Fiji 72-6 Wales: Suliasi Vunivalu scores hat-trick in rout
By Ben Proe
Last Updated: 05/11/17 3:52pm
Suliasi Vunivalu grabbed a hat-trick as Fiji ran in 14 tries to inflict a tournament-record 72-6 defeat on Wales and end their hopes of making the knockout stages.
Ex-St Helens coach Mick Potter's men scored at better than a point-a-minute in the first 40 minutes, going ahead inside five minutes when Sydney Roosters prop Eloni Vunakece cut through Craig Kopczak and Phil Joseph to score - but the Wales skipper had made amends within three minutes, producing a miracle offload for Morgan Knowles to level.
That was as good as it got for John Kear's men though, as the Fijians ran in seven more first-half touchdowns to take complete half-time control at 42-6. Two came inside three minutes, on the quarter-hour mark; Melbourne winger Vunivalu too strong for Elliot Kear, before a superb score from Henry Raiwalui gave Salesi Faingaa's dummy and break the finish it deserved.
On 22 minutes Viliame Kikau powered over for his second in two matches - and five more tries arrived within a devastating 12-minute spell, the outstanding Jarryd Hayne's brilliant grubber touched down by Salesi Faingaa, before the former Kangaroo and NFL superstar served up a peach of a cut-out pass for Taane Milne.
Manly wing Akila Uate was also having a field day, cruising through nine would-be defenders in the build-up to Marcelo Montoya's effort - before Kikau added his second as the half-time siren sounded.
It was party time for the Bati, who added six more after the interval; Hayne on the scoresheet within 60 seconds off a Vunivalu break, before the 21-year-old made it two doubles in two matches to hoist the half-century with half an hour still to play.
With 25 minutes left, St Helens' Regan Grace produced an astonishing tackle to deny Jacob Saifiti - but Wests Tigers-bound centre Milne had crossed for his second within 60 seconds, before delivering a perfect flick for Vunivalu to claim his hat-trick on the hour - 60 points in 60 minutes.
The two-time World Cup semi-finalists added two more in the final quarter, courtesy of Joe Lovadua and Ben Nakubuwai, and look to be closing in on the last four again - with Italy up next in Canberra on Friday.
The Azzurri go into that clash having got their World Cup up-and-running with a clinical 46-0 rout of USA earlier in Townsville. Former Hull KR wing Josh Mantellato contributed 18 points, while there were doubles for Joey Tramontana and NSW Origin superstar James Tedesco.
Wales face Ireland in their final game and will be looking to end their campaign on a high after conceding 102 points in the two group games.
