MANCHESTER – The sellout Salford Community Stadium crowd were treated to a breathless display of running rugby but ultimately it is a relieved Scotland who head to the quarter-finals, while spirited Fiji will play for pride next week.
More carries, more metres made, more possession for Fiji but it was Scotland's incisiveness that proved decisive in this cracking Pool B match, with two second-half tries putting the gloss on for the women in blue.
The tone for a pulsating 80 minutes was set from the opening whistle. In no surprise perhaps to Fiji’s analysts, it was Francesca McGhie who struck first for Scotland. After three tries last weekend, the 22-year-old winger showed brilliant footwork to cushion a perfectly weighted kick-through from centre Emma Orr before flopping over. All in the first 90 seconds.
With Fiji wobbling – not helped by 10 minutes on the sideline for Vika Matarugu after a high tackle – Scotland helped themselves to a 10-0 lead. But then Fiji brought the sunshine. First a steal, then a barnstorming run from the superb Nunia Daunimoala before loose-head prop Loraini Senivutu showed great gas to gallop over.
For a while after it was all Fiji yet Scotland roused themselves just in time. Orr gobbling up a loose ball, and Lloyd bursting through for her second to send Scotland into the break 17-5 up.
To the delight of the 11,000-plus fans the action only got better after the break. If Senivutu’s effort was Fijian rugby at its best, the 51st-minute try by number eight Manuqalo Komaitai - a Buckingham Palace guard by day – is just as deserving of a spot in the highlights reel.
With rampaging replacement Adi Salote Nailolo to the fore, it looked like Fiji might steal it. But while nerves were fraying in the stands, Scotland just about kept their cool, two tries in four second-half minutes giving the Scots some breathing space.
It was needed. Fiji shrugging off the loss to a 20-minute red card of Bitila Tawake to close the gap again. But for a disallowed effort and a stunning late try-saving tackle from McGhie, it could have got even better for the Pacific Islanders.
At times Scotland number eight Evie Gallagher was all that stood between Fiji and the try line, the number eight making a remarkable 32 tackles.
"You've got to give credit to Fiji, they brought it to us, pushed us right to our limits, but I'm glad we got to put on such a show for all the fans who came to watch," Mastrcard Player of the Match Gallagher said.
"We really stuck together to ground out the win. It's not necessarily where we wanted to finish that game [defending on their own 22] but I'm proud we stayed in the fight.
"I've never played Canada before so exciting for me personally, but as a team, it's about righting the wrongs from this week and last week."
Head coach Bryan Easson likes the sound of; 'Scotland: RWC 2025 quarter-finalists'.
"That feels nice, it sounds nice too. It was a test match, though," Easson said. "It was physical at times, we could have stuck to our tackles a little bit more, they were good on transition, but we've won the battle, we won the fight.""
"They're a resilient group and they understand that when there's adversity they can still together and pull through. We've got a great leadership group on the pitch. Fiji were brilliant but we stuck together, five tries, bonus point, we've done the job.
Meanwhile, Fiji head coach Ioan Cunningham was understandably pleased with so much of his team's display.
"It is a difficult result to take because we go into every match to win but I'm super proud of the performance. We showed growth in our game. We had Scotland under pressure in the second half, but we didn't quite come away with enough points. but proud of the effort," he said.
"We'll regroup, recover and dust ourselves off and look forward to a new week and a new challenge."
Adi Salote Nailolo might have started the match on the bench, but after coming on in the 36th minute she made a quite staggering 151m.
Three years after crashing agonisingly out at the pool-stage, Scotland head off to play Canada knowing they are guaranteed a quarter-final spot and could seal top spot in Pool B.
For Fiji, it will be all about turning this impressive display into victory, as they face the equally winless Wales in Exeter next Saturday afternoon.
