Fiji hope to rebound from Australian heartache against Uruguay
Russia playing same 23 vs Samoa just 4 days after RWC loss
KAMAISHI, Japan, Sept 23, (Agencies): Fiji head into their second match of the Rugby World Cup against minnows Uruguay on Wednesday still reeling from their agonising loss to Australia in Sapporo.
Fiji had looked on course for one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history on Saturday as they held a ninepoint second half lead against Australia before the Wallabies tightened up to win 39-21.
The result could have been different, however, had winger Reece Hodge, who went on to score a try, been redcarded for a no-arms tackle on Fiji’s influential flanker Peceli Yato.
Yato missed the rest of the match with concussion and Hodge has since been cited by World Rugby over the tackle.
Uruguay, ranked 19th in the world and playing in their first match of the tournament, could be just the tonic for Fiji coach John McKee and his players.
Playing just four days after the bruising affair with Australia, only three players keep their place in the Fijian side, including the outstanding Leone Nakarawa who moves into the back row from lock.
Fiji routed Uruguay 68-7 last year and won 47-15 when the two sides met at England 2015.
Despite this, McKee is wary of Uruguay’s threat with Los Teros having extra time to prepare for Wednesday’s meeting.
“We are on a four-match series to qualify for the playoffs, so the Uruguay game is a very important part of that quest,” the New Zealander said on Monday.
“We did play Uruguay last November in the UK and we know that they are a much-improved side from the team that we played then.”
“They have been together for a while now and their World Cup preparations will have been focused on this match.
“We are coming off a short turnaround and it’s their first game, so they will have been targeting us. For our players, it has been important to focus on this game.”
Uruguay, playing in their fourth World Cup, come into the tournament having not played a competitive match since June, when they lost to both Namibia and Spain in Montevideo.
Wednesday’s match is being held in the small north-eastern town of Kamaishi, which was devastated by the 2011 tsunami.
Ahead of Wednesday’s match at the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, there will be a minute’s silence to remember victims of the disaster.
“After the tsunami that devastated the area, you understand that rugby is more than just a game,” said McKee.
“We know that it is very important for the people of this area and for the team to pay our respects to the people of this region.”
Meanwhile, Russia has set itself up to be plucked by Samoa in the Rugby World Cup on Tuesday in the Bears’ first match against a Pacific Islands side.
The Russians haven’t met Samoa, Fiji or Tonga before, but they have seemingly hindered themselves at their first chance.
Given only a four-day turnaround, Russia surprisingly picked the same side which lost to Japan in the tournament opener last Friday.
That’s the same side which started blowing against Japan in the third quarter, according to 95-cap reserve lock Andrey Garbuzov, and went on to lose 30-10.
“We got tired by the 50th minute,” Garbuzov said. “Probably, it was worth making more substitutions between minutes 50 and 60, but it’s up to coaches to decide on that.”
Russia coach Lyn Jones admitted after the Japan match they needed fresh legs, but he decided the same 23 players can handle a fresh Samoa.
“Everybody played really well and deserved an opportunity against Samoa,” Jones said.
Loosehead prop Valery Morozov has a twisted ankle and will need to pass a fitness test on Monday.
Russia scrumhalf Vasily Dorofeev hoped having a game under their belts will be to their advantage. They are still seeking their first World Cup win.
“We can improve throughout the competition,” Dorofeev said. “I hope the second game will be much luckier for us.”
Flanker Vitaly Zhivatov added: “A four-day break is rather short but we knew about that before coming here, so we were mentally ready for that. After each game we have a recovery plan. Emotions will let us forget any pain.”
Pain is likely coming from the Samoans, who have 12 wins at the World Cup, and the kind of pace that found Russia wanting out wide.
Captain Jack Lam needed a few more days of recovery, coach Steve Jackson said. Lam collided with teammate Alapati Leiua in the Wallabies test and the vision in his right eye was affected.
“I was seeing about 30 different Wallabies players so I was a bit of a liability to my team,” he said. “So I had to make a call and come off the field.”
In the absence of Lam, Englandbased flanker Chris Vui has the captaincy.
“It’s just a ‘C’ to my name,” Vui said, then added, “It’s a big honor.”
Vui was one of five Englandbased players brought in to upgrade the side after losing to Australia 3415 two weeks ago. The others were prop Logovii Mulipola, hooker Motu Matu’u, scrumhalf Dwayne Polataivao, and winger Ah See Tuala.