Speedy fullback Epeli Turuva was the toast of the 1984 touring national rugby team at Gladstone as he scored 19 of Fiji’s 39-3 points win over Central Queensland.
An article in The Fiji Times on April 1, 1984, said Turuva was in his first game for Fiji and scored a try with three penalties and three conversions n front of a crowd of 3000.
Turuva was delighted with his performance and said it was the best day in his rugby career.
It was a good start for the national team’s eight match tour in Australia.
It took the national reps 20 minutes to settle down, but team manager Ratu Tu’uakitau Cokanauto said he was not disappointed at the team’s performance.
“Taking into consideration the fact that this was the first match played after the national trials two weeks ago, the boys did play well,” he said.
However, Ratu Cokanauto admitted that Fiji would have to produce winning combinations if they were to win against Sydney and Queensland.
He said there were some cases of poor ball handling and this would have to be improved.
Captain Esala Teleni also played an outstanding game in leading the pack against a mobile Central Queensland team.
Koli Rakoroi dominated the lineouts at number two for Fiji while halfback Dusilele Bola played above expectation as he sent out swift and accurate passes from the base of the scrums and lineouts, Fiji led 13-3 at halftime.
Fiji’s first three points came in the 17th minute from a penalty from Turuva. He missed an earlier 40-metre penalty from a kickable position.
Fiji was awarded a penalty try in the 25th minute after centre Kaiava Salusalu was tackled after he had kicked the ball ahead, Turuva converted. In the 25th minute Central Queensland scored their only points through a penalty from loose forward Ted McLeod.
Heavyweight prop Tuimasi Tubananitu crashed over in the corner for a try in the 35th minute when Bola ran to the blind side from a 5-metre scrum.
Teleni took the inside pass and Tuimasi who was backing up play, carried two tacklers with him to score, Turuva failed to convert. Turuva converted his second penalty 12 minutes into the second half and pushed Fiji to a 16-3 lead, eight minutes later Turuva was again in the picture kicking his third penalty.
At this stage of the game, Fiji was dominating play with backline varying their attacks, and one of their many moves came in the 24th minute when Turuva broke through a gap.
Winger Samu Yalayala went over for his first try in the 30th minute after first-five-eight Esala Labalaba sliced through the defence before sending an inside pass to the speedy Lautoka winger to score between the posts, Turuva converted the score to make it 27-3.
Turuva linked up with winger Setareki Varo in the 37th minute, ran around the defence and scored.
