Simione Kuruvoli’s fine kicking put Fiji up 12-8 at halftime before Josua Tuisova crossed after the restart.

Lalakai Foketi scored late to trim the margin to 22-15, but Eddie Jones’ team was unable to mount a comeback.

Fiji’s first-ever World Cup victory over the Wallabies moves them ahead of their opponents in Pool C.

After two matches, the pair are tied on six points, with Fiji leading due to their head-to-head record.

Fixtures, pools, and BBC coverage of the Rugby World Cup
Join the Rugby Union Daily podcast!
South Africa humiliates Romania
Fiji’s encounter in Saint-Etienne was vital because only the top two teams advanced to the quarter-finals.

The Flying Fijians had lost their first pool game 32-26 to Wales and would have had an uphill battle if they had lost their second consecutive game.

They had last beaten Australia 69 years ago and had lost 17 of their previous 18 Tests against the Wallabies.

They started strong, however, with two Kuruvoli penalties giving them a 6-3 lead.

Following an Australian 50-20, a quick line-out allowed Mark Nawaqanitawase to cross unopposed, putting the two-time winners ahead against the run of play.

However, two more Kuruvoli penalties gave Fiji a 12-8 halftime lead.

Australia failed to cope with a basic box kick two minutes after the restart, and Tuisova latched on to the loose ball before leaping over in the corner.

A Kuruvoli penalty in the 65th minute increased the margin to 22-8, however the scrum-half missed another kick that would have given his team a 15-point lead.

With 12 minutes remaining, Australian Kuruvoli scored to set up a grandstand finish, but it would be their only score as Fiji defended valiantly in the dying seconds.

Fiji’s win was their 15th over a tier one nation and their second in three weeks, after defeating England in a warm-up match in August.

Kuruvoli, on the other hand, missed a last-second penalty that would have deprived Australia a losing bonus point.

But the Fijians, who play Georgia next after a week off, are in a fantastic position to reach the World Cup knockout stages for only the third time.

Australia was sloppy in loss.
Australia has never failed to advance beyond the World Cup pool stage.

However, with pool leaders Wales playing next week, they are in severe risk of finishing last.

They have won 15 straight games against Fiji prior to Sunday’s contest. They had played and defeated the Fijians nine times since the beginning of 1985, scoring at least 31 points in eight of those matches.