Fiji topped Group B of the Perth 7s in Australia today after beating arch rivals New Zealand 21-14 in their final pool match.
The Ben Gollings coached side enters tonight’s Cup quarterfinals with an unbeaten run.
The game started unfavorably for Fiji, with Captain Joseva Talacolo receiving a yellow card within the first two minutes.
New Zealand capitalized on this, scoring two consecutive converted tries through Leeroy Carter and Regan Ware to take a14-0 lead.
However, Fiji began their comeback just before halftime, thanks to Ponipate Loganimasi’s critical converted try, narrowing the score to 14-7 at the break.
The second half saw Fiji ramping up their efforts, with Terio Tamani’s impressive sprint from midfield resulting in another try, equalizing the score.
The match’s climax came in the final moments when Vuiviawa Naduvalo broke through New Zealand’s defence and scored the match winner.
