Rugby League World Cup as it happened: Fiji vs Italy live scores, updates, blog

Fiji are coming off a horror loss in their opening game of the Rugby League World Cup to Australia, and while it might have been expected, they now go into must-win situations, with the first of those to come against surprise packets Italy.

Zero Tackle will cover the Group B game live from the tournament at 12:30am (AEDT) on Sunday morning.

Fiji were never expected to beat Australia in their opening game last Sunday, but gave a solid account of themselves in the opening exchanges before the scoreboard got ugly, with the Bati struggling to hang onto the football.

Italy, on the other hand, also went against the grain of expectation in the opening week of matches, but picked up an unexpected - and dominant - win against Scotland.

Confidence will be sky high heading into this game, but Fiji will undoubtedly be an enormous step up.

Refresh the page below for live scores and commentary from 12:30am (AEDT).

Scoreboard

Match summary

Fiji 40 (Tries: Viliame Kikau [2], Kevin Naiqama, Penioni Tagituimua [2], Apisai Koroisau, Ben Nakubuwai, Maika Sivo [2], Taniela Sadrugu; Conversion: Brandon Wakeham 7/7, Apisai Koroisau 2/2, Henry Raiwalui 1/1) lead Italy 4 (Try: Jake Maizen; Conversion: Jack Campagnolo 0/1)

Updates

2:22am (AEDT)
The two teams are getting together for the post-game prayer circle. Just wonderful to see.

We will leave it there on Zero Tackle, and Jack Blyth will be with you in a few hours for New Zealand and Jamaica.

2:19am (AEDT)
Fijian hooker Penioni Tagituimua has been named man of the match here by the official broadcast.

Meanwhile, Fiji back on the attack and they will go to 60! Razzle dazzle out of their own end, with Kevin Naiqama breaking away. He is stopped but not completely mid field, throwing an offload away to Karawalevu after an ankle tap, before Taniela Sadrugu runs away to score.

Henry Raiwalu knocks the conversion over as the siren sounds and that will be that.

An exceptional performance from the Bati.

2:15am (AEDT)
Fiji finishing this game on the defensive foot then, and they make another error on the last with a grubber going through. Offside position off the rebound so a penalty and new set for Italy.

2:12am (AEDT)
Captain's challenge here. Fiji challenging an offside call against them after an offload was knocked down. Unsuccessful, and Italy have a penalty to push for a late attack here.

2:05am (AEDT)
The air just starting to go out of this game, although Fiji still throwing the ball around and looking for more points against a tired-looking Italian outfit.

2:00am (AEDT)
Fiji go on their merry way over the 50-point barrier here. A swing to the left-hand side sees plenty of space and gaps, with Maika Sivo eventually running through one on the wing before running around to straighten up the angle for the goal kick.

Koroisau converts again.

1:54am (AEDT)
Strong set after points from Italy, and a Campagnolo kick on the last is taken well by Turuva, who continues to get better and better with every touch of the football.

1:52am (AEDT)
Italy finally have a try! On the attack, they swing it out to the left and Jake Maizen scores in the corner after clearance from the video referee.

Conversion missed by Jack Campagnolo.

1:48am (AEDT)
Getting very messy now for Italy. Wakeham puts up a kick from about 35 out under pressure this time. Kikau takes the catch, offloads away to Valemei, and he sends Sivo away to score.

Change of kicker, with Apisai Koroisau lining it up. He slots it too.

1:45am (AEDT)
Video referee called in here for the Bati. They go back onto the attack after snuffing out the raid from the Azzurri, and a Koroisau kick has set up a try.

All onside, the ball pin balls into the air after a shocking bounce, and it's Ben Nakubuwai who crashes over for the try that moves Fiji to 40.

Wakeham converts and he is 7 from 7.

1:42am (AEDT)
Italy with a rare chance to attack here, but the stats tell you all you need to know, with Italy up to 46 missed tackles compared to Fiji's 7.

1:40am (AEDT)
Fiji just continue pushing onto the attack here, and the ball does hit the ground, but Penioni Tagituimua finds a way straight through the line after an offload. He has a double.

Wakeham converts.

1:37am (AEDT)
Fiji have picked up right where they left off here, with the Italians consistently on the back foot and having to work the ball out of their own half. Campagnolo does manage to kick from halfway this time, but Karawalevu goes straight through the line and is only tackled on the other side of halfway.

1:32am (AEDT)
Teams on their way back for the second half in Newcastle.

1:20am (AEDT)
Oh wow. That would have been one of the most miraculous tries in the history of this sport. Fiji put the ball through about 30 or 40 passes in the final play of the first half there, but ultimately Sadrugu drops the ball at the vital moment.

Regardless, the Bati go to the break up by 30 points to nothing, and that score seems about right for what the half has been.

Italy not existent in this game right now.

Be sure to stick around and we will be back in 15 minutes for the second half.

1:16am (AEDT)
Fiji just living on the attack here, and they will add a fifth try during the first half. Apisai Koroisau, playing at halfback, breaks them down this time after Italy had managed to defend out a couple of sets. Koroisau too good with his footwork there, just burning the Italian defence.

Wakeham converts again.

1:10am (AEDT)
Italy's attack comes to nothing, before Fiji go back the other way with a decent set.

Italy back to halfway, before a dropped ball leads to a captain's challenge. That is successful, and the knock-on goes against Italy.

1:06am (AEDT)
That's a very, very late tackle on Nathan Brown. Sadrugu came through well after Brown had passed the ball there and knocked him over.

Brown down with the trainer and not in a good way, although he is back up now.

Sadrugu very lucky to not have any more than a penalty as the punishment there.

1:03am (AEDT)
Fiji just continuing to punch their way through this game, but their defence is also excellent for the most part here, Italy struggling to find any space or time.

1:00am (AEDT)
Fiji on absolute cruise control here at the moment. Rolling back up the field with a set restart included. Koroisau almost through here in the unfamiliar halfback role,
12:58am (AEDT)
Weight of possession catches up with Italy then, with Viliame Kikau on fire early on. He runs straight through the defence of Brenden Santi this time and dots down for his second try of the first half.

Wakeham converts again from out wide.

12:56am (AEDT)
Italy hurting themselves again here, giving away a penalty after possibly their strongest set of the game. Fiji back onto the attack, then some push and shove between Kikau and Moretti.

12:53am (AEDT)
Fiji just dominant here. Big metres in every set, and then a shift out to the left-hand side as they make halfway on the second play. This set ends in a dominant position, but Italy manage to get a handover.

12:49am (AEDT)
This is starting to look like it's going to get ugly. Penioni Tagituimua darts out of dummy half straight past the non-existend defence and Fiji add to the total again.

Wakeham converts.

12:48am (AEDT)
Fiji doing everything right here, with a great kick from Wakeham, before the defence push Maizen into touch. Full set for Fiji on the attack coming up.

12:46am (AEDT)
Bad from Fiji here as they put a kick out on the full, but they are going to eventually get a try out of it, before Italy have come up with an even worse play. Working back to halfway, a pass goes to the ground and Kevin Naiqama runs onto the ball, then streaks away to score.

Wakeham converts.

12:42am (AEDT)
Video referee for the first time here in Newcastle. Viliame Kikau appears to have crashed over, but checking for double movement and grounding.

It has gone up as a try, and that's the way it will come back. Kikau first on the board for the Bati.

Wakeham converts.

12:40am (AEDT)
Bad mistake for Italy. Fiji had to kick for distance there, but Polselli drops it at the back, and Fiji will have a full set from ten metres out.

12:39am (AEDT)
Italy really struggling to get out of their own end here, but some food offloading will get them to halfway, before Campagnolo kicks down to the corner, and Turuva is pinned down there.

12:37am (AEDT)
So then, Italy able to get some attack going, but the Bati will hang on here with some solid defence. They then win a set restart coming out of their own end, and are again looking to play expansive football. Wakeham heavily involved here for the Bati early, and Turuva goes close, before Korbin Sims is over the line, but held up.
12:36am (AEDT)
Well, we know Fiji had major problems against Australia in ball control and fifth tackle options... And their fifth tackle option here on the attack is very average, with a grubber kick rolling dead, although that's still preferable to not making the last tackle as Italy did in their first set of the game.

12:33am (AEDT)
Strong first set for Fiji then. Wakeham kicks out for the corner on the last, and they manage to take it back from the kick, but it will be a handover as the Italian defence hold solid.

12:30am (AEDT)
The Fijian hymn is just something special. We are underway here, with Italy kicking us off!

12:24am (AEDT)
National anthems now, then it'll be time for the Fijian hymn.

12:20am (AEDT)
Teams are on their way out here for this one. Huge game in the contest of the tournament of course.

12:00am (AEDT)
The final teams for this one are in:
Fiji
1. Sunia Turuva 2. Maika Sivo 4. Kevin Naiqama 19. Semi Valemei 24. Vuate Karawalevu 9. Apisai Koroisau 7. Brandon Wakeham 13. Tui Kamikamica 14. Penioni Tagituimua 17. King Vuniyayawa 12. Viliame Kikau 22. Siua Wong 3. Korbin Sims
Interchange: 10. Ben Nakubuwai 11. Taniela Sadrugu 16. Lamar Manuel-Liolevave 20. Henry Raiwalui
18th man: 18. Netane Masima

Italy
1. Luke Poiselli 2. Richard Lepori 3. Daniel Atkinson 4. Ethan Natoli 5. Jake Maizen 6. Jack Campagnolo 7. Radean Robinson 8. Alec Susino 9. Dean Parata 10. Anton Iaria 11. Ryan King 12. Brendan Santi 13. Nathan Brown
Interchange: 14. Joseph Tramontana 15. Luca Moretti 19. Luke Hodge 20. Jack Colovatti
18th man: 18. Kyle Pickering

11:45pm (AEDT)
Hello and welcome to Zero Tackle's live coverage of the 2022 Rugby League World Cup, with this crucial Group A game likely to decide who will advance to the quarter-finals.

Fiji come in as the undoubted favourites, but that could all turn to dust if Italy are able to put in an inspired performance as they did last week.

Kingston Park in Newcastle is the venue, and kick-off is just 45 minutes away.

We will have the team lists for you shortly.