FIJI HEAD COACH Simon Raiwalui said his team was “on track” for the Rugby World Cup after beating Japan for their third win in as many weeks.
The Fijians brushed Japan aside 35-12 in Tokyo to build momentum ahead of the tournament in France, where they will face Australia, Wales, Georgia, and Portugal in Pool C.
Raiwalui’s side beat Tonga and Samoa on successive weeks before travelling to Japan and now head to Europe to face France and England in their final warm-up matches.
The coach said he “trusted in all the players” and is looking to take things up a notch before the team’s World Cup opener against Wales on September 10.
“We’ve really worked hard on building the team spirit, building the team’s preparations,” said Raiwalui. “We’re obviously very proud to get the three wins but we understand what the main focus is. Phase one, we’re on track and now we’ll start focusing on the next phase.”
Fiji scored three first-half tries and added two more after the break against Japan, who had back row Pieter Labuschagne sent off in just the seventh minute.
It was Japan’s second red card in three games, after former captain Michael Leitch was sent off in their defeat to Samoa two weeks ago. It was also Japan’s last home game before heading to the World Cup, where they will face England, Argentina, Samoa, and Chile in Pool D.
Head coach Jamie Joseph said his team would “have to be more accurate in the tackle” but praised his players’ reaction to the early setback.
“Yes we conceded points, but at the end of the day we still finished stronger than the Fijian team,” said Joseph, whose team scored two tries in the final 10 minutes. “That’s the type of team spirit we need when we go to the World Cup.”
Elsewhere, Samoa scored three tries in the second half to bounce back from defeat to Fiji last weekend with a 34-9 win over Tonga.
The hosts scored four unanswered tries in Apia and shut out Tonga in the second-half. The Samoans will also be part of Pool D at the World Cup.
Samoa’s outside-half D’Angelo Leuila had a good afternoon with the boot by landing his six kicks at goal. It was a return to winning ways for Samoa, who beat Japan away a fortnight ago then lost 33-19 to Fiji last week. Tonga only trailed 13-9 at half-time, but Samoa pulled away on the scoreboard with three second-half tries.
It means the Tongans, who face Ireland in Pool B at the World Cup, have now lost three games in a row.
Toutai Kefu’s team still have two warm-up games against Canada to come, but they will need to improve if they’re to upset Ireland, Scotland, or South Africa in Pool B.
The Tongans have added a host of big-name players to their squad thanks to World Rugby’s change in eligibility rules, including Charles Piutau, Isreal Folau, Vaea Fifita, and Malakai Fekitoa, but they have now lost three in a row against Fiji, Japan, and Samoa.
