TOM Trbojevic posted three tries – but it was the three scored opposite him that had Fiji threatening to become only the sixth national team to beat Australia.
Mick Potter’s side twice led the World Cup holders in front of 41,108 – bigger than the 2017 World Cup final crowd – before succumbing 36-22.
Five-eighth Kurt Donoghue was stellar all night, icing a five-star display by putting wingr Semi Valemei over for his thrird try with 10 to go.
With a bumper crowd on hand at Suncorp Stadium, even the Fiji fans probably didn’t think the Bati would lead.
But that’s exactly what happened for seven minutes as Fiji – like New Zealand last week – seemed to dominate the holders physically.
Another thing that mirrored last week was the Australian fullback compensating for other apparent shortcomings with some individual brilliance.
This week it was James Tedesco not Reece Walsh, the Clive Churchill Medallist’s short pass putting Kotoni Staggs over in the seventh minute.
Bati winger Semi Velemei had started nervously with an error but he silenced the majority of the crowd with a well-taken try off Kurt Donoghoe’s sublime cutout pass on the left.
The was in the 17th minute. In the 25th, Brandon Wakeham’s grubber kick found Taane Milne who put his side in front.
Six minutes before the break, Tedesco plucked the ball from dummy half, and split the defence. He linked up with debutant Sam Walker, who found Tom Trbojevic before Walker backed up to score
His conversion edged the Australians back in front.
AUSTRALIA 36 (Trbojevic 3 Staggs Walter Preston tries Walker 5 goals) beat FIJI 22 (Valemei 3 Milne tries Wakeham 3 goals) at Suncorp Stadium.
Teams:
AUSTRALIA: James Tedesco (capt, Sydney Roosters); Jack Bostock (Dolphins), Kotoni Staggs (Brisbane), Bradman Best (Newcastle), Tom Trbojevic (Manly); Tom Dearden (North Queensland), Sam Walker (Sydney Roosters); Keaon Koloamatangi (South Sydney), Blayke Brailey (Cronulla), Lindsay Smith (Penrith), David Fifita (South Sydney), Reuben Cotter (North Queensland), Cameron Murray (South Sydney).Smh
Reserves: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Gold Coast), Jacob Preston (Canterbury), Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane), Cameron Munster (Melbourne), Latrell Mitchell (South Sydney), Harry Grant (Melbourne).
FIJI: Bayleigh Bentley-Hape (South Sydney); Sunia Turuva (Wests Tigers), Waqa Blake (Bradford), Solomone Saukuru (Wests Tigers), Semi Valemei (Castleford); Kurt Donoghoe (Dolphins), Brandon Wakeham (Manly); Jacob Saifiti (Newcastle), Apisai Koroisau (capt, Wests Tigers), Mitchell Prest, Taane Milne (Huddersfield), Kitione Kautoga (Parramatta), Caleb Navale (Manly).
Reserves: Josese Lanyon (Wests Tigers), Emosi Ravosai, Elijah Keung, Ronald Philitoga, Jordin Leiu, Apenisa Driti.
Referee: Gerard Sutton
