A brave Fiji Water Flying Fijians fightback wasn’t enough following a 30-24 loss to England in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal.
Fiji scored two successive tries when they were 14 points down to lock the game up at 24-all inside the last 10 minutes.
The national side had a chance to score a winner with about five minutes extra being played but they failed to look after the ball when it mattered most.
Discipline proved to be Fiji’s downfall with England flyhalf Owen Farrell kicking five penalties.
The thousands of England fans voices failed to deter the 15 Fijians on the pitch.
Farrell registered the first points with a penalty in the 10th minute.
Just a minute later Fiji was penalized again for obstruction with England opting to kick for touch, they won the lineout before Manu Tuilagi crashed over the tryline three phases later.
Frank Lomani missed a penalty shot in the 17th minute but was on target in the 19th.
England played away from the contact zone with Farrell using his runners on both sides before center Joe Marchant scored their second try in the 21st minute.
Fiji’s campaign received a blow when Vinaya Habosi copped a yellow card for a high shot while Luke Tagi was injured, and replaced by Mesake Doge.
Lomani missed his second penalty but Fiji made amends when the forwards regrouped, made some big carries close to the line before Viliame Mata dummied his way through to score.
Our scrum which has been dominant in the tournament conceded three penalties in the first half.
The national side gave away penalties inside their own half with Farrell adding another six points from his boot for a 21-10 lead to the English before the break.
The stats were dominated by England except for territory, defenders beaten, run and rucks won.
England’s line speed in defense rattled the Fijians while Maro Itoje showed his class in lineouts.
Farrell was successful with his fourth penalty with the English loose forwards trio of Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry and Ben Earl being physical in the contact area.
The Fijians realized it wasn’t going their way and they decided to use their traditional game of offloads and flair.
It paid of with two successive tries to Peni Ravai and Vilimoni Botitu.
It was like the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal against South Africa, when Fiji scored two quick tries inside four minutes at the same ground.
Farrell realized that the scores were locked at 24-all and converted a field goal before nailing his fifth penalty.