Wallabies romp past Fiji

Australia crushed Fiji 49-3 to get their home Test season off to a winning start in Canberra.

Featuring a number of new faces, the Wallabies line-up showed plenty of enthusiasm but in the first half were short on precision and on occasion just plain sloppy.

Slippery conditions due to the evening dew might be considered as mitigating circumstances, but Robbie Deans and his young side will know that similar mistakes will be heavily punished later this month and in the Tri-Nations.

But as the team settled and the scoreboard ticked on, the hosts grew in confidence and promising signs emerged. Some slick handling resulted in a succession of tries in the second period, including two tries each for Digby Ioane and Kurtley Beale .

The early chances went to Fiji as the Islanders effectively used chip-and-chase tactics to destabilise the Wallaby defence. Beale struggled to hang onto the slippery ball and Racing Metro wing Sireli Bobo almost scored.

The Wallabies would however open the scoring with their first real attack of the evening, when Quade Cooper threw a fantastic 20m pass out to Beale, who had one man to beat at the end of a huge overlap and coasted over.

Matt Giteau's extras gave the hosts a 7-0 lead and the Wallabies began to dominate possession.

But the men in gold struggled to convert their time with the ball into points as they fluffed a couple of chances to score after choosing to keep ball in hand rather than kick at goal.

Fiji got on the scoreboard just before the half-hour mark when Dan Rawaqa popped over a penalty.

Dominant

The hosts continued to dominate but conspired to knock-on whenever the Fijian defence was stretched.

With half time looming, the Wallabies finally found their way over the whitewash when debutant centre Rob Horne sliced his way through midfield to set up a try for number eight Richard Brown, who used his power to barge his way to five points.

Giteau was struggling after a late tackle, so Cooper stepped up to add the conversion and send Australia to the charging rooms 14-3 up.

The Wallabies' execution was better after the restart when Rocky Elsom timed his pass perfectly and Cooper skirted down the touchline to sneak over and extend the lead.

A flash of individual brilliance from Digby Ioane brought Australia their fourth try as the wing stepped and sped his way over the line untouched, beating Rupeni Caucaunibuca with ease.

In the final quarter Australia produced some of the rugby the crowd had come to see. Giteau straightened the line, Cooper cut in on his inside and off-loaded to Drew Mitchell, who finished in style.

All at sea

Ioane got his second try at the end of Australia's longest period of phase play, as Beale joined the backline and couple of quick passes had the Fijian defence all at sea.

Some impetus was taken out of a late rally from Fiji when replacement prop Graham Dewes threw a big right hook and was promptly directed to the sin bin.

Beale was handed his second try in the dying minutes as the Fijians ran out of steam.