Fiji 20 Scotland 22

A try by Tom Smith two minutes from full-time gave resilient Scotland a 22-20 victory over gallant Fiji at Aussie Stadium in Sydney.  Victory was enough to send Scotland through to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.  Fiji, sadly, went home after a great campaign.

It was a match which Fiji could have sewn up in the first half when they had plenty of possession and great chances to score, but much of their effort waned with the departure of their sturdy hooker Greg Smith after 31 minutes.  No Smith, no ball, no quarter-final.

With Smith gone, the Fijians lost four line-outs and had two of their next four scrums wheeled.

Scotland were trailing by five points with two minutes to go when disaster struck Fiji.  First Api Naevo was sin-binned at a tackle.  From the penalty Scotland kicked out.  From the five-metre scrum they bashed and bashed as the Fijians repelled and repelled until Tom Smith, in his 50th Test match for his country, plunged over to level the scores.  Again Chris Paterson bisected the posts.

Behind for most of the time Scotland won.  The first part of the first half had suggested that they were in for a hiding.

After Paterson and Nicky Little had both missed penalty kicks at goal, Fiji took the lead in the simplest possible way -- by passing the ball to Rupeni Caucaunibuca.  He got the ball from a looping pass some 25 metres out with centimetres from the left touchline.  He ran down that touchline, beating three defenders to score in a Kenny Logan tackle at the corner.

Donal Courtney, the Television Match Official, confirmed the try.

At this stage the vital match belonged to Fiji.  They had another four gilt-edged chances to score tries.  First Aisea Tuilevu picked up a dropped ball on the half-way line and only a Glenn Metcalfe tackle and a TMO decision denied the Fijians a second try.

A cruel bounce denied Caucaunibuca a second try after Seru Rabeni had missed a drop at goal.  Then a forward pass seven metres from the line called them back from a fourth opportunity.

Whether their finger-nail defence gave the Scots heart or the disappointment sapped the Fijians, the Scots then had a good period.  In the space of two minutes Chris Paterson, their best player, the only one with an air of confidence, kicked two penalties and then cracked through a gap in a move, which ended when Andrew Henderson lost the ball at the line.

Enough Scotland.  The Fijians then did the sensible thing and gave the ball to Caucaunibuca.  The move started going right in their own 22.  Then it went left and on the 22 the pass went to Caucau, who strove, with the tranquil consciousness of effortless superiority, down the touchline deviating slightly to go inside one and then outside another before scoring near the posts to make the score 14-6 at half-time.

Scotland dominated most of the second half and three Paterson penalties gave them the lead with 19 minutes left, but Little brought his side back to the lead at 17-15 after Cameron Mather was penalised for being off-side.  Shortly afterwards big lock Ifereimi Rawaqa burst for the line.  Scottish attention was on Caucaunibuca on Rawaqa's left, but brave Glenn Metcalfe saved the day for Scotland.

One of Fiji's best weapons in the match was the high kick.  As the strong-shouldered Fijians came homing in, the Scots fumbled again and again.  As hirsute replacement Kitione Salawa approached, Kenny Logan knocked on some seven metres.  Off-side Bruce Douglas picked up and Little put his side 20-15 ahead with only six minutes left.

Those six minutes belonged to Scotland and were the vital six minutes of the thrilling match.

Man of the match:  The temptation is to give it to battered and bruised Glenn Metcalfe, whom the Fijians enjoyed hammering but the blind fullback kept coming back.  If he had been an American soldier he would have had purple hearts and all sorts of other awards.  Chris Paterson and Bryan Redpath were telling at fullback and Simon Taylor noble at No.8 though the best Scottish effort probably came from hooker Gordon Bulloch.  Moses Rauluni had a great game at scrum-half, till replaced by his brother Jacob, but the Man of the match was undoubtedly Rupeni Caucaunibuca.  He did not act often, but his little was greater than all others' performances -- just in a class of his own.

Moment of the match:  As Caucaunibuca came back with grinning casualness after his second try, lock Api Naevo knelt before him and took Caucaunibuca's boot on his knee and cleaned it.  It was a great moment, after a great try!

Villain of the match:  It must, sadly, go to Api Naevo for his untimely yellow card.

Yellow card(s):  Api Naevo (Fiji)

The Teams:

Fiji:  1 Isaia Rasila, 2 Greg Smith, 3 Joeli Veitayaki, 4 Apenisa Naevo, 5 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 6 Vula Maimuri, 7 Koli Sewabu, 8 Alifereti Doviverata (c), 9 Mosese Rauluni, 10 Nicky Little, 11 Rupeni Caucaunibuca, 12 Seru Rabeni, 13 Epeli Ruivadra, 14 Aisea Tuilevu, 15 Norman Ligairi
Reserves:  Vilimoni Delasau, Sisa Koyamaibole, Isikeli Nacewa, Jacob Rauluni, Kitione Salawa, Naka Seru
Unused:  Seta Tawake Naivaluwaqa

Scotland:  1 Bruce Douglas, 2 Gordon Bulloch, 3 Tom Smith, 4 Nathan Hines, 5 Stuart Grimes, 6 Ross Beattie, 7 Cameron Mather, 8 Simon Taylor, 9 Bryan Redpath (c), 10 Chris Paterson, 11 Kenny Logan, 12 Andrew Henderson, 13 Gregor Townsend, 14 Simon Danielli, 15 Glenn Metcalfe
Reserves:  Ben Hinshelwood, James McLaren, Robbie Russell, Jason White
Unused:  Michael Blair, Gordon McIlwham, Jon Petrie

Attendance:  37137
Referee:  Spreadbury t.

Points Scorers:

Fiji
Tries:  Caucaunibuca R. 2
Conv:  Little N.T. 2
Pen K.:  Little N.T. 2

Scotland
Tries:  Smith T.J. 1
Conv:  Paterson C.D. 1
Pen K.:  Paterson C.D. 5