Fiji 29 Canada 16: Suggitt rues Canadian luck after Fiji swoop for bonus point

Kameli Ratuvou's length of the field try after the full-time siren Sunday typified Fiji's bonus-point 29-16 World Cup win over Canada.

In a disjointed performance where sublime attack coexisted with sloppy errors, the Fijians scored four tries to one to claim their second win in five days. But poor handling and bad options meant the result was in the balance until the final seconds.

With regulation time over, the Canadian forwards set up a driving maul under the Fijian posts and were a meter from snatching an unlikely win.

But the ball spun loose and was spread wide to Ratuvou, who sprinted around one defender and up the right touchline, beating the cover to the line. Fiji captain Moses Raulini punched the air when Ratuvou was still 25 metres out.

"I saw Kameli go and I put my hand in the air because I knew he'd made it," Raulini said. "It was such a relief."

In a tense finish, Mike Pyke had a try disallowed for double-movement in the 72nd minute that would have put the Canadians within four points.

Fiji failed to find touch from the resulting penalty and Canada went immediately on the counter. James Pritchard kicked a penalty from close range two minutes later to make the gap six points, but that is as close as they got.

Canada coach Ric Suggitt said the video official erred by not awarding Pyke's try, and called for a post-tournament review of the refereeing. " That's a simple call — that's a try," he said. "Then again, we should have won the game fair and square."

Canada had almost 60 percent of possession, had the better of the territory and had chances on Fiji's errors, but were rarely able to crack the defense.

"It was a heartbreaking loss, especially when we were half a metre off the goal line and in a typical Fijian fashion they pick up the ball and scamper 100 metres for victory," Suggitt said.

"If we stayed more patient, we should have walked away with a one-point win — c'est la vie."

Captain Morgan Williams said Canada gave up too much advantage in the first half.

"It was us that lost it," he said. "We were actually on the front foot for the whole second half, but it came down to two things: that (disallowed) try and when we lost the ball in the end. Until then we created all the pressure and had all the momentum."

But it was the Fijians who had the more penetrative attack, undoing plenty of chances with dropped balls or bad options in scoring positions.

"It is frustrating," flyhalf Nicky Little said. "We've got such natural talent out there, but the lapses let us down."

Fiji led 15-6 at halftime via tries to lock Kele Leawere and Ratuvou and generally looked more dangerous with the ball. But Canada dominated the forward exchanges, and took a tight head scrum.

After Ratuvou was cut down in a try-saving tackle by Williams in the 20th minute, Leawere scored Fiji's opening try when he crashed over Pyke beside the posts in the 22nd minute. Little converted to make it 10-3.

Pritchard cut the difference to four with his second penalty, this one from 42 metres, in the 27th minute. The Fijians replied with passages of their famous flair. Big frontrower Jone Railomo ran like a back onto a ball, stepped and ghosted a pass to his support in a movement that sparked Fiji's second try.

Lock Ifereimi Rawaqa stepped inside two defenders to keep the momentum going forward and Ratuvou barged over in the 28th minute. Little's conversion attempt from the left sideline hit the post.

The Fijians crossed again two minutes after the break, with Vilimoni Delasau splitting the line about 15 out to make the score 22-6.

A long period of grinding, driving mauls and scrums inside the Fiji quarter eventually paid off for Canada on the hour, when flyhalf Ryan Smith dived over beside the posts to make the score 22-13. The attack was all Canada's after that, until Fiji's closing try.

It was the second close shave for Fiji, which held off Japan 35-31 at Toulouse on Wednesday. The Fijians now face two-time champion Australia in Montpellier on the weekend. The Australians beat Wales 32-20 at Cardiff on Saturday, after opening with a 91-3 win over Japan. Canada, which scored three tries and led Wales 17-9 after halftime before losing 42-17, next plays Japan.

Fiji: Tries Leawere, Ratuvou 2, Delasau; Conversions Little 3; Penalty Little. Canada: Try Smith; Conversion Pritchard; Penalties Pritchard 3.

Attendance: 45,000