Australia, Fiji, Samoa qualify for World Cup
Posted: Saturday September 26, 1998 10:47 AM
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Samoan backrower Junior Paramore lost to Australia but qualified for the World Cup David Rodgers/Allsport |
BRISBANE, Australia (Reuters) -- Australia, Fiji and Samoa qualified for 1999's rugby union World Cup in Wales after the end of the South Pacific qualifying tournament Saturday.
Australia, World Cup winners in 1991, finished at the top of the group after beating Samoa 25-13 in a bruising encounter at Ballymore stadium in Brisbane. As their reward, the Wallabies will go through to the World Cup as fifth seeds and play their pool matches in Ireland.
Fiji, which failed to qualify for the 1995 World Cup after appearing at the two previous editions in 1987 and 1991, jumped into second position after beating Tonga 32-15, also at Ballymore.
As runner-up, Fiji will be based in France. Tonga finished last in the four-nation round-robin tournament but will get a second chance in the repechage tournament.
Samoa, which advanced to the quarterfinals at the last two World Cups, will play its pool matches in Wales after it finished third overall. The Samoans struggled in their first two matches of the qualifying tournament but played well against Australia.
They scored the opening try through scrum-half John Clarke midway through the first term then scored another in the second half when backrower Junior Paramore ran around Wallaby fullback Joe Roff.
Australia, though, was always too well-drilled for the physical Polynesians, scoring three tries as well as two penalties and two conversions from captain John Eales.
Prop Dan Crowley grabbed his first test try after almost a decade of international rugby when he burrowed his way over from a rolling maul, then veteran number eight Willie Ofahengaue scored from a pushover scrum to give Australia a 17-5 halftime lead.
Australia's final try, which snuffed out any hopes of a late Samoan comeback, was scored by center Daniel Herbert with just five minutes remaining in the match.
"That was a very tough match," said Australia coach Rod Macqueen.
"It was a disaster waiting to happen if players hadn't been prepared to put themselves on the line."
Fiji and Tonga scored two tries each in their clash but the Fijians got home on the boot of fly-half Waisale Serevi, who kicked five penalties, two conversions and a drop goal for a personal tally of 22 points.
Fiji opened up a commanding 16-3 lead after a try by lock Apenisa Naevo and four successful kicks from Serevi.
The Tongans fought back to within a point with tries in the second half to prop Unaloto Fa'a and lock Matt Te Pou but Fiji took control again with a penalty try and the accuracy of Serevi's right boot.
"Pacific people are brothers when they're together but they're enemies on the field. It was very physical," said Fiji coach Brad Johnstone.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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