Following Fiji’s 33-17 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield, here is how we scored Senirusi Seruvakula’s side in the Nations Championship Test.
Fiji player ratings v Scotland
15 Isaiah Armstrong Ravula: Had some nice flashes when called upon, and notably looked to link up with the rest of the backline around him. 6
14 Selestino Ravutaumada: Really exciting display from the winger, dancing around the Murrayfield turf for fun. It seemed like Scotland were struggling to lay a glove on him at times, especially when given time on the ball in broken field, and finished off a lovely try in the process. Also spawned from nowhere to make a try-saving tackle on George Horne in the first-half. 7
13 Virimi Vakatawa: How good is it to see him back on the Test stage again after some time away? While his attacking exploits normally take the headlines, it was his defensive work that stood out in the Scottish capital as he went toe-to-toe with the likes of Stafford McDowall and Ollie Smith throughout his shift, ending with 13 tackles for good measure. 7
12 Josua Tuisova: This was a complete performance from the ever-impressive centre. Just looked for ways to get himself involved in the game wherever possible, either with ball-in-hand, in the tackle or even in the breakdown, and came up with big effort after big effort after big effort. 8
11 Jiuta Wainiqolo: Some really lovely flashes in there, notably making a break from deep within his own half early doors, but potentially not as busy as the rest of the backline. Still ends in good credit, though. 6
10 Caleb Muntz: A notable step up from the fly-half, who looked back to his best at times against Scotland. Certainly brought pace and tempo into their attack, but also seemed to add a layer of calmness within that compared to previous weeks, which helped Fiji really sting some nice plays together. 7
9 Frank Lomani: Strong outing from the scrum-half. Gave Fiji a really nice platform to show what they’re about ball-in-hand while also contributing well in defence when needed. 7
Back-row
8 Elia Canakaivata: You know you’ve had a good day when you top the charts for tackles and carries for your side, and that’s exactly what Canakaivata did. Just seemed to always be in the thick of the action and was more than willing to get stuck into whatever his team needed him to do. 8
7 Lekima Tagitagivalu: Seemed a man on a mission in defence, chucking himself into tackles without any real regard for his body. Had the better of the battle against his back-row opposition for a lot of the Test as well. His yellow card blots the copy book, however. 6
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6 Pita Gus Sowakula: Could almost copy and paste the above in here, really. Just rolled up his sleeves and went looking for work in defence and ended with a sensational 19 tackles for his troubles, which in turn set the platform for their early lead. 7
Tight five
5 Temo Mayanavanua: Another forward who helped change the narrative for his side with a gutsy defensive effort. 7
Fiji v Scotland: Five takeaways as ‘cavalry’ turns the tide against much-improved islanders
4 Isoa Nasilasila: Again, really fronted up in defence and took the fight to Scotland in the tight. Like many of his colleagues, just took a huge step forward from last weekend. 7
3 Mesake Doge: Nothing flashy, but executed the basics of his role really well and looked to get involved where possible. 6
2 Tevita Ikanivere (c): Proper captain’s knock from the hooker, who led exceptionally well across his 73-minute shift. Those minutes probably reflect the impact he had on proceedings. 7
1 Eroni Mawi: Potentially quieter than the rest of the pack around him, but held firm in the scrum for the majority of his shift. 5
Replacements: Didn’t do a lot wrong, to be fair, but just found themselves second-best in the battle of the benches as Scotland’s replacements ran home with the Test. A lot of them were only given limited minutes, though. 5