The Fiji Airways Fiji 7s team secured a nail-biting 19-17 win over France in the third cup quarterfinal of the Dubai 7s.
The match was a closely fought battle, with both sides displaying relentless determination and keeping spectators captivated. France opened the scoring with an early try from Liam Delamare, gaining a 5-0 lead. However, Fiji quickly responded through Kavekini Tanivanuakula, who capitalized on a brilliant offload to cross the try line. Filipe Sauturaga added the conversion, putting Fiji ahead 7-5.
Just before halftime, Sauturaga extended Fiji’s advantage with another try, successfully converting it himself to bring the score to 14-5 at the break.
The second half began with a challenging moment for Fiji when Tanivanuakula received a yellow card for kicking the ball away, leaving his team temporarily down a player. France seized the opportunity and scored two quick tries, one from Jordan Sepho and another from Victor Hannoun, turning the tables to take a 17-14 lead.
As the game neared its conclusion, Fiji found a way to rally. Viwa Naduvalo delivered a spectacular finish, scoring the decisive try that secured a thrilling 19-17 victory and a spot in the next stage of the tournament.