Flowing Fiji keep Barbarians at bay to Jones’ cost
Fiji survived a late surge from Eddie Jones’s Barbarians to triumph in a breezy, 10-try jaunt at Twickenham.
Dynamic back-rower John Dyer was the star of an entertaining occasion. He scored twice for Fiji, the second appearing to end the contest by putting John McKee’s team 33-17 up with seven minutes remaining.
Capping an expansive, see-saw match, wing Makazole Mapimpi – one of three World Cup-winners in the Barbarians squad – and replacement Morne Steyn hit back rapidly. However, the invitational club were not quite able to overhaul their opponents.
Jones still hailed a “fantastic game” while praising Fiji’s cohesion and breakdown intensity. He said that a cathartic week with the Barbarians had offered him a welcome distraction after the agony of the World Cup.
“It was a good experience,” Jones said. “When you’ve had a bad experience, you want to have as many good experiences as you can. The bad experiences get pushed to the end of the queue and the good experiences come to the top.”
This game represented a shop window for many of McKee’s side, shorn of from European clubs and boasting a strong contingent from the Fijian Drua, an outfit that competes in Australia’s National Rugby Championship. Seru Vularika seemed particularly keen to seize the opportunity.
The centre seared past opposite number Andre Esterhuizen early on, only to spill the ball just short of the try-line. It took almost a quarter of the game for the first score to arrive, Mathieu Bastareaud following up Mapimpi’s run to bulldoze across the whitewash. Fiji responded with a stylish, one-two flurry.
Both were free-flowing attacks. First, Vularika and midfield partner Asaeli Tikoirotuma pounced over Mapimpi to earn a penalty, allowing rangy full-back Enele Malele to instigate a break down the left flank.
Hooker Ratu Veremalua Vugakoto bustled up the middle and Malele stretched over a phase later. Teti Tela’s conversion put Fiji in the lead and the impressive fly-half then sliced through the Barbarians’ line from his own 22.
He linked up with scrum-half Frank Lomani, one of four Fiji starters to have featured at the World Cup, and Malele found try-scorer Tela from the base of the next ruck. Fiji led 14-5, but were pegged back quickly by Esterhuizen’s burst through the defence close to the line on the half-hour.
A light-hearted Twickenham atmosphere brought regular cheers for Jones.
Each touch from Tendai Mtawarira was greeted by a rumbling call of “Beast” – the affectionate nickname of South Africa’s loosehead prop.
The two-point lead that Fiji took into half-time was extended within a minute of the restart. Tela’s clever cross-field grubber bobbled behind Dillyn Leyds and was gathered by left wing Patrick Osborne. After the ball was moved infield, Mosese Voka stepped through the ruck and offloaded to fellow flanker Dyer.
This was the cue for a fractured game to open up yet further. Mapimpi made it three tries apiece by strolling over from David Havili’s pass in the 48th minute, but Fiji replied immediately as lock Temo Mayanavanua loped clear from Tikoirotuma’s offload.
Barbarians skipper Rory Best received a nice reception as he was replaced in the 53rd minute and referee Tom Foley had the unfortunate task of chalking off a popular finish from Mtawarira, who fumbled as he crossed the line in the act of scoring.
The big screens captured both the knock-on and a sheepish smile from Mtawarira, whose last action was to chase back and dive on Malele’s kick ahead. With the crowd still bellowing “Beast”, Jones embraced the archnemesis of England’s scrum.
Shepherded in by a Mexican wave, a manic final 10 minutes began with Osborne flicking a one-handed offload away to Tikoirotuma, who delivered a spinning, blind pass to Dyer. The 27-year-old brushed off a scrambling Steyn to register his second try.
The Barbarians roused themselves, Mapimpi completing his double and Steyn cutting the gap to two points. Outstanding full-back Havili did his best to manufacture a fairy-tale finale, but Fiji’s defence forced an error.
Barbarians now take on Brazil in Sao Paulo. John Mitchell assumes control of that game, with Jones staying at home. Warren Gatland then takes the reins in the next game, against Wales.