Fiji scored two second-half tries as they rebounded from a nine-point halftime deficit to tighten their grip on second place in Group C, but their failure to collect a bonus point left Australia with a slight hope of avoiding a first ever group-stage exit.
“If I am being honest we were beaten to the punch in the first half. We knew it was going to be a battle. I am just thankful we have the result,” Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui said.
Georgia were eliminated. Australia and Fiji both finish the group by facing Portugal. Australia need to pick up a bonus-point win and hope Fiji lose without a point. Even Portugal could sneak in with two remarkable victories.
With a quarter-final place beckoning, Fiji started anxiously in Bordeaux, messing up restarts, losing lineouts, giving away penalties and paying the habitual price for their high-risk passing attack and repeatedly dropping the ball.
Yet Georgia also showed nerves as they blew gilt-edged touchdown chances at each end of the half.
After two minutes, Akaki Tabutsadze spilt the ball with the tryline calling. The winger was denied at the end of the half. After Georgia counterattacked more than 60 metres following a double Fijian fumble, Tornike Jalagonia hurled his pass forward as he found the wide-open Tabutsadze.
Georgia did punish Fiji’s indiscipline.
Luka Matkava kicked a short penalty and long-range specialist Davit Niniashvili booted one from inside his own half and one from almost 50m to give Georgia a 9-0 halftime lead.
But Georgia had also lost hooker Tengizi Zamtaradze and lock Lasha Jaiani to injury in the first 17 minutes, leaving their replacements to play more than three-quarters of a ferocious match.
Fiji’s Semi Radradra drew a yellow card for a deliberate knock on in the first minute of the second half.
Down a man, Fiji finally made their passes stick. Nayacalevu twirled through two tackles on the wing to touch down behind his back.
Frank Lomani converted from wide and then hit the post with a penalty from right in front but squirted one through from a few yards further away after 65 minutes to put Fiji a point ahead.
“It was a bit of getting back to basics, we were giving too much ball away in contact. I think we were lucky to be down 9-0 at halftime,” Raiwalui said.
As the second half progressed, Georgia’s defence began to slacken. Flanker Levani Botia smashed into the Georgian line and then flipped a sublime pass to substitute Vinaya Habosi who jagged though a huge hole to score.
“I think one thing about us Fijians is we like to keep the ball alive, we trust each other, I saw my teammate and I understand I have to give the opportunity,” Botia said.
Lomani converted and Fiji had an eight-point lead and 11 minutes to earn a try bonus point and lock up a last-eight place Instead, Josua Tuisova tackled high and bumped heads with Miriani Modebadze to earn a card and Matkava converted the penalty.
Fiji survived one last Georgian thrust to hold on for the victory.
“It was real tight to the end,” said Raiwalui.
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