Fiji sign out with first World Cup win

MILTON KEYNES – Fiji finished their World Cup with their first victory – proving too powerful in a 47-15 win in Pool A over courageous Uruguay who, much to the delight of their nation, grabbed their first try of the RWC in 12 years.

Fiji, dealt a tough hand at the World Cup with only spirited defeats by England, Australia and Wales to their name, dominated at the scrum and were awarded two first-half penalty tries to go with fine scoring efforts from Nemia Kenatale and Leone Nakarawa.

But the biggest cheer and wildest celebrations of the half were saved for Carlos Arboleya who, 12 years after Uruguay coach Pablo Lemoine scored their last World Cup try in 2003, crashed over the line to be mobbed by all 22 Uruguayan starters and replacements.

Uruguay had waited over a decade for that try – and then a second arrived in the same match, when Agustin Ormaechea, shown a yellow card in the third minute of the match, was in the right place to score following a Rodrigo Silva break.

Trailing 26-10 at the break, Uruguay held firm at the start of the second half and somehow cut the deficit to 16-15 after 58 minutes.

But that was as good as it got for Los Teros. Fiji's Tevita Cavubati and Kini Murimurivalu touched down within a minute of each other and, for fisticuffs in the aftermath of the second, Ormaechea was shown a red card while Fiji’s Campese Ma'afu was sent to the sin bin.

Fiji rampaged to a win with seven tries, the final one from Nemani Nadolo Nadolo, who also got six conversions for a personal haul of 17 points.