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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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Latest Comments
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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