Australia 37-14 Fiji: Wallabies too strong for Fijians in Melbourne
By AFP
Last Updated: 10/06/17 11:32am
Israel Folau and Henry Speight each crossed twice as Australia launched their international season with a comfortable 37-14 win over Fiji in Melbourne on Saturday.
Full-back Folau was outstanding in attack, running over 150 metres for the match, and Fijian-born winger Speight finished well as the Wallabies outscored Fiji five tries to two after leading 18-0 at half-time.
Fly-half Bernard Foley kicked three conversions and two penalty goals to finish with 12 points.
The Wallabies began well and dominated the first half, but the Fijians had more success in the second half with tries to Vereniki Goneva and Timoci Nagusa.
It was a tonic for the Wallabies to win their season opener by 23 points, with Test debutant Karmichael Hunt catching the eye at inside centre along with towering lock Adam Coleman.
The Wallabies hit the ground running and were 15-0 up in the first 11 minutes; Folau out-jumped fullback Kini Murimurivalu to score the opening try in the fourth minute before Speight went over out wide.
The Wallabies went a man down when Folau was yellow-carded for a high tackle but they added six more points through two Foley penalty goals.
Foley then put Folau through a gap on halfway and he burnt off the Fijian cover defence to score his second try and stretch the Wallabies' lead to 25-0.
Goneva scored Fiji's first try after he beat off Speight's diving tackle, before Stephen Moore came off the substitutes' bench to score a pushover try.
Winger Nagusa dived over for Fiji's second try with three minutes left. But the Wallabies kept the ball alive after the fulltime siren and were rewarded with Speight's second try after great work from Quade Cooper and Hunt.
