THE Fiji men’s 7s team bamboozled Australia 35–14 in their final pool match to book a semifinal spot after earlier going down to Argentina.
The players were fired up from the opening whistle, showing intent and urgency as they looked to bounce back strongly.
Fiji scored tries seemingly at will, with slick handling and quick support play stretching the Australian defence and opening space out wide.
The momentum continued to build as the Fijians played with speed and flair, running in tries to take control of the match.
Australia attempted to respond, but Fiji’s defence held firm while their attack continued to find gaps.
With confidence growing, Fiji kept the pressure on in the second half, adding more tries to seal an emphatic victory.
Terio Veilawa and Joseva Talacolo were sin-binned following a brief skirmish during the match.
Australian captain Henry Hutchison laughed off the incident, saying moments like that are part of the game and players stand up for each other.
“We just take it on the chin and move on. It’s a physical sport, we do what we do on the field, but outside we’re all good, respect,” said Hutchison.
He added Fiji were focused and deserved the win.
Veilawa said the team would reset and start fresh for their semifinal clash against Spain tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Australia will meet South Africa in the other semifinal.
