Wales v Fiji, 1 October

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WALES v FIJI
1 October 2015
KO: 16:45
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Live on [tbc]

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Touch judges: Jérôme Garcès (France) & Mathieu Raynal (France)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)

A. Head to Head

10 Played 10
8 Won 1
1 Drawn 1
1 Lost 8
306 Points 132

B. Recent Form

15 November 2014
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
17 – 13 to Wales

2 October 2011
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand
66 – 0 to Wales

19 November 2010
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
16 – 16 Draw

29 September 2007
Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France
34 – 38 to Fiji

11 November 2005
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
11 – 10 to Wales

9 November 2002
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
58 – 14 to Wales

C. Teams

WALES

Matthew Morgan, Alex Cuthbert, Tyler Morgan, Jamie Roberts, George North, Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Taulupe Faletau, Sam Warburton (captain), Dan Lydiate, Alun-Wyn Jones, Bradley Davies, Tomas Francis, Scott Baldwin, Gethin Jenkins.

Reserves: Ken Owens, Aaron Jarvis, Samson Lee, Luke Charteris, Justin Tipuric, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, James Hook.

FIJI

Metuisela Talebula, Timoci Nagusa, Vereniki Goneva, Lepani Botia, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Ben Volavola, Nemia Kenatale; Netani Talei, Akapusi Qera (captain), Dominiko Waqaniburotu, Leone Nakarawa, Tevita Cavubati, Manasa Saulo, Sunia Koto, Campese Ma'afu.

Reserves: Viliame Veikoso, Peni Ravia, Leeroy Atalifo, Nemia Soqeta, Malakai Ravulo, Henry Seniloli, Joshua Matavesi, Kini Murimurivalu.

Did I read that correct Wales MISSED 25 TACKLES!!

wales606 wrote:Preistland and Hook coming on to provide stability ???

Priestland has done in his last two games. Hook messes up with his first touch of the ball which is no surprise.

Gotta be try

Great effort

50/50 call that one, no surprise to me that it didn't go our way.

That was not a hand!!!! I know it looked like fingers but grass can sometimes look like that under the right colouring

Talei: awesome for Edinburgh, rubbish for Dragons, very good for Fiji!

Ah well, our game always goes to pieces against Fiji.

So many errors for the Wales boys, turnovers especially.... Nightmare

These Fijians are great to watch

Hook is bloody useless!!!!

Hook: a fluffed kick and a knock on so far in 5 minutes. Whatever next?!

Great in attack but their defence today has been awsome

No bonus point it is then

A win is a win come on Aust, not a great performance but the scrum is rubbish

Griff wrote:Hook: a fluffed kick and a knock on so far in 5 minutes. Whatever next?!

Giving the ball back to Fiji.

Well played Fiji, shame it wasn't in a neutral venue but such is life.

Something the irb have to look at IMO.

Hat trick for Hook then. Never mind Shifty will say he had a great match!

Great entertainment

Hat trick for Hook then. Never mind Shifty will say he had a great match!

what a game!

Awful display by us. Very impressed by Fiji. Scoreline does not reflect the game. It was much closer than 10 points.

I hope it doesn't come down to a points difference of 3 or ups have kicked that last 3 instead of running it.

Lacey rubbish, rules not applied to Fiji at the breakdown. Wales rubbish,too many missed tackles and knock-ons - this seems to be the usual when we play Fiji so I'm not sure who can take the blame. Hook and Cuthbert are terrible players. Cuthbert wouldn't be in if it weren't for injuries, brining Hook back in was clearly a huge error when he's continued to show he's out of his depth, which he also did today.

Well done, Wales.

Very good game. Fiji running Wales close and showing how tough a group that is.

Huge pressure on England now.

Well, Fiji are our bogey team. All teams have them. So I'm glad to come through against them with a win. Not the extra point we wanted, but if I was offered the chance of going into the final game unbeaten before the tournament, and now with all of our injuries, then I would have gladly accepted.

Got to give credit to Fiji, they might have come out of their pool had they been in Pool C or D or even B too.

TightHEAD wrote:Well played Fiji, shame it wasn't in a neutral venue but such is life.

Something the irb have to look at IMO.

you could not win at home last week hahaha

Griff wrote:Well, Fiji are our bogey team. All teams have them. So I'm glad to come through against them with a win. Not the extra point we wanted, but if I was offered the chance of going into the final game unbeaten before the tournament, and now with all of our injuries, then I would have gladly accepted.

Are Australia not our bogey team?

John lacey was an embarrassment. Might as well have been wearing a Wales shirt...and I'm a Wales fan

Griff wrote:Awful display by us. Very impressed by Fiji. Scoreline does not reflect the game. It was much closer than 10 points.

I hope it doesn't come down to a points difference of 3 or ups have kicked that last 3 instead of running it.

Wales had to get 10 points up before taking any more risks, Cuthbert was shocking, the subs had to go for it hence the mistakes, the forwards did not dominate, shame Adam was not in the team to give a platform to work with.

WTF is going on with the last few comments?!

I agree Fiji are immensely unlucky to be in this pool, hand they been in any other pool they would be a real threat for a quarter final spot.

Fiji have been a credit to this tournament, Nadolo, Matuwalu, and Nakarowa have been some of the standout players IMO!!!

flyhalffactory wrote:Hat trick for Hook then. Never mind Shifty will say he had a great match!

I don't think so, I thought a lot of Welsh boys played very poorly today, losing the ball in contact, tackling seemed optional at times, I'm very disappointed to be honest.  I never thought I'd ever say this twice in 2 weeks but I thought Priestland was good when he came on.  I'm glad we won, but I'm very frustrated.

I thought the referee was terrible for both teams, there need to be rules that Irish referees are not allowed near ANY welsh team, their atrocious in all areas of the game. Playing off the floor, line outs, the tackle area, the scrummages, he got just about everything wrong.

chris_501 wrote:

Griff wrote:Well, Fiji are our bogey team. All teams have them. So I'm glad to come through against them with a win. Not the extra point we wanted, but if I was offered the chance of going into the final game unbeaten before the tournament, and now with all of our injuries, then I would have gladly accepted.

Are Australia not our bogey team?

No, they're just better than us! I tend to think of bogey teams as those teams ranked a fair way below us that other teams seem to beat fairly easily but which we always struggle against. Fiji and Samoa for us.

How Gareth Davies got man of the match i will never know. His out of hand kicking was dire. Campese Ma'afu, a player who couldn't cut it at the Blues gave both of our tight heads a tuning and got around the park.

We were tired A 5 day turnaround for 3rd seed minnows like us is just not on!

Griff wrote:

chris_501 wrote:

Griff wrote:Well, Fiji are our bogey team. All teams have them. So I'm glad to come through against them with a win. Not the extra point we wanted, but if I was offered the chance of going into the final game unbeaten before the tournament, and now with all of our injuries, then I would have gladly accepted.

Are Australia not our bogey team?

No, they're just better than us! I tend to think of bogey teams as those teams ranked a fair way below us that other teams seem to beat fairly easily but which we always struggle against. Fiji and Samoa for us.

Bogey teams are a myth, the problem is too many Welsh boys didn't want to get stuck in, they were afraid today. Warburton was my man of the match for Wales, he was the only player I was glad to see on the field any time the Fijians ran into him he stopped them, he was the only one putting his body on the line.

We just made topping the group a lot more difficult. Had we got the TBP, if we end up on the same number of points as England, we would top the group. Now we have to beat Oz for that.

I couldn't understand our tactics today. When Fiji didn't compete at the breakdown, they fanned across the whole pitch, yet the only time our forwards picked and drove was looking for that first try.

The rolling maul was pretty pointless too,and the less said about our scrum, the better.

Griff wrote:We were tired A 5 day turnaround for 3rd seed minnows like us is just not on!

Or to look at it another way, look at the 3rd seed minnows topping the Pool of Death going into the last weekend! Who'd have thunk it!

Anyone know where I can watch the game, just got in from the worst days work ever, and need a whiskey and to see what happened?!?!?!?!

Shifty wrote:

Griff wrote:

chris_501 wrote:

Griff wrote:Well, Fiji are our bogey team. All teams have them. So I'm glad to come through against them with a win. Not the extra point we wanted, but if I was offered the chance of going into the final game unbeaten before the tournament, and now with all of our injuries, then I would have gladly accepted.

Are Australia not our bogey team?

No, they're just better than us! I tend to think of bogey teams as those teams ranked a fair way below us that other teams seem to beat fairly easily but which we always struggle against. Fiji and Samoa for us.

Bogey teams are a myth, the problem is too many Welsh boys didn't want to get stuck in, they were afraid today.  Warburton was my man of the match for Wales, he was the only player I was glad to see on the field any time the Fijians ran into him he stopped them, he was the only one putting his body on the line.  

Not a myth. Some teams struggle against the same teams over and over, while enjoying more success against others. Ireland had France for a long time; NZ had France, etc. Call it something else if you must but it exists. The record books are there for you to peruse at your own leisure.

I believe all teams should have a week between games unless you can field a second team against a weak team in the group as with Aust last game. Fiji are no mugs and they are very physical.

I hope Biggar is OK but at least Wales have a decent rest but the scrum rules Wales out of winning the RWC.

chris_501 wrote:We just made topping the group a lot more difficult. Had we got the TBP, if we end up on the same number of points as England, we would top the group. Now we have to beat Oz for that.

I couldn't understand our tactics today. When Fiji didn't compete at the breakdown, they fanned across the whole pitch, yet the only time our forwards picked and drove was looking for that first try.

The rolling maul was pretty pointless too,and the less said about our scrum, the better.

Scrum was a joke to be honest, Gethin needs to be put out to pasture now in all honesty, he's been rubbish against everyone in the World Cup it's always on his side that the problem is, it can't be a coincidence.  We need to find a new quality loose head as a matter of urgency after the World Cup. I'd drop Gethin for the Australia game assuming Paul James is actually fit.

Fanster wrote:WTF is going on with the last few comments?!

I agree Fiji are immensely unlucky to be in this pool, hand they been in any other pool they would be a real threat for a quarter final spot.

Fiji have been a credit to this tournament, Nadolo, Matuwalu, and Nakarowa have been some of the standout players IMO!!!

Indeed. I am glad they are not in Scotlands group - they would have a good chance and would know it.

Hang on your scrum has been utter tripe in every game,you can't blame the ref for that

Lacey was ridiculously inconsistent at breakdown today.

That does excuse us playing tactics right into fiji's hands. One thing to back your fitness but to back it after a 5 day turn around against a team who excel at sevens borders on arrogance.

Jenkins needs to be dropped. Refs perceive him to be weak and penalise him

TJ wrote:Indeed.  I am glad they are not in Scotlands group - they would have a good chance and would know it.  

So have Samoa...

carpet baboon wrote:Hang on your scrum has been utter tripe in every game,you can't blame the ref for that

It isn't the only scrum I heard: http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11521968

GavinDragon wrote:Lacey was ridiculously inconsistent at breakdown today.

That does excuse us playing tactics right into fiji's hands. One thing to back your fitness but to back it after a 5 day turn around against a team who excel at sevens borders on arrogance.

Jenkins needs to be dropped. Refs perceive him to be weak and penalise him

But Jenkins is good around the pitch and got a few turnovers today. Could be convert him to Hooker?! Or maybe outside centre?!!!

Griff wrote:

GavinDragon wrote:Lacey was ridiculously inconsistent at breakdown today.

That does excuse us playing tactics right into fiji's hands. One thing to back your fitness but to back it after a 5 day turn around against a team who excel at sevens borders on arrogance.

Jenkins needs to be dropped. Refs perceive him to be weak and penalise him

But Jenkins is good around the pitch and got a few turnovers today. Could be convert him to Hooker?! Or maybe outside centre?!!!

He's aged 34, with 123 international caps behind him, he's done fantastic service, but he needs to be retired after the World Cup, he's 6'2" and 19 stone but clearly he can't handle the pressure in the scrums anymore without Adam Jones to take the heavy load. It's time for Wales to move on.

Shifty wrote:

chris_501 wrote:We just made topping the group a lot more difficult. Had we got the TBP, if we end up on the same number of points as England, we would top the group. Now we have to beat Oz for that.

I couldn't understand our tactics today. When Fiji didn't compete at the breakdown, they fanned across the whole pitch, yet the only time our forwards picked and drove was looking for that first try.

The rolling maul was pretty pointless too,and the less said about our scrum, the better.

Scrum was a joke to be honest, Gethin needs to be put out to pasture now in all honesty, he's been rubbish against everyone in the World Cup it's always on his side that the problem is, it can't be a coincidence.  We need to find a new quality loose head as a matter of urgency after the World Cup.  I'd drop Gethin for the Australia game assuming Paul James is actually fit.  

You must have missed the game last weekend then? Jenkins is the oldest guy in the squad and looked tired today, but that didn't stop him from giving his all. I said Gatland should have had Rob Evans in this squad from day one. James is rubbish and like Jenkins probably won't be available for Wales next season.