The sensation match of the summer was already England-Fiji. The surprise victory of the Pacific players in a warm-up match at Twickenham, the den of English rugby, threw the English into the cart of the big teams who could emerge from the pools of this Rugby World Cup. Two months later, the two teams meet at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, Sunday October 15 (kick-off at 5 p.m.), for a place in the last four of the World Cup, unexpected for one as for the ‘other. Follow the meeting live.
Fiji wants to believe in the feat. As Seremaia Baï toldone of the assistant coaches of the “Flying Fijians”, the epic of the national team, marked by the success against Australia in the pools, caused a sensation in the country. “In Fiji, it’s not excitement, it’s madness! People get up at 3 a.m., 5 a.m. [pour regarder les matchs, à cause du décalage horaire]and even the sick come back to life when we win!” The Fijians reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007, and have never managed to reach the last four.
The English, as usual. They were said to be moribund at the end of the summer, but they got back on track by winning all their matches in the group stage. Do you not remember any English flights in the game, apart from George Ford’s series of drops during the opening match against Argentina? It’s normal. But that doesn’t mean that the least spectacular team still in the running will be out the door.
“Rugby’s public enemy number 1”. A costume that the third line of the XV de la Rose, Billy Vunipola, likes to wear. “I wouldn’t say Fiji are the fans’ second favorite team. I would say England are their least favorite team. We’re happy to put on that mantle.”