Fijians too strong for brave Japan
TOWNSVILLE, Australia (Reuters) -- Fiji overcame a stuttering performance to beat Japan 41-13 on Thursday and keep alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals as runners-up from pool B.
Fiji relied on the individual brilliance of their backs with fullback Norman Ligairi and winger Aisea Tuilevu both grabbing two tries apiece to secure the bonus point and replacement Marika Vunibaka adding a fifth.
But they were made to work hard by a spirited Japanese side, who are now eliminated.
Japan, who join Romania and Canada in exiting from the marathon tournament, had New Zealand-born flyhalf Andrew Miller to thank for all their points with a converted first-half try and a soaring drop goal from inside his own half.
Fiji, who held off the USA by a single point in their previous match, play Scotland in their final pool game, a likely decider for the second quarterfinal spot from the group.
Copyright 2003
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
