Fiji caused the first major upset of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France on Sunday night with a well-deserved win over Australia in Saint-Étienne.

The Islanders stunned Eddie Jones’ Wallabies with a 22-15 win in Pool C for their first win over the two-time champions since 1954.

A week prior Fiji came agonisingly close to beating Wales, only to be denied by a last minute knock-on with an open tryline. Ultimately the Welsh edged that game 32-26.

The captain, Waisea Nayacalevu, said they approached the game as if it were a final, and they are satisfied that they have now given themselves a chance to reach the quarter-finals.

“I'm proud of the boys, proud of the effort today. Today we made history. I'm just so proud of the boys and of the team,” said the captain, Waisea Nayacalevu.

“What I told the boys today, today is our final. Today will determine whether we want to go up to the quarters so the mindset was do or die, do our best, fight to the end and the result will take care of itself.”

The Fijian coach, Simon Raiwalui, said the hard work on the training grounds paid off.

“It was a good game. I think there were two teams who play a similar style,” said Simon Raiwalui.

“I thought we controlled the ball better today, still a few mistakes out there but really proud of the boys to come away with the win.

“I think the boys wanted to keep us on the edge of our seat. We wanted to continue to play and play to win. I thought the boys were outstanding today.

“The set-piece was good, carries were good. It was a good win against a very good Australia team. We could have easily got distracted after losing to Wales but the boys prepared themselves, the result was a direct relation to the preparation the boys put in.”

In Sunday’s other game the Springbok thumped Romania 76-0 in Bordeaux and England beat Japan 34-12 in Nice.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport