SAINT-ETIENNE – Fiji made of their victory over Australia the headline act in the second round of fixtures. Perhaps surprisingly, the Fijians’ attacking metrics were far less impressive in Sunday’s victory than in their opening-round loss to Wales in Bordeaux on 10 September.
Fiji’s 88 carries was exactly half of what they managed in week one, and they made far fewer metres and line breaks as well as spending less time in the opposition 22 with the ball. The physical nature of their performance is seen in the fact that Fiji rank third for collision dominance in attack.
“It was a totally different performance… I know people are expecting us to play with flair but we wanted to show that we can play both physical with our flair and be prepared for anything” aid Fiji second-row Temo Mayanavanua
