Wales 23-13 Fiji
by David Nicholson
at the Millennium Stadium

IT WAS job done for Wales on Thursday night against a defiant Fiji and they continue their march to the knock-out stages.

But this was an awkward win against opponents who would not give in and who wanted to throw the ball around and score tries.

Had Fiji had a decent goal kicker this game would have been much closer as Fiji fly-half Ben Volavola missed a couple of kicks that should really have been nailed.

Coach John McKee admitted that his side had played well but failed to take their points when Wales transgressed.

“At this level you need to nail your kicks and we left a couple out there. You need to score those points to keep the pressure on your opponents.”

Australian-born Volavola looked classy when he ran with the ball and his kicking game from hand was bang on form.

Wales coach Warren Gatland was concerned at how the Welsh scrum misfired and was repeatedly pushed back by Fiji.

“We need to work on the scrum and the breakdown area,” Gatland admitted.

“The Fijian’s scrum caused us problems but they also put England and Australia under pressure.”

Stronger opponents will take better advantage of such set piece dominance and Wales’s forward coaches will need to shore this up if they are to progress beyond the quarter-finals.

The Welsh performance was understandably a little disjointed after the effort they put in against England just five days ago.

They applied massive pressure in the opening 10 minutes camping out on the Fiji line until they eventually scored through a penalty and than followed it soon after with an opening try.

But many of the Welsh players looked exhausted and captain Sam Warburton was sometimes slow getting around the pitch.

Warburton admitted after the match that he was tired: “I was running around so slowly in the first half I was worried I would be taken off.”

But the Welsh did what they had to do to ensure they kept a good points distance between themselves and Fiji.

Both teams managed to butcher clearcut scoring chances in a sometimes error-strewn game.

Wales also failed to gain a bonus point against Fiji which could cost them dear in what could still be a tight finish to the group of death.

After their herculean efforts against England and having to face Fiji just five days later the Welsh will be relieved to have nine days off before they have to face Australia.

Gatland has told his men to go home and have a few days off with their families before they get back together tomorrow to start preparing for their encounter with Australia.