Fiji just avoided the kind of mega shock it is more used to dishing out at the Rugby World Cup.
The Flying Fijians were constrained by a fully committed outsider in Georgia for 50 minutes before coming back from 9-0 down to win 17-12 in their Pool C game on Saturday.
Captain Waisea Nayacalevu began the Fijian fightback with a 51st-minute try deftly finished with inches to spare in the left corner as he dotted down off his feet and almost behind his back before he was tackled into touch. Replacement Vinaya Habosi finally subdued the Georgians when he ran onto an offload from tireless flanker Levani Botia with 12 minutes to go to make it 17-9 with the conversion.
“I am proud of the team," Georgia captain Mikheil Nariashvili said."Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to win this game. Congratulations to Fiji, it was a good game.” Two-time champion Australia's very slim chances are alive again after the result, but hinge on beating Portugal with a bonus point on Sunday, and then Portugal denying Fiji in the final set of pool games.
Georgia also had a try ruled out late in the first half, when right wing Akaki Tabutsadze's score was chalked off for a forward pass to him, which looked like a harsh call from referee Karl Dickson of England.
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