Fiji top Oceania qualifying group for Rugby World Cup

NADI - Fiji thrashed Tonga 47-20 to top the Oceania qualifying group for next year's Rugby World Cup.

Fiji's 27-point winning margin lifted them above Samoa on points difference and earned them a favourable draw at the World Cup.

As Oceania group winners, Fiji will join France, Scotland and two other qualifiers in pool B at the cup. Samoa, as runners-up, go into the more difficult pool C with South Africa, England and two other qualifiers.

With only the top two teams from the Oceania tournament earning automatic places in the World Cup, Tonga, who lost each of their four qualifying matches, will have to play off against either the Cook Islands or Papua New Guinea for a chance to go into the repechage draw against either Japan or Korea.

The eight quarter-finalists from the last cup in 1999 - Australia, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Wales, England, Scotland and Argentina - were all granted automatic places in next year's tournament, with the remaining spots being decided by a series of regional qualifiers in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

Ten places are still to be filled.

* One team who won't be there are Taiwan. In Tokyo yesterday, they were walloped 155-3 by Japan. It was Japan's biggest test win with Daisuke Ohatae setting a national record with eight tries and 40 points.

South Korea have seven points from two wins and a loss, while Japan have two wins for six points ahead of winless Taiwan in the three-nation home-and-away round robin. Japan will play South Korea next weekend.

- NZPA