Fijians Fire World Cup Warning
OVERSEAS MEDIA REACT TO BIG WIN OVER THE MAORI ALL BLACKS ON SATURDAY
With the Rugby World Cup 67 days away, the Fiji Airways Flying Fijians started their campaign with a flying start against the Maori All Blacks at the ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
The 27-10 win in the first of the two-match Pacific Test Series has generated a lot of interest with Maori All Blacks eyeing revenge in Rotorua this Saturday.
Next week, the John McKee coached side takes on Japan in the first of the three Pacific Nations Cup matches at Kamaishi, the venue where Fiji will play Uruguay on September 25.
In Group D with Australia, Wales, Georgia and Uruguay, a lot of interest has been generated on Fiji RWC
chance after the win over the Maori All Blacks.
Here are excerpts from media reports on the win”
Wales World Cup warning-Wales Online
If anyone thinks Pool D is going to be just about Wales and Australia, they can think again Warren Gatland and his Wales players have been given a timely reminder qualification from their World Cup pool will not be just about the clash against Australia by a rampant Fiji.
The South Sea islanders recorded their first win against the New Zealand Maori since 1957 with a hugely impressive 27-10 success in Suva.
It was a victory that carried all the more significance given the strength of the Maori team which featured a large contingent of Kiwi players who were deemed unlucky not to make the All Blacks squad for this summer’s Rugby Championship.
Fiji played some superb rugby, especially in the first half, and brought a level of intensity their opponents couldn’t live with.
Fiji steamroll Maori in World Cup warning-AAP
Fiji have fired an early World Cup warning to the Wallabies.
The rampant Fijians ran in four tries to two and could have won by considerably more, such was their dominance.
It was a flair-filled performance built on a solid forward platform that will have the Wallabies on edge.
Michael Cheika’s men meet the ninth-ranked Fijians in their opening World Cup pool match in Sapporo, Japan on September 21. Six Nations champions Wales are favoured to top the pool. Nayacalevu’s display may make it hard for Semi Radradra to force his way back into the first-choice team.
Making history-Newshub
Fiji has created history in Suva with a 27-10 victory over the M ori All Blacks.
The Island nation outplayed the Kiwi side from the outset to claim their first win in the fixture since 1957.
The Fijians dominated the first half, controlling possession and throwing wave after wave of relentless attack towards the M ori All Blacks.
The hosts came out of the dressing room with the same mindset as they had in the first - throw the ball around and play running rugby, which is exactly what they did.
Outclassed in Suva-Stuff
The New Zealand M ori rugby team have lost for just the second time in the past 16 years, outclassed by Fiji in Suva on Saturday in the first match of their two-game series.
Billed as a chance for some of those overlooked for the All Blacks squad to prove something of a point, it instead turned into a fixture to forget for the visitors, as an energised and spirited home side put them away 27-10, for their first win over them in 62 yea
-Edited by Sheldon Chanel