Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle’s left…leg.
There’s bad news, and then there’s good news, of which the later variety comes in several incarnations.
There’s good news where a family member gets married (huray! little nephew/niece tykes!) and the whole family, extended and all gets to join in the ensuring celebration.
Then there’s great news, like you getting the promotion, allowing you access to that car you’ve always mourned at in the display window.
Then, there’s news that is so awesomely awesome, that you’ll be naming your kids after the fateful day just so that the event will be remembered down the dark, musty halls of time.
Yes. In the world of the Rugby League World Cup, the Vodafone Fiji Bati, in their first pool match, has taken the French Team and rubbed their faces in the pitch, seven times over. An epic score of 42 to 6 has made the 500-1 Fiji team now hot favourites.
Seven tries people. Seven awe inspiring, heart warming, this-aint-over-the-best-is-yet-to-come, grog swirling, patriotic pride inducing tries. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that such a hugh scoreline would have belonged to a sevens match between say Hong Kong andMalaysia. Scores with that big a margin don’t translate well to a supposed 1st rate rugby country such as the French Roosters. If anything, 6 points to the French means that they were forever stuck on the back foot. The french coach John Monie was right. “They had too much enthusiasm.”
For those of you who missed the game (me included, blame halloween), fear not,for thanks to the power of the Internet, a few of the tries are available on Youtube, and thus, here! Big vinaka to rugsta15 for uploading the videos and sharing the love. All thats left now is for the torrent of the full game to be made available.
/wish
Fiji – 16 France – 6
Akuila Uate’s 1st Try
Commentor note: “Anymore of this and they’ll buy him an island!”
Fiji – 22 France – 6
Akuila Uate’s 2nd Try
Commentor note: “YOOUWAATEE!!!“
Fiji – 30 France – 6
Semisi Tora’s (Commentors were refering to him as ‘Tori’) Try
Commentor note: “The celebrations will be emotional once if they cross the line – AND THEY DOOO!!!!” Gotta love the timing in that one.
Fiji – 36 France – 6
Jaryyd Hayne’s Try
Commentor note: “Get out the bowls, get out the kava, its going to be one hell of a party!“ Lol ^_^
Fiji – 42 France – 6
Akuila Uate’s 3rd Try
Commentor note: “42 points to 6! What? Who would have thought?!” Fuck yeah, you’d better recognise 
Points worth pointing out:
1) Akuila Uate is the next ‘insert-great-rugby-icon-from-fiji’ player. That guy gets rugby team scouts all hot and wet.
2) I’m not going to miss the next game against Scotland this upcoming Wednesday. And if you count yourself as a true rugby patriot, you wouldn’t too. Not for all the cheap barrel nights in the world. Or beer katis.
3) Vodafone Fiji is going to be so happy. Queue another media blitz about who exactly is sponsoring that winning team. The sevens team now have extra pressure to perform from their Digicel sponsors in order to look just as good.
4) I’m just so god-darned proud to be Fijian right now that it hurts ^_^
To keep that patriotic fever pitch going, here’s a great song written by Igelese Ete for the Fiji Bati and performed by the ever amazing Talei Burns with the Pacific Voices choir.
#1 by Allen on November 3, 2008 - 9:52 pm
lol I have always found league commentary way more entertaining and lively compared to union commentary.
I remember an NRL match last year, which had Petero Civioniceva playing for the Broncos. Throughout the entire match, his surname was pronounced as "SivoniSiva".. [if you are familiar with the Fijian language, then you'd get my drift lol] .. man it sounded so cool.. >_<
Btw, I never recognised that lady to be Talei Burns until you mentioned it
#2 by sharky on November 4, 2008 - 2:03 pm
THANKS!!!!
wow…damn! that would`ve been a good game to watch…atleast i still have them youtube vids. expect an update after wednesdays game with scotland.
awesome post…i could feel the patrioticism through the screen!
also, good to see the music vid FINALLY out!
#3 by sharky on November 7, 2008 - 1:12 am
just saw the score for the game against the scots…close!!
#4 by Bill on November 8, 2008 - 9:52 am
god!!I find rugby league more intresting than watching union now coz all best hits comes around
#5 by Bill on November 8, 2008 - 9:57 am
The Bati should try to create fijian flying stopping tackles more so that they could be feared by every team that they play!!Hard Hitting Tackles thats what i love to see…
#6 by Bill on November 8, 2008 - 10:15 am
Yeah!! now i just can’t wait for the match against Ireland….mai Bati e rawa!!Dresudresu laki I ra tou,me ra tou raica dina na kaiviti Power…Go Bati Go!!
#7 by Wilson on November 8, 2008 - 11:31 pm
@ bill
/ameni bro ^_^