By BRIAN LOWE
A FIJI Bati residents side has beaten Canada 22-6 in a rugby league international in Vancouver.
The game served as a World Cup trial for the Bati with the resident players hoping to force their way into the mix for selection.
“We were brave today but just failed in our execution,” said Canada head coach Ben Fleming. “Credit to Fiji who have played the game a lot longer and are more experienced.”
It took about 20 minutes for the first scoring in the game when Wolverines hooker Matt Gallagher kicked a penalty goal, but that slender buffer was short-lived as the Fijians scored a converted try a few minutes later to take a 6-2 lead.
The Bati went in again a short time after that to push the margin out to 10-2 and that’s how things stayed through the halftime break.
The second half saw the visitors ratchet their play up a gear and three quickfire tries extended their lead to a comfortable 22-2 as the match moved through the third quarter.
Fiji’s speed to the breakdown and general defensive stoutness snuffed out Wolverine efforts to try to peg back the difference.
However, as the match moved into the final quarter, Canada lifted its game. The home team restored some pride by finally cracking the Fijian defence when Jason Hignell crashed over the line for a try on debut.
It followed a sustained buildup of pressure with the Wolverines maintaining possession and moving the ball from one side of the field to the other inside the Bati’s red zone.
That made the scoreline 22-6 in favour of Fiji with around ten minutes to go.
The match went back and forth during the closing stages but neither side was able to add to the scoring.
“We had our chances, and I thought we were coming home with a wet sail, but Fiji were very solid in their goal line defence and held us out more often than not,” added coach Fleming.
The Fiji Bati had been scheduled to play a British Columbia select side earlier in the week but that game was cancelled because of some international travel complications.
Elsewhere in North America, the threat from Hurricane Irma in Florida forced the cancellation of the USA Rugby League All-Stars game in Tampa Bay.
