The Fiji Airways Men’s 7s side survived a late comeback against France after beating them 26–22 in their final pool match at the Hong Kong Sevens this afternoon.
Fiji struck first through Joseva Talacolo, who broke from midfield and offloaded near the five-metre line to Nakani Boginisoko for the opening try and a 7–0 lead.
They extended their advantage soon after when a wide cross-pass found Apete Narogo, who powered over in the corner.
The missed conversion left Fiji ahead 12–0.
France responded strongly, working their way back into the contest with a try out wide before capitalising on a loose restart to score again and level the match at 12–12.
Fiji regained momentum just before halftime, as quick hands from a set-piece created space for Narogo to dive under the posts, giving them a 19–12 lead at the break.
The French side came out firing in the second half, applying sustained pressure and eventually breaking through out wide to narrow the gap to 19–17.
A turning point came when France were reduced to six players following a yellow card.
Fiji immediately took advantage, with Vuiviwa Naduvalu using his pace and experience to score and extend the lead to 26–17.
However, defensive lapses on the edges allowed France back into the game, as they crossed again to cut the deficit to 26–22.
France pressed hard in the closing stages and came close to stealing the match, but Fiji held firm under pressure to secure the win and finish their pool campaign on a high.
