Fiji focused before, and subsequently after, their 52 point loss against Australia on just one thing – hope. Hope for a solid showing against the world champions. And hope for an upset of the highest order.
But it wasn’t to be the fairytale they’d prayed for.
Nine minutes in and Fiji found themselves sixteen-nil down thanks to two tries by Brent Tate and one to Billy Slater.
All hope was lost. In the blink of an eye, the Kangaroos had already torn Fiji apart and booked itself a Grand Final spot against New Zealand next week at Suncorp stadium.
Fiji on the other hand were now left to hope for something else.
After twenty or so minutes of the first half, ‘the Bati’ were praying that their semi-final appearance against the Australians would not yield a record breaking loss because, judging from the form of Kangaroos stars Lockyer, Thurston and Slater, there was a good chance of that happening.
Thankfully for the Fijians, their faith was rewarded.
Fiji started gaining more possession of the football in a first half that was already over as a contest. Eels star Jarryd Hayne got involved, providing a slick pass to captain Wes Naiqama to send him on a run down field.
Now this was drama. Naiqama was in the clear and only had Slater opposing him. What next?
Naiqama grubbered the ball cross field into the waiting hands of Johnathon Thurston, despite a massive appeal (and rightfully so) regarding an obvious knock on from Karmichael Hunt.
When Fiji should have had the gods smiling down on them, they cursed ‘the Bati’ with a decision that would allow Australia to post more points heading into the break.
Slater scored his second try soon enough and the Kangaroos were home and hosed. And still with forty minutes of football left to play.
Australian captain Darren Lockyer was the first to learn of Jarryd Hayne’s new tackling methods, with a thunderous shoulder charge that forced the ball loose and rattled the 43 test veteran.
But Hayne wasn’t finished.
He wanted to take aim at another devout Christian by the name of Israel Folau – the 100 kilo winger.
It was the special moment in an otherwise predictable Test match that saw the Kangaroos pile on a half century score.
But when Hayne confronted Lockyer and Folau, it seemed if, for just one second, Test rugby league actually had some meaning.
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