Fullback Norman Ligairi and flying winger Aisea Tuilevu scored two tries apiece on Thursday as Fiji kept its quarterfinal hopes alive with a 41-13 bonus-point win over Japan at the Rugby World Cup.
Ligairi secured the bonus competition point with a brilliant solo effort in the 66th minute. He chipped ahead from behind halfway, grubbered the half volley and picked up the ball as he dived into the right corner for Fiji’s fourth touch down.
Marika Vunibaka, a late replacement for center Epeli Ruivadra, crossed out wide in the 71st minute and Nicky Little converted to add some extra confidence for the Fijians ahead of the November 1 encounter with Scotland that will likely determine quarterfinal berth.
The Fijians led 16-13 at half time and extended their lead to 10 in the 51st minute after Ruivadra drew in two defenders and gave an around-the-corner pass to Tuilevu, who sprinted 25 metres down the right touchline to cross for his second.
Andrew Miller had scored all Japan’s points in the first half via a try, a long-range dropped goal and two penalties as the Japanese built a surprising domination in the forwards.
But the Fijian backs looked capable of scoring more than the two tries they posted in the opening 40 minutes.
Sevens veteran Waisale Serevi opened the scoring in the 2nd minute with a penalty from close range after the Japanese forward fumbled the kick-off.
He was injured in the 11th minute and Little, Fiji’s most capped international and leading point scorer, resumed his place at flyhalf.
Miller and Little traded penalties before the Japan flyhalf, with a strong wind at his back, slotted a dropped goal from a metre inside his own half to level at 6-6.
The Japanese pack was were moving the bigger Fijians around in rolling mauls and shoving them off the ball in the scrums.
Despite their forwards back-peddling, the Fijian backs scored two tries in three minutes to build a 10-point lead.
Centre Seru Rabeni broke the defence in a bustling run, bumped off another defender and unloaded to Little, who had Isaia Rasila in support. The prop ran wide and gave fullback Norman Ligairi an inside ball to score in the 21st minute.
Tuileva crossed three minutes later, picking up a loose ball on the half volley from Delasau and then beating four defenders on a weaving 35 metre run to the line.
Little’s conversion attempt hit the far upright.
Just when it looked like the Fijian backs were getting on top, Japan hit back with a try from a setpiece in midfield.
No. 8 Takeomi Ito ran off the back of a scrum, found Takuro Miuchi and the Japan skipper moved the ball up to 10 metres out.
Scrumhalf Takashi Tsuji picked up Miller on the shortside the flyhalf strolled into the right corner to reduce the margin to three points at halftime.
Little finished with three penalties and two conversions for a 13-point haul.
Fiji next plays Scotland in Sydney next weekend, while Japan is against the United States, aiming for its first win after 32-11 loss to Scotland and a 51-29 loss to France.
Scorers:
Fiji 41 (tries – Norman Ligairi (2) 21st, 66th, Aisea Tuilevu (2), 24th, 51st, Marika Vunibaka 72nd ; conversions – Nicky Little (2) 52nd, 73rd; penalties – Waisale Serevi 2nd, Nicky Little (3) 15th, 57th, 77th) def. Japan 13 ( tries – Andrew Miller 29th;
conversions – Andrew Miller 30th; penalties – Andrew Miller 13th; drop goals – Andrew Miller 17th) Halftime: 16-13. Crowd: 17 269 – Sapa-AP