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Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018: Fiji crush Japan to reach quarter-finals in San Francisco; All Blacks and USA also through
A superb second half sees Gareth Baber’s side coast to victory on an electric opening day of the Rugby World Cup Sevens at AT&T Park
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They took a while to warm up but Fiji got their Rugby World Cup Sevens campaign off to a winning start against Japan on Saturday all the same, winning 35-10 after trailing at half-time.
Japan got the jump on the Olympic champions with the opening try before Semi Kunatani hit back to give Fiji a 7-5 lead, but the underdogs wouldn’t lie down and found the line again through Jose Seru to lead at the break.
The floodgates opened in the second half and tries to Jerry Tuwai, Josua Tuisova, Semi Radradra and Jasa Veremalua turned what was a willing contest into a rout. Fiji take on Argentina in a tough quarter-final clash.
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Coach Gareth Baber was pleased with the start and said his focus is very much on the World Cup rather than atoning for his side’s slip-up in the final round of the HSBC Sevens World Series, where Fiji finished fifth to hand victory to South Africa.
“We had our disappointment with that,” Baber told Associated Press. “But as a sportsperson you put that to bed and you move on to what the next job is.”
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