The Fiji Water Flying Fijians experienced a tough start in their Autumn Nations Series opener, suffering a significant 57-17 defeat against Scotland at Murrayfield. The match was marked by early pressure from Scotland, which led to a yellow card for Fijian scrum-half Frank Lomani in the fourth minute for a deliberate knock-on.
Scotland thought they had scored first in the eighth minute when Ewan Ashman appeared to touch down, but the try was disallowed due to a foul against Fiji’s Ponipate Loganimasi. However, Scotland soon opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a well-executed move finished by full-back Rowe, who was set up by Hastings.
Fiji faced further challenges as they found themselves down to 13 men by the 13th minute after Apisalome Vota received a yellow card due to persistent infringements. During this time, Scotland capitalized on their advantage, scoring three additional tries, including a pair from Graham, who had an outstanding performance with two tries on the day.
Despite the difficult start, the Fijians managed a brief comeback towards the end of the first half, scoring two tries. They continued to show resilience, with hooker Tevita Ikanivere converting a try early in the second half. However, Scotland quickly regained control, with Graham and Van der Merwe both adding tries to the Scots’ tally before the match concluded.
While the outcome was disappointing for the Flying Fijians, the team’s ability to score two tries late in the first half and another early in the second demonstrates their fighting spirit and potential for improvement. This match can serve as a learning experience as they prepare for their upcoming fixtures.
Summary: The Fiji Flying Fijians faced a challenging defeat against Scotland, ending the match at 57-17. Despite early setbacks, including several yellow cards, Fiji showed moments of resilience with late tries. They will aim to regroup and build on these experiences as they continue in the Autumn Nations Series.
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