Rugby Union: Fiji make history by defeating Scotland

Fiji 51 Scotland 26

IT WAS the start to their summer tour that Scotland had dreaded. But as Jim Telfer's dejected side walked wearily off the field yesterday, Fiji erupted in celebration after their national team scored one of their greatest wins.

Thousands of fans, some of whom had watched the match perched in tree tops outside the National Stadium, invaded the pitch at the end. The players and their New Zealand-born coach, Brad Johnstone, were chaired off. "The boys played to plan and they responded very well," Johnstone said. "All in all I was very proud of the boys."

Fiji's victory was as emphatic as it was unexpected - a seven tries to two humiliation - and marked their first victory against a Five Nations country, although they had drawn 13-13 with England in 1973 and beat the Lions 24-21 in 1977.

For Scotland, the result could not have come at a worse time as they prepare to embark on a seven-match tour of Australia, beginning against Victoria in Melbourne on Saturday. It was their seventh defeat in eight matches this season and the hardest to bear.

Not surprisingly the coach, Telfer, blamed the defeat on the absence of his England-based players, including Gary Armstrong, Doddie Weir and Alan Tait, saying that the clubs were protecting their own interests at the expense of the international game. "It's going to be a tough, tough tour. It's always tough touring Australia." Telfer said. "We've got one tough game under our belt. We didn't play particularly well. In fact we didn't play like an international XV, but we can only do better."

The Scotland captain, Rob Wainwright, called the defeat "a demoralising match" - and little wonder as Fiji, exploited a succession of unforced errors. Scotland had led 9-3 after seven minutes from three Derrick Lee penalties to one by the Fijian stand-off, Niki Little.

But a try by the lightning-quick Fero Lasagavibau gave the Fijians the confidence they needed to play their natural running game. Lee's fourth penalty goal stretched the Scotland lead, but just before the interval Fiji struck again as the full-back, Jonetani Waqa, floated through a gap to lay on a try for the right-wing Aisea Tuilevu.

Scotland were on the back foot again just two minutes into the second half when the a line-out move ended with the flanker Apisai Naevo scoring in the corner. But Scotland showed their spirit by replying with a try by the right wing, Hugh Gilmour, in his Test debut from a move that twice involved the No 8, Eric Peters.

Lee converted, but then Fiji, with Waisale Serevi at the controls, took over. The Leicester utility back showed the skills that have made him so popular at Welford Road by creating and converting a try for Waqa.

Two tries by Lasagavibau, both converted by Serevi, completed a hat-trick for the New Zealand-based wing. Scotland responded to a hopeless situation with a close-range try by hooker Gordon Bulloch, but Fiji finished with a sevens-style try scored by the loose-head prop Joeli Vetayaki. Serevi converted to bring up the half-century and start the Fijian celebrations.

l Ireland's Lions prop Paul Wallace and the lock Malcolm O'Kelly have been ruled out of Saturday's South African tour opener against Boland. Wallace is suffering with a groin strain while O'Kelly is still carrying a knee injury.

Fiji: Tries Lasagavibau 3, Naevo, Tuilevu, Vetayaki, Waqa. Conversions Serevi 4, Little. Penalties Little, Serevi. Scotland: Tries Bulloch, Gilmour. Conversions Lee 2. Penalties Lee 4.

SCOTLAND: D Lee (London Scottish); H Gilmour (Heriot's FP), C Murray (Hawick),

I Jardine (Stirling County), S Longstaff (Dundee HSFP); G Townsend (Northampton), B Redpath (Melrose); G McIlwham (Glasgow Hawks), G Bulloch (West of Scotland), M Proudfoot (Bedford), S Murray (Bedford), S Grimes (Watsonians), R Wainwright (Dundee HSFP; capt), E Peters (Bath), A Roxburgh (Kelso).

FIJI: J Waqa; A Tuilevu, S Sorovaki (capt), M Nakauta, F Lasagavibau; N Little, S Rabaka; J Vetayaki, I Rasila, M Taga, E Katalau, S Raiwalui, A Naevo, M Tamanitoakula, A Mocelutu.