Wales v Fiji: Match preview and team news for Cardiff match

Image source, Huw Evans Image Agency/Getty Footage

Gareth Griffiths

BBC Sport Wales

Autumn Nations Series: Wales v Fiji

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 10 November Kick off: 13:40 GMT

Coverage: Hear to stay commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds, be conscious stay text commentary on the BBC Sport net put and app.

Wales enjoy been compelled to again, sitting out the outlet weekend, nevertheless they at final kick off their autumn programme on Sunday when they face Fiji in Cardiff.

The 2 sides meet for the first time since the World Cup thriller in Bordeaux almost 14 months ago with memories of that myth stumble upon level-headed fresh within the mind.

Wales obtained 32-26 on that September night nevertheless only after surviving a ferocious fightback that saw Fiji rating two gradual tries, earlier than Semi Radradra dropped a scoot at the side of the try line begging within the final cross of the match.

It develop into as soon as ecstasy now not agony for Wales on that occasion and head coach Warren Gatland says he is hoping for the identical this weekend.

Loads has modified as the two sides put together to re-ignite the rivalry this weekend.

Victory is the entirety for Wales with forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys admitting an grotesque salvage would suffice.

That is because Sunday will signify 400 days since Gatland’s facet final obtained a Test and not using a worldwide victory so some distance in 2024.

That final triumph came when beating Georgia in Nantes in the end of the World Cup pool stage in October 2023.

9 worldwide defeats enjoy followed, with eight of those in this calendar three hundred and sixty five days.

Presumably the latest shedding plod started with a World Cup quarter-final exit towards Argentina, and in addition incorporated a Six Nations wooden spoon with five defeats and summer losses towards South Africa and Australia.

One more reversal would look Wales equal their file low of 10 Test losses on the leap arrangement in 2002 and 2003 when Steve Hansen develop into as soon as head coach. So there’s loads at stake for the hosts on Sunday.

Wales enjoy slipped to 11th within the field rankings, one situation below Fiji who will doubtless be desperate to present they’ll beat a Tier one nation in an away fixture.

Fiji enjoy been with out their Europe-essentially based fully gamers for the 57-17 defeat towards Scotland final weekend because the recreation fell launch air World Rugby’s autumn Test window.

Australian Mick Byrne has taken over as Fiji head coach after main the Fijian Drua facet in Big Rugby since 2022.

Uncapped wing Blair Murray will break his Wales debut, the Unique Zealand-born again going within the Test match enviornment after comely six games for the Scarlets since arriving for the launch of the 2024-25 season.

The 23-three hundred and sixty five days-former, whose mother is from Tonyrefail within the Rhondda in south Wales, has performed passable to make a starting up situation.

Ben Thomas is at inner centre following two soar-half of appearances in the end of Wales’ summer tour of Australia, with Gareth Anscombe reclaiming Wales’ number 10 shirt for the first time since final three hundred and sixty five days’s World Cup.

Anscombe, 33, is joined within the again division by Gloucester group-mates Max Llewellyn and Tomos Williams. Llewellyn is chosen as Thomas’ midfield partner and Williams is again at scrum-half of. Mason Grady switches from centre to wing.

Locks Will Rowlands and Adam Beard are again in tandem, with Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell earning a launch earlier than Jac Morgan, who has been nursing a minor knock and is amongst six forwards on the bench.

Bath prop Archie Griffin – who has only played twice for his club this season on story of a minor non permanent heart situation that he has now recovered from – suggestions within the entrance-row alongside Gareth Thomas and captain Dewi Lake.

Fiji enjoy been ready to welcome again some of their top gamers from English and French clubs with Byrne deciding on Radradra, Josua Tuisova, Jiuta Wainiqolo and co-captain Waisea Nayacalevu in a celebrity-studded Fijian backline.

Such is Fiji’s firepower, Bayonne centre Sireli Maqala who is the main try scorer in France’s High 14 league can only break the replacements bench.

There enjoy been two changes within the pack, with Saracens prop Eroni Mawi and Northampton lock Temo Mayanavanua starting up.

Wales: Winnett; Grady, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Murray; Anscombe, T Williams; G Thomas, Lake (capt), Griffin, Rowlands, Beard, Plumtree, Reffell, Wainwright.

Replacements: Elias, N Smith, Assiratti, Tshiunza, Botham, J Morgan, Bevan, Costelow.

Fiji: Karawalevu; Wainiqolo, Nayacalevu (capt), Tuisova, Radradra; Muntz, Lomani; Mawi, Ikanivere, Tawake, Nasilasila, Mayanavanua, Derenalagi, Salawa, Canakaivata.

Replacements: Matavesi, Hetet, Koroiduadua, Vocevoce, Tuisue, Kuruvoli, Ravula, Maqala.

Match officials

Referee: Luc Ramos (France)

Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

Television match legit (TMO): Eric Gauzins

Wales head coach Warren Gatland: “We’re all attentive to where we’re. We’ve spoken internally about how vital these first two games are.

“The system the gamers enjoy trained and utilized themselves has been ultimate.

“The gamers are attentive to how vital the subsequent few weeks are and constructing some self belief on what we now enjoy performed as a community, with that expertise coming again in. I have been happy with how everybody has fitted in.

“Optimistically, on Sunday, there’s ecstasy rather than agony.”

Fiji head coach Mick Byrne: “I’m obvious Wales will doubtless be desperate to salvage a salvage, nevertheless so are we.

“We desire to salvage our job appropriate and push passable tension and attain our recreation conception within the system I do know we can.

“We desire to be the ones pushing the tension on the subject and look if the opposition can acknowledge the questions we’ll quiz.

“We know Wales are going to quiz a bunch of questions of us, they’ll come again great at us and we can also level-headed be ready for that and compete.”

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