KEY POINTS:
PERTH - The Wallabies have prepared for next week's Tri-Nations rugby opener with a record-breaking 49-0 trouncing of Fiji at Subiaco Oval tonight.
Australia scored eight tries in racking up their largest Test victory against the Sevens specialists.
Man-of-the-match Lote Tuqiri crowned his return with two tries while
Scott Staniforth took his chance in the centres with his own brace.
But while impressive showings from Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell would have pleased coach John Connolly, there was still room for improvement ahead of a much stiffer task in South Africa next weekend.
All the headlines will inevitably belong to Tuqiri, who against his country of birth, and following four weeks on the sidelines, made his point with a first half double taking his Test try tally to 27.
"It was nice to get that out of the way ... a good start, and got a couple of tries so I can't complain," Tuqiri said.
"I am just glad to be back. We want to build, and building for next week there is a lot to work on, they pilfered our ball a lot at the breakdown.
"There is always room for improvement, and our catching and passing could be a lot better. But for where we are I think we are going alright."
With around a dozen of the Fijian first-choice side absent, the Australian weight of possession was embarrassing for the visitors in the first half.
Securing 85 per cent of the ball, Connolly's side racked up 30 unanswered points, despite not hitting top gear and displaying more of the errors which littered the last two Tests against Wales.
Early on it was the veteran combination of George Gregan and Stephen Larkham guilty of miscommunication - but with World Cup spots on the line, Tuqiri and Staniforth both showed they had got the message.
With Ashley-Cooper relishing his chance at his preferred 13 position, it was his break in the sixth minute which allowed Staniforth to crown his first Test appearance in Australia with an early score.
Tuqiri's return started with a bang, after a crunching tackle from Isoa Neivua.
And after Julian Huxley continued his impressive step up to Test level with the second try, Tuqiri got in on the act after a clever inside ball from Staniforth.
The former Fijian rugby league skipper showed no mercy for an increasingly ragged opponent, powering over in the corner after a short pass from Mitchell.
And after Fiji prop Henry Qiodravu was sinbinned for one of many infringements around the breakdown, Staniforth finished off a flowing move for his second to underline the Wallabies' total dominance.
Still a man down into the second half, Fiji at least showed some endeavour, but with ball retention still a huge issue, Australia's attacking formations were given ample chance to shine.
When Larkham hit the line at pace from Gregan's pass seven minutes after the break, a weak tackle allowed the first five-eighths to waltz through under the posts.
But the expected cakewalk failed to materialise, with the Fiji defence much more solid.
Larkham was replaced by Norton-Knight on 55 minutes, with the move paying immediate dividends as Norton-Knight claimed his first Test try with his first touch in the game, from a Mark Chisholm pass.
With Wallaby momentum ebbing away, only one more try was scored, with Mitchell's grubber kick allowing Ashley-Cooper to rumble his way over, despite replays showing a slight knock-on as he grounded the ball.
AUSTRALIA 49 (Scott Staniforth 2, Julian Huxley, Lote Tuqiri 2, Stephen Larkham, Sam Norton-Knight, Adam Ashley-Cooper tries; Julian Huxley 3 cons, 1 pens) bt FIJI 0 at Subiaco Oval, Perth. Referee: Bryce Lawrence (NZL). Crowd: 20,018.
- AAP
