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Fiji's classy gesture to Portugal after loss one of the moments of the World Cup
By Josh Raisey
Things did not go to plan for Fiji in Toulouse on Sunday night, but that did not stop them from showing their class in the aftermath of their 24-23 loss to Portugal.
After a campaign where they drew with Georgia and provided stern tests for both Wales and Australia, Os Lobos finally secured their first ever World Cup win in their final match of the tournament at the Stadium de Toulouse courtesy of a Rodrigo Marta try in the dying embers of the match.
It would have hurt for Fiji, but coach Simon Raiwalui recognised what a momentous occasion it was, and visited the victor's changing room after the match to congratulate them and give them a bag of Fijian kit. The gesture was caught on camera as Raiwalui told the now ranked 13th team in the world that the win was "thoroughly deserved" in what is one of the classiest moments of the World Cup so far.
Raiwalui's counterpart Patrice Lagisquet wished Fiji the best for the quarter-final, as, despite the loss, they still qualified for the knockout stages with their losing bonus point. That left them level on points in Pool D with Australia, meaning they progressed due to their head-to-head record with the Wallabies.
The Flying Fijians will face England in the quarter-finals in Marseille on Sunday, a team they beat at Twickenham less that two months ago. However, when looking ahead to that match, Raiwalui said the quarter-final will be a "totally different match".
"They play rugby to win," he said when assessing his upcoming opponents. "They're very talented. They'll put a lot of pressure on us at set-piece time as well. Tactically, they'll look to take advantage of some of the things we've been doing, so they're a very good team. It's going to be a big challenge.
"It’s a totally different match (to when Fiji beat England in August), playing a different team. There will be aspects of how they play that are similar but they will bring new stuff as well. It's about us being efficient and doing the things we do well and giving ourselves the best chance to compete. We’ve played the team, the boys are comfortable, it’s not the first time, so I think it will be a good match."
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Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.
It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.
Go to commentsDon't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
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