World Cup Rewind: 2007 - When flying Fijians humbled Wales in France
- Published
Down and out: Wales crashed out of the pool stage of the 2007 World Cup after defeat by Fiji
The 2007 World Cup in France would mark the lowest point in Welsh rugby of the 21st century.
Some might argue losing 10 games under Steve Hansen in 2002 and 2003 and a first defeat to Georgia in 2022 could rival this.
The seismic effect of being dumped out by Fiji in Nantes 16 years ago and coach Gareth Jenkins being sacked in a French hotel car park would trump all of these examples.
In the latest in our series looking back at previous World Cups, BBC Sport Wales dissect the failings of 2007 through the eyes of Tom Shanklin.
Sandwiched between the Grand Slams of 2005 and 2008, Wales were led to the World Cup by a Welshman for the first time since 1991 in Jenkins, although his time would be fatefully short lived.
Imperfect preparation
Shanklin, the former Cardiff and Saracens centre and wing, was a mainstay of both Grand Slam titles of the decade but describes the France World Cup as "abysmal" for Wales.
The warning signs were there before the tournament even started, a win against England avoided a Six Nations whitewash.
A World Cup warm-up versus the same opposition at Twickenham saw Wales concede nine tries in a record defeat against the English.
"It wasn't the best build-up we've ever had, no one was sure of combinations and the team was pretty unsettled," said Shanklin.
"The pre-season was fine, we were fit, but were underprepared in terms of the style of play we wanted.
"The weird thing was, I'd played the warm-up games with Gareth Thomas, then against Canada it was Sonny Parker and the same against Australia.
"It felt a bit strange when Thomas was our captain and he didn't start our first game, he came off the bench.
"Selection wasn't right in the tournament and there wasn't consistency. That was negative and hindered us in finding a style and cohesion that worked."
Wales ponder a record 62-5 defeat to England in a World Cup warm-up match at Twickenham
A stilted World Cup
Wales were based in Pornichet, a seaside town west of Nantes where they would play their first and last games.
Between those matches were Australia and Japan at the Principality Stadium, creating a World Cup experience like no other.
"It didn't feel like a World Cup, we stayed in a holiday resort and when management went over to have a look they went in the summer and it was busy and vibrant, there was lots to do," said Shanklin.
"When we got there, because it was a seasonal town, there was nothing to do, everything was closed, there was literally a pancake shop open down the road and that was about it.
"I only went to two World Cups. You look back at Australia [in 2003], now that was a World Cup.
"You were absorbed by the country, we got to go shark diving, surfing on Manly Beach, we went to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, it was absolutely amazing."
Slow start
The campaign began inauspiciously, indeed at half-time against Canada, a shock looked on the cards with Wales trailing, Shanklin was one of Wales' few bright sparks.
"We started off slowly, it was only in the second half when I kicked into gear we changed things around," Shanklin joked.
"It wasn't an ideal start. We were under pressure for a fair bit, but pulled through and won it quite comfortably in the end, when you look at the result."
Wales won 42-17 and travelled back to Cardiff to face an Australian side they had only beaten once from their previous 13 encounters.
Tom Shanklin played 70 internationals for Wales between 2001 and 2010
"We didn't look like winning that game all the way through," said Shanklin.
"We were going through a period where we were finding it hard to beat these southern hemisphere teams, we always have with New Zealand, but we never really had the self-belief we have now when we faced Australia or South Africa."
After the disappointment of losing 32-20, Wales hosted Japan, a game made memorable by a length of the field try by the visitors as the home side rested several players, allowing them to "mentally relax" in a comfortable 72-18 win.
Cardiff would later play host to one of the most dramatic World Cup exits when France defeated New Zealand in a quarter-final marred in controversy after the All Blacks complained a forward pass was missed by referee Wayne Barnes in the build-up to the winning try.
Nantes Nightmare
Fiji celebrate victory against Wales at the 2007 World Cup in Nantes
Fiji were last up for Wales, a crunch game with both sides having won two from three, but with Wales having yet to lose to the islanders, complacency may have set in.
"We had Fiji up last which we weren't thinking massively about, because it was Fiji, we'd played them plenty of times in the past and we probably underestimated them a bit," admitted Shanklin.
"We didn't take it as seriously as we could and should have, so we have to shoulder a lot of the responsibility for that.
"You look at the first try they scored from Vilimoni Delasau, it's kicked ahead, then kicked ahead again and bounces back 10 metres in between Gareth Thomas and Mark Jones into Delasau's hands.
"If you tried to do that try again, 99 times out of 100 it wouldn't work, they had a bit of luck that day, when you look back now, you realise it was their day.
"It was the sort of game that had everything, I always remember Shane Williams scored probably one of the tries of his career that day. I passed to him in our 22 and he did the rest, an incredible try."
Martyn Williams played 100 internationals for Wales
The game plans appeared to go out the window that day in a display of free-flowing attacking flair from both sides, Fiji showed a mental strength previously missing.
"Every time you play a South Sea Island team you know for 40, 50 minutes, they're going to come at you," said Shanklin.
"You wait for their breaking point, where the confidence is lost in their team and you think 'here we go'. I thought that happened with Martyn Williams' intercept try.
"But it wasn't, Fiji just came back at us, they hammered us up front with their close quarter game."
The loss resulted in Wales being knocked out in the pool stages for the first time since 1995, particularly poignant for captain Thomas, who was creating history as the first Welsh player to win his 100th Wales cap.
"He was a fantastic leader, a fantastic captain and we adored him," said Shanklin.
"It's a shame that it ended that way, he never played for Wales again, he retired after that loss.
"You look back and wish you could have done more for him because no one wants to go out like that."
Gareth Thomas retired from Test rugby after winning his 100th cap against Fiji
Sacked in a car park
For coach Jenkins the embarrassment of Wales' first defeat to Fiji would lead to an infamous exchange with then Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Roger Lewis at the hotel car park.
"I remember seeing him [Jenkins] and Lewis outside the hotel having a chat and for him to be relieved of his duties straight away like that, in an emotional reaction, wasn't the right thing to do," said Shanklin.
"You shouldn't be so reactive after a game, even if you know it's coming, you've got to give the man more respect than that and do it in the correct manner.
"We're out of the World Cup, we haven't made the quarter-finals, to sack him on the spot like that and throw him out to the press and the fans in that way, wasn't right.
"We got the bus back to the Vale Hotel and just before the entrance the bus stopped. Because all the press were there, Jenkins got out of the front, said thank you and was never seen again in that role.
"To be fair to him, he's never once done an interview and or blamed anyone for it, he's taken it on the chin and never really had his say on the story or anything like that."
Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins was sacked the morning after the loss to Fiji
The World Cup exit had taken it's toll on Shanklin with Fiji travelling to Marseille instead of Wales for the quarter-final against eventual winners South Africa, who defeated England in the final.
"I remember coming home and thinking 'I hope Fiji beat South Africa now,' just to ease the pain a little bit on us," said Shanklin.
"It was such a down moment, probably the low point of my career and the same for a few others.
"I remember coming back into the airport and there were some fans there, a couple of young kids with Welsh tops on, clapping us in but it wasn't much at all, quite a quiet airport."
The tournament did provoke change though for Wales. Later in 2007 a New Zealander called Warren Gatland would be given the reigns of Wales for his first stint in charge. Whatever happened to him?
Tom Shanklin's predictions for 2023
Where will Wales finish?: Quarter-finals, maybe semis, because we're on the right side of the draw.
Winners? Whoever wins the first game, New Zealand or France.