A LAST minute try by winger Christophe Dominici gave France a 28-19 win over Fiji in Toulouse on Saturday and landed them the Group C crown – Fiji finish runners-up. An error ridden match in which the French, who led 13-3 at the break, scored three tries to Fiji’s one was enlivened by a superb touchdown from Fijian fullback Alfred Uluinayau to get his side back into the match in the second-half. The match descended into farce with 15 minutes to go as referee Paddy O’Brien, who had a poor game, awarded France eight successive scrums five metres out and booked all three of the Fijian front row for purposefully turning the scrums before finally awarding the French a penalty try. Fijian fly-half Nicky Little, who had been preferred to sevens legend Waisale Serevi because coach Brad Johnstone believed he exerted more control, had reduced the gap to just seven points four minutes into the second period with a sweetly struck penalty. Uluinayau then produced his magic taking the pass from scrum-half Jacob Rauluni and broke three feeble tackles, sidestepping fullback Ugo Mola, to run it in from 40 metres out for his second international try and turned the volatile French crowd against their side. Five minutes later the Fijians, quarter-finalists in 1987, were ahead as Little converted another penalty from in front of the posts and added another to give his side a six point lead – however, the French nosed ahead with the penalty try. The French scored one try in the first-half to lead the Fijians into the break – but O’Brien’s poor performance had deprived both sides of a try apiece. — AFP