Georgia 10-45 Fiji: Semi Radradra stars as Fijians claim first Rugby World Cup win
Last Updated: 03/10/19 8:43am
Semi Radradra scored two tries and created three others as Fiji finally found their feet at the World Cup with a 45-10 victory over Georgia.
The Pacific Islanders' jet-heeled backs tore their Pool D rivals apart in a seven-try rout at a rain-drenched Hanazono Rugby Stadium.
While their upset loss to Uruguay has all but put paid to their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals, Fiji are now in pole position to finish third and qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
Former Australia rugby league international Radradra was at the heart of their best moves and grabbed a brace as well as helping set up scores for centre Waisea Nayacalevu, scrum-half Frank Lomani and his fellow winger Josua Tuisova.
Georgia fought hard and had a try from totemic flanker Mamuka Gorgodze, but they tired towards the end as Fiji flanker Semi Kunatani and lock Apisalome Ratuniyarawa crossed to widen the scoreline.
The heavens opened shortly before kick-off and made for an untidy opening as the ball squirted in an out of players' hands, the Fijians making nine handling errors in the first half alone.
Georgia full-back Soso Matiashvili looked to have given them the lead with a penalty in the 15th minute but, after some indecision from the judges, the kick was ruled to have slid wide.
The Georgians would pay for that miss minutes later when Ben Volavola's kick through was gathered by Radradra and his flicked inside pass released Nayacalevu for a clear run to the line.
A terrific Georgian break took them from one end of the field the other, and while they knocked on just short of the line play was called back for a penalty, which Matiashvili converted to close the deficit to four points at the break.
Fiji took full advantage of the drier conditions in the second half and went further ahead five minutes after the break.
Playing advantage, Kini Murimurivalu shipped a pass wide to Radradra, who shrugged off the attentions of the Georgian tacklers to feed inside runner Lomani.
Their third arrived shortly after as Fiji worked the ball wide from a lineout and Radradra again delivered the dagger, biding his time to invite the Georgian challenge before releasing Tuisova in the corner.
Just as Fiji looked set to run away with it Georgia hit back with a try to Gorgodze, the flanker bashing his way over the line after the Fijians had totally misjudged the flight of the ball from the kick-off.
Tuisova, put in for a try by Radradra in the first half, then returned the favour with a well-timed pass on a lightning counter-attack and the Fijian left winger turned on the jets to score in style.
Fiji's fifth and sixth tries came in quick succession, Kunatani going over from a few yards out before replacement Ratuniyarawa finished off a sweeping move from inside their own half.
The Fijians got their seventh try four minutes before the end, Radradra sprinting clear after Georgia had coughed up the ball in their own territory.
