Fiji's Isao Neivua (centre) is tackled by Japan's Shotaro Onishi during their Group B Rugby World Cup match in Toulouse yesterday. Fiji won a thriller, 35-31. - reuters

PARIS (AP):

FIJI EDGED Japan 35-31 in an end-to-end thriller at the Rugby World Cup yesterday, two teams almost certain to go out in the first round providing easily the best match so far.

So much for the championship being only for the powerhouses.

Now making a delayed impact in the Six Nations championship, Italy came from behind to beat Romania 24-18 in Marseille on day six of the World Cup.

Tonga marked their first Group A game with a 25-15 victory over the United States (U.S.) in Montpellier, and then South Pacific neighbours Fiji followed up with one of those performances that either thrill their fans or have them tearing their hair out.

Fijians hustled through

The Fijians fumbled their way to a four-try victory which brought the bonus of an extra point to join Australia and Wales on five points atop the Group B standings. Despite their second loss after a 91-3 thumping by Australia, Japan captured one point for losing by fewer than eight. They still have only one World Cup victory in 18 games, however, and this was their 11th defeat in a row.

"We're disappointed with the result," Japan coach John Kirwan said. "We had some chances to win the game today."

A big crowd at rugby-mad Toulouse gave both teams, especially the Japanese, a standing ovation after a game in which the lead changed six times. It would have been seven if Japan centre Shotaro Onishi had converted Tomokazu Soma's try with his team 25-24 down.

It was his only miss as he made six of his seven kicks including conversions of Luke Thompson's two tries.

Akapusi Qera scored two tries for Fiji with Seru Rabeni and Kele Leawere crossing for the others. When Thompson scored his second try two minutes from the end of normal time to cut the Fiji lead to four points the result was an amazing finish.

The game was four minutes into time added on with the Japanese throwing passes around to try and score a match-winning try. They couldn't get through a tiring Fijian defence, however, and the final whistle signalled only a valiant defeat.

The same could apply to the U.S. Eagles, who hit back from conceding a try after 71 seconds against Tonga and trailed by 13-0 in stifling heat in Montpellier's Stade de la Mosson.

Although tries by Finau Maka and Joseph Vaka and Pierre Hola's accurate kicks kept the Ton-gans ahead, Eagles prop Mike MacDonald and flanker Louis Stanfill replied with tries to stay in touch. The Americans appeared to be on the way back when they cut the lead to only three points with 22 minutes still to go.

Viliami Vaki scored a spectacular third try for the Tongans, however, beating five tackles on a 30-metre run to the line and they held on for a 10-point victory.

Saturday's game against England "probably took a little more out of the boys than we thought," U.S. coach Peter Thorburn said. "But we were obliged to play our best team against Tonga."

Italy moved smoothly to an 8-0 lead over Romania in Marseille with lock Santiago Dellape scoring an early try, and held that advantage until half-time. But the Romanians, once expected to break into the Five Nations ahead of Italy, hit back to lead 12-8 after tries by flanker Alexandru Manta and hooker Marius Tinca.