ify ▁for ▁the ▁quarter - final s ▁which ▁remains ▁their ▁best ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁Rugby ▁World ▁Cup . ▁F iji , ▁as ▁quarter - final ists ▁four ▁years ▁ago , ▁had ▁expected ▁to ▁occup y ▁that ▁position , ▁but ▁after ▁the ▁ups et ▁loss ▁to ▁Canada ▁and ▁a ▁ham mer ing ▁by ▁France , ▁they ▁were ▁to ▁lose ▁even ▁their ▁final ▁match ▁against ▁the ▁unf anci ed ▁Roman ian ▁team . ▁Ear lier , ▁the ▁opening ▁match ▁had ▁p itted ▁the ▁hold ers ▁New ▁Zealand ▁against ▁the ▁hosts ▁England : ▁New ▁Zealand ▁over turn ed ▁a ▁narrow ▁half - time ▁def ic it ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁match ▁and ▁the ▁pool , ▁both ▁teams ▁qual ifying ▁for ▁the ▁quarter - final s ▁with ▁easy ▁vict ories ▁in ▁their ▁other ▁matches . ▁Scotland ▁beat ▁Ireland ▁to ▁top ▁their ▁pool , ▁again ▁both ▁teams ▁qual ifying . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁quarter - final s , ▁neither ▁Canada ▁nor ▁Western ▁Sam oa ▁proved ▁a ▁match ▁for ▁New ▁Zealand ▁or ▁Scotland , ▁respectively . ▁Meanwhile , ▁England ▁knock ed ▁out ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁final ist ▁France ▁in ▁a ▁bru ising ▁encounter . ▁Australia , ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁match ▁of ▁the ▁tournament , ▁pi pped ▁Ireland ▁ 1 9 – 1 8 ▁in ▁a ▁thr illing ▁match ▁at ▁L ans d ow ne ▁Road , ▁with ▁a ▁last - g asp ▁try ▁from ▁fly - half ▁Michael ▁Lyn agh ▁coming ▁after ▁the ▁Irish ▁took ▁an ▁unexpected ▁ 1 8 – 1 5 ▁lead ▁when