ON-FIELD REACTION
Josua Tuisova, Mastercard Player of the Match
On how it feels to have beaten Australia for the first time since 1954:
“First of all I want to give back the glory and the honour to the Lord Almighty for giving us the strength and the power.
“I know it’s a long time for us, Fiji, since 19…I don’t know, back in the day. It’s history for us. I just want to thank the boys for their hard work. They gave everything. I just said to them for the second half to empty the tank, give everything they have to try to win this game. We treated this game like a final.”
On the bond with his team-mates:
“We have a bond in the team, especially playing alongside some favourite players. We come together and play as a team. Winning this game is incredible.”
Simon Raiwalui, head coach
On his feelings about the victory over Australia:
“I’m emotionally drained at the moment. I’m really proud of the boys. It was a great contest, a great Australian side. We’re Pacific neighbours so we know each other well. It was a great match. It kept us guessing until the end.”
On his pride:
“I couldn’t be prouder. It’s not just today. It’s a culmination of the work we’ve done since the beginning of the campaign. We pushed the boys to the limits and they’ve never once complained. When you work hard, you get the results so I’m super proud of them.”
On making Pool C wide open in terms of qualification:
“We have two very hard games coming up now. We’ll review this game. I think there will be a few boys sore but I’m super proud.”
