Nations Championship
Fiji (10) 24
Tries: Sowakula, Canakaivata, Ravutaumada Cons: Armstrong-Ravula 3 Pen: Armstrong-Ravula
Wales (10) 39
Tries: Morgan 2, Carre, Adams, Elias, James Cons: Edwards, Costelow 2 Pen: Edwards
Six-try Wales recorded consecutive international wins for the first time in three years by defeating Fiji 39-24 in the Nations Championship opener at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Two tries from flanker Jac Morgan allowed Wales somehow to keep a rampant Fiji side to 10-10 at half-time.
Wales showed their fitness by scoring second-half tries from prop Rhys Carre, wing Josh Adams, hooker Ryan Elias and centre Eddie James.
Fiji managed tries from flanker Pita Gus Sowakula, number eight Elia Canakaivata and wing Selestino Ravutaumada, with fly-half Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula kicking nine points.
Wales followed up the Six Nations win against Italy at the Principality Stadium in March to win back-to-back Tests for the first time since the 2023 World Cup.
Morgan was named player-of-the-match for his two-try exploits and brilliant defensive display.
Fiji dominated the attacking statistics but Wales managed to contain them, while their set-piece superiority resulted in three of the six tries coming from driving mauls as head coach Steve Tandy’s game plan proved successful.
The only negative for Wales was the match was played in front of a disappointing crowd of 16,456 in the first rugby international played at Cardiff City’s football stadium.
This victorious Wales side, who beat a team two places above them in the world rankings, deserved to have celebrated that success in front of more fans.
Wales scored six tries in a game for the first time in a Test for five years which also came against Fiji.
Wales will now travel to face Argentina and South Africa, while Fiji face England at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool and Scotland at Murrayfield.
The build-up had been hampered by a dispute between the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the players about match fees, which was only resolved three days before kick-off.
Captain Dewi Lake and former centre and current WRU board member Jamie Roberts both stated that should not have happened, but head coach Tandy insisted no training was missed.
This was officially a home game for Fiji, 10,000 miles from home, with Wales the visitors in their own capital city.
The Fijians are playing the three matches in July in the UK because they currently do not have a stadium to meet the Nations Championship criteria.
It is hoped the revenue raised from staging home games in Europe during the next two tournaments can help build that ground by 2030.
Tandy made six changes from the team that defeated the Barbarians that included the return of four English and French-based club players including Louis Rees-Zammit, who lined up on the wing rather than the full-back position he occupied during the Six Nations.
