Test starts.
With Tonga dominating the scrums and stealing several line-outs, Fiji were fortunate to be leading at the break.
Bill Cavubati made a difference in the scrum, coming in as sub in the 60th minute, and made a big impact in challenging the rampaging Tongan forwards in the ruck and mauls.
Ifereimi Rawaqa and Isoa Domolailai played impressively in the locking berths with Rawaqa often mistaken as a loose forward looming up in the rucks and cleaning up at the breakdowns.
In the centres, Bai and Ruivadra played solidly and showed good defensive skills to stop Tonga centres Sione Tuipulotu and Keni Fisilau.
Tonga came back with a try in the 45th minute from a loose lineout ball on the 22 that flanker Christopher Hala’ufia caught before breaking two tackles to score. Hola missed the fairly simple conversion.
Little gave Fiji breathing space again in the 59th minute with a penalty from 24 metres out after the Tongans were ruled offside by Scottish referee Rob Dickson.
The Tongans had the last say in the 62nd minute from replacement fly-half Mouete Oto’ota from a penalty 30 metres out to take the scores to 19-11.
After taking a blow to the head in a tackle on the hour, Fiji skipper Moses Rauluni was replaced by big brother Jacob, who showed vision and some impressive bursts of speed that nearly set up a late try.
Prasad also had to go off with a hamstring injury, giving the selectors a bit of a headache for the two-match trip to Samoa and Tonga. Bobo is out for six weeks and thus misses the remaining matches in the qualifiers.
Quotes
Fiji coach Wayne Pivac
“We made a lot of errors, but there were a few players who stepped up and performed well. Sisa Koyamaibole played a big game making some good runs and Apolosi Satala played a great game on debut, making some big hits.”
“We had a young forward pack out there today. Sisa had more caps than the rest of the pack put together. The front row was very new. Samo and Koto were making their first Test starts while Jo Bale played loosehead for the first time.”
“Our backs didn’t really gel well. We saw a few individual pieces of brilliance, but overall they didn’t have much of an impact.”
“We’ll take 25 players to Tonga (9 July) and we will have to work hard to improve our game before that.”
Tonga coach Willie Ofahengaue
“We lost but we did pretty well in the set pieces. We were aiming to win the game and come out first in the series and get into Pool A in the 2007 World Cup. I don’t care who we face in the World Cup whether it’s England or any other team. We want to win the rest of our matches to get the top placing.”
Fiji 19 Tonga 11
RWC 2007 qualifier
Post Fiji Stadium, Suva
Half-time: 16-3
Referee: Rob Dickson (Scotland)
Touch judges: Kevin Rowe (NZ), Gary Wise (NZ)
Fourth official: Naca Naceba (Fiji)
Att: 5,500
FIJI: 15 Norman Ligairi, 14 Vilimoni Delasau (Jack Prasad 22, Jo Tora 70), 13 Epeli Ruivadra, 12 Seremaia Bai, 11 Sireli Bobo, 10 Nicky Little, 9 Mosese Rauluni (capt) (Jacob Rauluni 60), 8 Sisa Koyamaibole (Jone Qovu 62), 7 Aca Ratuva, 6 Apolosi Satala (Bill Gadolo 55-59), 5 Isoa Domolailai (Akuila Matanibukaca 72), 4 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 3 Josese Bale, 2 Sunia Koto (yellow card, 50-59, Bill Gadolo 59), 1 Ravuama Samo (Bill Cavubati 72).
Try: Bobo; Conversion: Little; Penalty goals: Little (3), Bai.
TONGA: 15 Pierre Hola, 14 Seti Kiole, 13 Keni Fisilau, 12 Sione Mone Tuipulotu, 11 Taniela Tulia (Hudson Tonga’uiha 72), 10 Fangatapu Apikotoa (Mouete Oto’ota 57), 9 Soane Havea (Siaosi Taufa 76), 8 Matini Tupou (Benhur Kivalu 60), 7 Viliami Vaki, 6 Christopher Hala’ufia, 5 Mosese Makasini (Sione Tu’amoheloa 51), 4 Lisiate Fa’aoso, 3 Taufa’ao Filise, 2 Aleki Lutui (capt) (Ifalemi Taukafa 72), 1 Kisi Pulu (Kafalosi Tonga 62).
Try: Hala’ufia; Penalty goals: Hola, Oto'ota.
Scoring sequence (Fiji’s score shown first):
7 min – PEN GOAL TONGA, Hola – 0-3
10 min – PEN GOAL FIJI, Little – 3-3
20 min – PEN GOAL FIJI, Bai – 6-3
30 min – PEN GOAL FIJI, Little – 9-3
32 min – TRY FIJI, Bobo; conversion, Little – 16-3
Half-time
44 min – TRY TONGA, Hala’ufia – 16-8
50min – Yellow card Fiji, Koto
56 min – PEN GOAL FIJI, Little – 19-8
62 min – PEN GOAL TONGA, Oto'ota – 19-11
Full-time
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