Wales and Fiji begin their World Cup campaigns with a must-win clash in Bordeaux. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5am (AEST).
Venue: Stade Matmut-Atlantique, Bordeaux
Kick-off: 5am (AEST)
Streaming: Stan Sport
Betting: Wales $1.50, Fiji $2.60 – odds via PlayUp
Teams
Wales (1-15): 1. Gareth Thomas, 2. Ryan Elias, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Will Rowlands, 5. Adam Beard, 6. Aaron Wainwright, 7. Jac Morgan (c), 8. Taulupe Faletau, 9. Gareth Davies, 10. Dan Biggar, 11. Josh Adams, 12. Nick Tompkins, 13. George North, 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 15. Liam Williams.
Replacements: 16. Elliot Dee, 17. Corey Domachowski, 18. Dillon Lewis, 19. Dafydd Jenkins, 20. Tommy Reffell, 21. Tomos Williams, 22. Sam Costelow, 23. Rio Dyer.
Fiji (1-15): Eroni Mawi, Samuel Matavesi, Luke Tagi, Isoa Nasilasila, Te Ahiwaru Crikidaveta, Albert Tuisue, Lekima Tagitagivalu, Vailame Mata, Frank Lomani, Teti Tela, Vinaya Habosi, Semi Radradra, Waisea Nayacalevu, Selesitini Ravutaumada, Ilaisea Droasese.
Replacements: Tevita Ikanivere, Peni Ravai, Masake Doge, Temo Mayanavanua, Levani Botia, Simione Kuruvoli, Josua Tuisova, Sireli Maqala.
Rugbynutter
Roar Rookie
Yeh shows the benefit of putting drua in super rugby…I am pretty confident Fiji could be one of top 5 sides in next three to four years
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
JD, I struggle to believe that any K1 dubya 1 would place Barnes07 below another referee in this lifetime. Do you want to double check your outrage meter and get back to us?
Rugbynutter
Roar Rookie
Great game....fiji with chance to win it on the death with line open saids a lot about you can never write off a fji team. I think both Wales and Fiji are looking tough for the wallabies on that game. Fiji with 2 losing bonus points as well. Fiji are looking the bigger threat and if they can reduce the errors could pose the Wallabies a real threat. It could well go down to the Wales game as to whether wallabies make it out of the pool...of course they beat fiji it doesn't but I am less confident of beating fiji then wales.
Hughi
Roar Rookie
I think Fiji will be stronger for this one and if they lose to us next week they will be out or close to it, so they have nothing to lose. Someone needs to tell Eddie he only has a week, he said in the press conference they will be preparing for the next 2 weeks.
Link
Roar Rookie
I agree. Penalty count 17 to 9. Wales infringing every time Fiji got close to scoring
Virgil
Roar Rookie
What does behind the line actually mean? Because Welsh defenders still had a foot in front of the line.
Otago Man
Roar Rookie
Apologies for the long sentence before as brain not truly engaged from sleep deprivation. The best teams handle discipline well with low card and penalty counts but I do feel that the penalty try needs to come out more for cynical play. Not sure how it would be implemented...must get back to consulting the oracle when I sleep.
Fin
Roar Rookie
Well done to both teams on the way they played that game but ultimately the ref was poor and Fiji were hard done by. 17 penalties and heaps of them on the line and only one yellow. Not good enough.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
I'm not sure that's practical. He just needed to keep on dishing out the cards, which he failed miserably at. Should have given one for the no arms tackle on the line though.
Handles
Roar Guru
What a cracking game. I f........g love watching Fiji play rugby.
Bluesfan
Yip - Ref's are human but do hope WR do a review and set expectations and if necessary replace Refs who make poor calls. Same as what happens to players who underperform.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
I don't think I was even this furious at Barnes in 2007!
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Nah Wales could never lose against Georgia :laughing:
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
The whole rugby world except Australia and England wants Australia v England in the quarters!
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Yes should have been yellow and penalty try. Feeble excuse "he tried to get his arm up"
Adam
Roar Guru
Agreed. The penalty before the eventual yellow card was particularly cynical. Shouldn't have even taken a 2nd thought
Bluesfan
Think if that had being a 6 Nations/Oz/Nz playing Wales - lot more YC's would have be shown to Wales. Really poor reffing and WR need to do a review and get better because at times Wales should have had 2 players in the bin.
HenryHoneyBalls
Roar Rookie
That was an absolute disgrace.
Otago Man
Roar Rookie
I've missed the 2nd half as I had to walk to work JD so I ask with the amounts of penalties conceded by Wales at the end that has been reported do you think that penalty tries should be more liberally dished out as teams are prepared to sacrifice a player to a card particularly at the end of a game? Slightly different to the non display of a card by the ref here but a topic to consider?
Nick Wasiliev
Editor
The first one I got, the second one, not so much. Second time it was three penalties again from multiple different issues, and Wales already had a warning. While none were professional fouls, surely you'd send someone again for the same stuff as the first warning.