Late news out of Japan
Just before we sign off …
Match report: Wales 29-17 Fiji
Paul Rees was at the Oita Stadium to see Wales prevail in a bruising encounter against Fiji. Here’s how he saw it ...
Warren Gatland speaks: “It was tough,” says the Welsh coach, in an interview with ITV. “From 10-0 down I would have taken a bonus point win. It was a tough game and they have some wonderful individual athletes who really tested us.
“I’m pleased with that performance and that result. Hopefully it will set us up nicely for going forward. At half-time I felt a few of their forwards were starting to feel the pace of the game and I told my boys to stay going at them.”
Wales now look on course to face France in the quarter-final.
Wales 29-17 Fiji: Fiji’s interest in this year’s World Cup comes to an end, their bizarre defeat at the hands of Uruguay ultimately costing them a place in the quarter-finals. Wales still have to face Uruguay on Sunday and a win will ensure they go into the knockout stages as Pool winners.
Updated
Full-time: Wales 29-17 Fiji
81 min: Wales scrum as the clock goes into the red. The ball’s booted into touch and Wales have won a fairly brutal contest. But at what cost? Two of their most important players, Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies, took heavy knocks.
79 min: Fiji winger Semi Radradra is announced as man of the match. Having scored a hat-trick of tries, Josh Adams might have something to say about that, but I think it’s the correct decision. I certainly wouldn’t like to argue the toss with Semi over it. He’s a ferocious unit - strong as an ox, lightning fast and manages to get everywhere. It’s like there’s three or four of him on the pitch.
Updated
76 min: Speaking of Wales injuries, the demeanour of Jonathan Davies on the bench appears to be that of a man who might be of a mind his World Cup is over. Here’s hoping that’s not the case, but the outside centre would be a huge loss if that does happen to be the case.
74 min: Wales look to have got the better of Fiji, but their medical staff are going to be kept busy in the coming days. Fiji are nails-hard and I’ve lost count of the number of Welsh players who are either limping around the pitch or have been forced off with knocks. Fiji are going out of the World Cup, but can leave with their heads held high on the back of this performance.
72 min: Liam Williams leaps to catch a high ball and is absolutely clattered by Semi Radradra upon landing. Radradra is excellent value for money and has been outstanding for Fiji today; Williams isn’t going to forget that tackle in a hurry.
Updated
71 min: Wyn Jones, Tom Francis and Jake Ball make way for Wales substitutes Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis and Aaron Shingler.
Try! Wales 29-17 Fiji
69 min: Liam Williams flops over the lineafter being put in by Gareth Davies after good work by Ross Moriarty. The try is converted by Patchell and Wales have put a considerable amount of daylight between themselves and Fiji. They also have have their bonus point.
Updated
67 min: Elliot Dee comes off the bench to replace Wales hooker Ken Owens.
66 min: Fiji have possession just outside the Wales 22. Volavola kicks wide at an angle to the right and the ball bounces kindly for Leone Nakarawa, who gathers. A rogue pass from the second-row gifts possession back to Wales.
64 min: The visibly strugglingJosh Adams charges into wall of Fijian resistance with ball in hand, deep inside his own half.
63 min: Josh Adams seems to have done himself a mischief in scoring that try and is visibly hobbling. Ross Moriarty is also receiving medical attention. Jonathan Davies has gone off injured to be replaced by Owen Watkin.
Updated
Try! Wales 22-17 Fiji
61 min: Working in just a few inches of spaces, Jonathan Davies offloads brilliantly to Josh Adams, who somehow gets the ball down in the corner without going into the touch despite being tackled by two Fijians. That was outstanding from Davies, who galloped down the channel before somehow getting the ball to Adams for his hat-trick try. He got over despite Semi Radradra’s desperate covering tackle.
Updated
60 min: “With all due respect, I’m not sure Monsieur Garces is the chief culprit,” writes Richard, with a pedantry update. “The TMO is becoming totally overbearing.” That’s you told, New Zealand’s Ben Skreen!
Penalty! Wales 17-17 Fiji
58 min: Wales penalty. Rhys Patchell slots the ball between the posts from a long way out. It’s all square.
Updated
56 min: Good news. Dan Biggar is back on his feet and able to jog off the field to rapturous applause from the capacity crowd for his head injury assessment. He’s replaced by Rhys Patchell.
55 min: A breakdown in communication results in Dan Biggar and Liam Williams colliding as they try to catch a dropping ball. Biggar takes an accidental hit to the head and appears to be out cold.
Updated
Penalty try!!! Wales 14-17 Fiji
54 min: Fiji get seven points as their human wrecking ball, the outstanding Semi Radradra crashes through another couple of tackles and is stopped illegally as Wales bring down the rolling maul. Dan Biggar follows the ref back to the halfway line, protesting at the injustice of it all. Wales are behind.
Updated
Yellow card!
52 min: “You stopped the momentum!” announces referee Jerome Garces as he brandishes a yellow card in the direction of James Davies, for a cynical tackle.
51 min: A break through the middle by Semi Radradra is stopped by James Davies, who grabs a handful of his shirt and holds on tight as the Fijians surged forward. Radrada’s pass is intercepted by Josh Navidi.
Updated
49 min: Semi Radradra goes over for Fiji after another spellbinding move, but there’s a break for more “pedantry” from the match officials. They’re checking on a pass from Murimurivalu in the build-up, which they correctly adjudge to have been forward.
47 min: Wales turn the ball over inside their own 22, slightly to the left of their own posts. A wonderful tackle by Jake Ball put a stop to an intricate passing move from the Fiji backline and enabled Wales to win back possession.
45 min: Kini Murimurivalu kicks for touch and misses, but his side have advantage and get a penalty for a high tackle by Alun Wyn Jones. Ben Volavola kicks for touch deep in Wales territory. Fiji lineout about 10 yards from the Welsh line.
43 min: Wales scrum, just inside their own half. Jonathan Davies plays a grubber kick down the touchline for Josh Adams to chase, but Kini Murimurivalu mops up at the back. Fiji proceed to make 50 yards up the pitch after powerful running by Waisea Nayacalevu.
Second half: Wales 14-10 Fiji
Play resumes for the second half. Under pressure from Wales, Fiji’s Semi Kunatani does well to stop his opposite number James Davies as he marauds up the pitch. Lineout for Fiji halfway inside their own half.
An email: “Thoroughly enjoyable Barry?” writes Richard. “The refereeing is descending into pedantic farce.”
Well, that’s me told although I’d rather the ref be pedantic and correct than take a laissez faire approach and get his decisions wrong. I can’t say I’ve noticed Monsieur Garces being overly fussy.
Half-time: Wales 14-10 Fiji
Well, that was fun. A hugely entertaining first half draws to a close with Wales coming from behind after a dreadful start to lead by just four points. It’s evenly poised, but Fiji are looking a little tired.
40 min: Fiji lineout deep inside their own half. They win a penalty and the gong goes for half-time. They decide to kick for touch so they can go in to the dressing-room for a well-earned breather.
39 min: From a scrum on the Wales five-metre line, Ross Moriarty takes the ball and gallops upfield to the Fiji 22. Wales lose possession through poor decision-making by Hadleigh Parkes, who picks the wrong pass.
38 min: Yet another disallowed try. Ben Volavola floats a pass out wide to full-back Murimurivalu, who charges over in the corner. His try is ruled out because the pass from his fly-half was quite obviously forward.
36 min: Fiji put Wales under pressure for the first time in a while and have the ball on their opponents’ 22. With Wales lined out across the pitch, committing few players to the breakdown, Fiji are finding it difficult to breach their defence. They keep plugging away.
35 min: No, he isn’t. He is in fact replaced by Jale Vatubua. Apologies.
33 min: Fiji centre Levani Botia is forced off with a thigh injury he carried into this game. He is replaced, I think, by Nikola Matawalu.
Try! Wales 14-10 Fiji
30 min: Desperate defending by Fiji, as Wales set up camp on their line. It’s not good enough, however. Unable to plough through the Fiji defence, Wales play the ball out wide from Williams to Davies and on to Josh Adams on the wing. He goes over in the corner and Dan Biggar scores the touchdown with another fine kick from the touchline.
Updated
28 min: More pressure from Wales deep in Fiji territory, but the defence is stout. Fiji knock them back 10 or 15 metres, but their wing-forward Semi Kunatani is sin-binned for something or other. I won’t lie - I haven’t a clue what he did. Ah, here we go - I think it might have been for a late tackle on Dan Biggar after the Wales fly-half had released the ball.
Updated
26 min: After lengthy deliberations which seem fairly inconclusive, the referee and TMO decide that Adams might have put a toe in touch and don’t award the try. It was a wonderful tackle from Fiji scrum-half Frank Lomani to deny him.
26 min: Wales have three consecutive five-metre scrums. They drive for the Fiji line, making ground before Ross Moriarty takes the ball from his own feet and passes to Gareth Davies. He pings the ball out to Josh Adams, who sprints on to it and goes over in the corner. He’s tackled brilliantly as he goes over and appears to brush the touchline with his toe. Will the try to given?
Updated
24 min: Wales lineout five metres from the Fiji line after excellent play from Davies and Adams forces Josua Tuisova to put the ball out of play. They win the lineout and Dan Biggar chips the ball over the Fiji defence into the in-goal area. It bounces out of play before it can be touched down.
22 min: Dan Biggar boots a loose ball down the field towards the Fiji posts, but it’s gathered by Levani Botia. Fiji have possession, deep in their own half. Frank Lomani clears with a kick from the back of a ruck that is almost charged down. Fiji get away with it. For now.
21 min: We’re 20 minutes in and this is a thoroughly enjoyable game of rugby. Wales began atrociously, but seem to be getting their act together. Ken Owens returns from his spell in purgatory and they have their full complement of players again.
Updated
TRY! Wales 7-10 Fiji
A high cross-field kick to the corner from Dan Biggar. Under pressure from Ben Volavola, Josh Adams leaps high in the air and catches the ball before crashing over in the corner. Wales are off the mark. Dan Biggar puts the ball over from the touchline to add the extras.
Updated
Another yellow card ...
17 min: Fiji second-row Tevita Cavubati is sin-binned for coming into the ruck leading with his shoulder and hitting a Wales player near the neck area. Referee Jerome Garces gives him his marching orders and then takes both captains to one side to tell them to get their players to behave themselves. It’s a bit harsh - despite the two yellow cards, this hasn’t been a dirty game. So far.
16 min: Jonathan Davies finds himself on the receiving end of a crashing, tooth-rattler of a tackle from Fiji No8 Viliame Mata. It’s completely fair and above board, but the Wales centre will have felt that one.
14 min: Wales scrum on the halfway line. Flanker James Davies comes off, so replacement hooker Elliot Dee can come on to take the place of Owens in the front row.
12 min: Ken Owens remains on the Naughty Step, for his tip tackle on Villame Mata that referee Jerome Garces and his TMO Ben Skeen considered “dangerous”. Owens flipped Mata up in the air as he tackled him in the build-up to that disallowed try.
TRY! Wales 0-10 Fiji
Brilliant from Fiji! It couldn’t be simpler really, as Fiji play the ball out wide through assorted various pairs of hands. It comes to full-back Kini Murimurivalu, who surges forward and dives over the line despite having four - four! - Welsh players being around and in front of him. Wales are getting slaughtered here. Once again, Ben Volavola misses the conversion.
Updated
8 min: Fiji kick for touch and get themselves a lineout about 10 metres from the Wales line. They win it and start going through the phases.
Disallowed try and a yellow card ...
7 min: Another disallowed try! Wales are caught dozing as Fiji bamboozle them with a brilliant move that ends with scrum-half Frank Lomani touching down for a “try” that is disallowed for a forward pass from Semi Radradra. There’s more drama as Wales hooker Ken Owens is sin-binned for a dangerous tackle in the build-up. Fiji have a penalty.
Updated
6 min: Disallowed try: Josh Navidi takes a pass from George North and goes over for Wales, but his try is disallowed for a knock on by Hadleigh Parkes in the build-up.
Updated
Try! Wales 0-5 Fiji
Great score! FIji have a five-metre scrum and out on the right wing, Josua Tuisova takes a pass from scrum-half Frank Lomani. The winger is as strong as a charging bull as he goes over in the corner, despite being tackled by three different Welshmen - Josh Navidi, Josh Adams and Dan Biggar - who were unable to stop him touching the ball down. The conversion is missed.
Updated
2 min: Great play from Fiji, who surge through the centre making plenty of ground. The ball’s offloaded to hooker Samuel Matavesi, who is eventually bundled out over the touchline. Wales win the lineout.
Wales v Fiji is go ...
1 min: Following an intimidating performance of Fiji’s pre-match cibi, play gets under way with, Ben Volavola doing the honours with a drop kick. It’s gathered by Ross Moriarty, who bursts towards the halfway line. From the ruck, Gareth Davies hoists a box kick which is gathered by Kini Murimurivalu, the full-back.
Not long now: Both sets of players get their last-second preparations under way before leaving their dressing rooms and lining up in the tunnel. The players of Wales wear red shirts, white shorts and red socks. Fiji’s wear white shirts, black shorts and black socks. They march out on to the pitch and line up either side of referee Jerome Garces and his team of match officials. Cue: the national anthems.
Updated
Today’s match officials
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France) and Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand).
Pool D: The story so far
The only other upset of the pool stage saw Urugay beat Fiji Glorious though this was, it was not the upset a neutral might have chosen. Fiji are a side packed full of first‑class talent, who many fancied to make the quarter-finals. Alas, they are now reduced to trying to throw a spanner in someone else’s works (Wales’s). Otherwise, the key game in this pool was Wales-Australia, won by the former in just the sort of bloody-minded fashion they have made their own lately.
What’s still at stake? Fiji may yet throw that spanner on Wednesday but it would be of limited use to them. Wales finish against Uruguay on Sunday and will surely take maximum points. In which case it would be Australia who likely benefit, the Wallabies finishing with a game against Georgia on Friday. An upset there is not quite out of the question, but it would be big – of Tonga‑France-in-2011 proportions, if not quite Brighton 2015. If Wales beat Fiji (and they are currently 17-point favourites to do so) they will top the group with a win over Uruguay, which would pitch Australia into the England‑New Zealand side of the draw. Fiji look safe for third place, which would mean Georgia back on the qualification beat for 2023.
Here’s Gerard with the weather ...
England and Scotland’s pool deciders this weekend are under threat from one of the most violent super typhoons in recent history, potentially causing chaos for tens of thousands of travelling supporters.
World Rugby may be forced into taking the unprecedented step of cancelling Saturday’s Pool C match between England and France as well as Scotland’s crucial fixture with Japan 24 hours later as the category five super typhoon heads for Yokohama. Both matches were among the most in-demand when tickets went on sale.
Gerard Meagher has the latest from Tokyo ...
Wales v Fiji line-ups
Wales: L Williams; North, Jonathan Davies, Parkes, Adams; Biggar, G Davies; Wyn Jones, Owens, Francis, Ball, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Navidi, James Davies, Moriarty.
Replacements: Carre, Dee, Lewis, Shingler, Wainwright, T Williams, Patchell, Watkin.
Fiji: Murimurivalu; Tuisova, Nayacalevu, Botia, Radradra; Volavola, Lomani; Ma’afu, S Matavesi, Saulo, Cavubati, Nakarawa, Waqaniburotu (c), Kunatani, Mata.
Replacements: Dolokoto, Mawi, Ravai, Ratuniyarawa, Yato, Matawalu, Vatubua, J Matavesi.
Pool D: Wales v Fiji
The 40,000-capacity Oita Stadium on Kyushu Island is the venue for today’s Pool D showdown between Wales and Fiji, where the teams will do battle under a closed roof that has been the cause of much humidity during previous games played in this tournament. At times during New Zealand’s match against Canada, the ball was more slippery than a wet bar of soap.
Wales are already assured of a quarter-final place, but a win today followed by victory over Uruguay on Sunday would guarantee them top spot and help them avoid the England-New Zealand half of the draw. Following their surprise defeat at the hands of Uruguay, Fiji cannot can’t qualify for the quarter-finals but look good to finish in third spot.
Updated
