Australia Women's Sevens beat Fiji 19-7 in Pool B at HSBC SVNS Bordeaux, with Faith Nathan scoring a brace as the Aussies made it two wins from two.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Australia struck first through a slick set-piece move. From a scrum inside Fiji's half, the ball was worked through a double-wrap play that created an overlap for Nathan on the left edge. She stepped inside the cover defence to cross for her 150th SVNS try, giving Australia a 7-0 lead.
Fiji threatened through the powerful carries of Sesenieli Donu and Alowesi Nakoci, but Australia's scrambling defence held firm. Demi Kennewell (formerly Demi Hayes) forced a turnover in midfield, and with Fiji stretched in transition, Australia struck again. Nathan collected a loose ball, broke clear, and fed Tegan Levi before finishing the phase for her second try — career try number 151.
Australia's third came just before the interval. Co-captain Maddison Ashby chased back to field a chip kick, linked with Demi Karmichael, and captain Isabella Nasser produced a stop-go pass to send Haliday Dennis over. The Queensland-made score stretched the lead to 19-0.
Fiji hit back immediately. With 10 seconds left in the half, Madi Ana Talatoka accelerated through a narrow gap on the outside, stepped past Nathan's rushed cover tackle, and raced away to score. She converted her own try to make it 19-7 at the break.
The second half was a tighter arm-wrestle. Fiji pushed for a way back but Australia's defensive line speed — led by Tegan Levi and Kennewell — denied them territory. The 19-7 scoreline held through the final whistle.
The turning point
Australia's third try, scored against the run of play with under a minute until half-time, was the killer blow. Fiji had been building pressure through phase play when Ashby's covering run and Karmichael's support running turned defence into attack in one sequence. Conceding 19-0 on the stroke of the break was a psychological gut-punch Fiji never fully recovered from.
Key performers
Faith Nathan (Australia) — Two tries, 150th and 151st of her career. Her finishing on the edge and ability to read the Fijian defence in transition were decisive. Player of the match.
Demi Kennewell (Australia) — The veteran forward delivered a try, a crucial turnover and a series of bruising tackles. Her work rate in the absence of the injured Madi Levi was vital.
Madi Ana Talatoka (Fiji) — Fiji's brightest threat. One well-taken try and sharp distribution in the first half kept her side in touch.
By the numbers
Australia's three-try first half came from just four entries into the Fiji 22 — a conversion rate that underlines their clinical edge in the red zone. Fiji, by contrast, spent more time in Australian territory but could not convert possession into points after the break. The 19-7 scoreline flattered Fiji's territory share; Australia's defensive line speed forced six handling errors from the Fijiana in the second half alone.
What it means
Australia moved to 2-0 in Pool B with the win, joining the USA and New Zealand as the only sides with perfect opening-day records. They would go on to top the pool, beat Spain in the quarter-finals, edge the USA 21-7 in the semi-finals, and defeat New Zealand 26-19 in the Cup Final to claim the Bordeaux title and the HSBC SVNS World Championship crown.
Fiji dropped to 1-1 but rebounded to reach the quarter-finals, where they beat Canada 28-24 before falling to France 24-12 in the 5th-place play-off.
Verdict
Clinical, organised and defensively sound. Australia looked every bit the world champions in this performance, even without star playmaker Madi Levi. Fiji were competitive in patches but lacked the cutting edge to trouble a well-drilled Australian unit that would go on to claim the season's biggest prize.
Rivalry since 2016
Australia 7s W vs Fiji 7s W Head to Head Results· 35
Australia 7s W and Fiji 7s W have met 35 times — Australia 7s W won 32, Fiji 7s W won 2, with 1 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2016. Australia 7s W leads the head-to-head with 32 victories from 35 meetings. A combined 1346 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 38.46 per match (963 for the home side, 383 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 33 matches (94%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 35 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Australia 7s W are currently unbeaten in the last 14 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 38–24 in 2026.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jun 2026