The Fiji Water Flying Fijians faced a challenging start to their Autumn Nations Series campaign as they suffered a significant 57-17 defeat against Scotland at Murrayfield. The match was marked by a slow beginning for Fiji, along with issues of discipline, leading to a record loss.
Scotland put Fiji under early pressure, resulting in a yellow card for scrum-half Frank Lomani just four minutes into the game for a deliberate knock-on. Although Ewan Ashman appeared to score a try shortly after, it was disallowed due to an obstruction in the build-up.
Scotland managed to get on the scoreboard in the eighth minute, with full-back Rowe finishing well after a smooth offensive play. Things worsened for Fiji when they were reduced to 13 players due to a second yellow card on Apisalome Vota, resulting in Scotland scoring three more tries while Fiji struggled to maintain their composure.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Fiji showed resilience towards the end of the first half, with Armstrong-Ravula scoring a try after Scotland’s Ashman was sin-binned. Fiji added another try just before the halftime break, but they still trailed 29-10 at the interval.
In the second half, Fiji’s Tevita Ikanivere narrowed the score with an early try, but Scotland’s dominance was re-established as they scored multiple tries in response, including two from Graham, who received applause for his outstanding performance. The match concluded with Scotland solidifying their victory.
Despite the loss, this match provides Fiji with invaluable experience and an opportunity to identify areas for improvement as they look ahead to subsequent games in the series. With a talented squad that has much potential, Fiji will be aiming to bounce back and showcase their skills in future matches.
This challenging defeat serves as a learning moment for the Flying Fijians, who have the talent and determination to overcome adversity and improve in their upcoming games. As they regroup and reflect, there is hope that they can capitalize on their strengths and turn things around in the later stages of the tournament.
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