Rugby World Cup 2019 – Georgia vs Fiji: Result and reaction from Pool D fixture
Re-live all the action from the Hanazono Rugby Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.Fiji finally found their flair as they bounced back from their shock World Cup defeat by Uruguay with a resounding 45-10 win over Georgia that sent a warning to their next opponents Wales.
Back-to-back defeats at the hands of Australia and Uruguay had left Fiji bottom of Pool D but a bonus-point victory over Georgia boosted their hopes of a top-three finish that would guarantee automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup.
Winger Semi Radradra was the star of the show, helping create his side's first three tries before going on to claim two of his own as Fiji cut loose with 28 points in the last 20 minutes of the match at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka. Re-live the action below:
What time is it?
Georgia vs Fiji kicks off at 2.15pm Japan Standard Time, which is 6.15am BST, on Thursday 3 October.
Where can I watch it?
ITV4 will be broadcasting the clash. Alternatively, you can live stream the match via the ITV Hub on your smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Fiji opt to scrum. Changes aplenty. Gela Aprasidze is on at nine for Georgia, as is Levan Chilachava at tighthead.
Viliame Mata has replaced Peceli Yato and will control from the base of the Fiji scrum.
66 minutes
Eroni Mawi munches Chilachava at the set piece to win another penalty. Fiji scrum again. Who'd have thunk it?
67 minutes
Better scrum from Georgia, but Fiji look to bring their phalanx of power-carriers into the game.
Georgia lie all over the ball at a ruck. Gela Aprasidze hasn't done enough to roll away. Fiji take the scrum again.
TRY! It is given!
No forward pass and it is another off set piece ball for Fiji.
This is all about Levani Botia's power. Ben Volavola brings him on to the ball with a simple switch play and he gets through three tackles, maintaining his feet to slip flanker Semi Kunatani a little pass.
Kunatani juggles, but just about gathers, and he won't have many simpler scores. Volavola adds two more from the tee.
Georgia 10-31 Fiji
TRY! FIJI THAT IS OBSCENE RUGBY!
What a try! Straight from the restart Leone Nakarawa gets his arm through contact and releases an unmarked Semi Radradra down the left, who rides two tackles and gets the offload out the back door to Frank Lomani.
Lomani's weave is wonderful and he completely does the Georgian defender to the outside, drawing the other backfield defender over to cover and having the presence of mind to alley-oop the pass over the top for Api Ratuniyarawa, and the big Northampton Saints lock strides away for the score.
This is what Fiji can do.
Georgia 10-38 Fiji
73 minutes
Georgia try something Fiji-like of their own, with Gela Aprasidze hurling a 15-yard blind back-of-the-hand offload, and one wonders where that might have gone had it been allowed to develop, with Soso Matiashvili in space, but Paul Williams brings us back for a Georgia penalty.
74 minutes
Volleyball style dig from Josh Matavesi to keep the ball in play as Georgia look to kick deep into the Fiji 22, and Fiji try to play! They hurl the ball towards Levani Botia, marked by three men, and he offloads to nobody in particular and Fiji are forced to scramble on to it, knocking on and handing Georgia a five metre scrum. Just kick it out lads, you've had your fun.
75 minutes
Another scrum penalty for Fiji! Again it is Peni Ravai who gets the nudge on. Levan Chilachava is one of the more solid operators in Europe and he is being taken to the cleaners by Ravai.
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