France secured a narrow victory over the Fiji Airways Men’s 7s team, avenging their loss from the previous weekend in Dubai with a similar scoreline of 19-17. This time, it was a clutch conversion on the stroke of full-time that sealed the French win, mirroring Vuiviawa Naduvalo’s last-second winning try for Fiji in Dubai.
The match began with France taking an early lead through a converted try. Fiji responded with a try from George Bose, but a defensive lapse by Bose shortly afterward allowed the French to capitalize and score their second try, bringing the halftime score to 12-5 in favor of France.
After the break, Ilikimi Torosi reignited Fiji’s hopes by sprinting through the defense to score under the posts, leveling the score. Moments later, Iowane Teba showcased his speed, running the length of the field to score and put Fiji ahead 17-12.
With less than 45 seconds remaining, Fiji kicked deep but struggled to organize their defense. France exploited this, managing to score a crucial try in the corner. The sideline conversion, which proved decisive, secured the 19-17 win for France.
Following this loss, Fiji is set to play Spain in the third-place playoff at 4:03 am. Meanwhile, the Cup Final between France and South Africa is scheduled to kick off at 5:11 am. Earlier in the tournament, Fiji had an impressive start, defeating Uruguay 70-7 in their opening match and overcoming Great Britain 17-12 in their final pool game.