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Rugby Union

Wallabies run rampant against Fiji

09/06/2007

Australia have scored a valuable morale-boosting win ahead of September's World Cup with a comprehensive 49-0 victory over Fiji.

After a series whitewash of the touring Welsh side, coach John Connolly recalled Lote Tuqiri to the Wallabies' backline to face his former countrymen.

The controversial star repaid his boss's faith with a brace of tries after seeing plenty of the ball thanks to the green-and-gold forwards' total dominance of the game's set-pieces.

Centre Scott Staniforth also picked up a pair of scores with his midfield partner Adam Ashley Cooper joining in the fun with the last try of the match on 67 minutes.

Full-back Julian Huxley, fly-half Stephen Larkham and replacement Sam Norton-Knight all crossed to take the home side's try tally to eight.

Huxley slotted three conversions and a penalty to leave his side just a point short of the half-century mark, but their defence was rarely troubled by a Fiji side starved of possession.

"We're reasonably happy, we played our own game. We know there is still a lot of work to do. We're covering the field pretty well," said captain Phil Waugh.

A stiffer test awaits Waugh and his team-mates however with a trip to Cape Town to face the resurgent Springboks next weekend.

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