Fiji goes again in search of the result that will confirm its evolution from everyone’s favorite Rugby World Cup underdog to a consistent threat.
The Fijians face Australia in their second pool game in France on Sunday having just missed out on making the statement they were seeking in an agonizing 32-26 loss to Wales last weekend, when Fiji burned a golden last-second opportunity to win.
Fiji is 0-3 against the Aussies at the World Cup, including losses in the last two tournaments, but that doesn’t fully illustrate where both teams are right now. Fiji beat England last month, pushed the Welsh to the very brink, and might be in the midst of its most significant period of progress.
Australia brought a five-game losing streak under returning coach Eddie Jones to a stop only by beating Georgia in its World Cup opener.
That makes the Pool C meeting in Saint-Etienne much tighter. It also effectively holds Fiji’s hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
AUSTRALIA vs. FIJI (Australia leads 19-1-2 overall, 3-0 in RWC)
Coach Simon Raiwalui has said his men are still outsiders considering the Pacific island’s limited resources, but the gap between them and the two-time champion Wallabies — who won their last title 24 years ago — would appear to be minimal for these 80 minutes.
Jones has thrown some caution to the wind in his rebuild of a struggling Australia, focusing on youth more than anything. Australia’s team for Sunday is also tinged with experience, though, with prop James Slipper back in to equal a Wallabies record of playing at four World Cups and Nic White starting at No. 9.
Australia has six of the seven players in its squad with Fijian heritage starting or on the bench, a move welcomed in a way by Fiji’s Raiwalui.
“It’s going to be good with 30 Fijians on the field,” he quipped.
SOUTH AFRICA vs. ROMANIA (South Africa leads 1-0 overall, 1-0 in RWC)
Versatility is the watchword for defending champion South Africa against minnow Romania in Bordeaux.
The Springboks have selected all four scrumhalves in their squad to fill various roles, with Grant Williams on the wing and first-choice No. 9 Faf de Klerk set to play flyhalf off the bench. Regular flanker Deon Fourie will be the backup hooker in another think-outside-the-box moment from coach Jacques Nienaber and director of rugby Rassie Esrasmus.
The three-time Rugby World Cup winners will still likely be too strong for Romania, which last beat a top tier team two decades ago. While South Africa ground past Scotland 18-3 to open its defense, Romania went down 82-8 to top-ranked Ireland.
The left field team selection allows South Africa to rest important personnel, including playmaker Manie Libbok, ahead of the game of the pool stage on paper when No. 2 South Africa plays No. 1 Ireland next weekend.
The 36-year-old Fourie’s performance as hooker off the bench also may have significant connotations for the Boks considering they just lost Malcolm Marx to a tournament-ending knee injury, leaving only one specialist hooker in the squad in Bongi Mbonambi, who captains against Romania.
There’s strong speculation that South Africa will call up 2019 World Cup-winning flyhalf Handre Pollard for Marx, leaving Fourie and fellow loose forward Marco van Staden, who both have distant history playing hooker, to stand in there for the rest of the tournament.
ENGLAND vs. JAPAN (England leads 3-0 overall, 1-0 in RWC)
The extent of England’s revival is one game, but it’s a revival nonetheless.
Written off after a grim run of form this year, then down to 14 men with Tom Curry’s early red card for a high tackle, England’s backs-to-the-wall 27-10 win over Argentina in their opener changed the complexion of their campaign almost immediately.
Another good victory against Japan, which is by no means guaranteed, will paint a much rosier picture for the Red Roses at this Rugby World Cup.
Coach Steve Borthwick has made tweaks to the starting team, with Joe Marler in at loosehead prop and Lewis Ludlam at No. 8 in a reworked back row following Curry’s ban for his sending off. Billy Vunipola is on the bench and ready to go, Borthwick said, having served a suspension for a red card in a warmup game.
Captain Owen Farrell is still out, also suspended after a red card for a head-high tackle. With four red cards so far this year, England’s chances against Japan in Nice will be helped by keeping 15 men on the field.
“Don’t hit their head is all you can really do,” stand-in skipper Courtney Lawes said.
Japan is boosted by the return of new captain Kazuki Himeno to help the effort of securing a first-ever win over England after shocking Ireland and Scotland at the last World Cup and South Africa in the one before that to gain a reputation as a giant-slayer.
Former captain Michael Leitch will break Japan’s record with his 15th Rugby World Cup game.
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