Wales seek 'ecstasy' in Fiji opener after nine Test losses

Opposing captains Dewi Lake and Waisea Nayacalevu both played in the 2023 World Cup

Autumn Nations Series: Wales v Fiji

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 10 November Kick off: 13:40 GMT

Coverage: Listen to live commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds, follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.

Wales have been forced to wait, sitting out the opening weekend, but they finally kick off their autumn programme on Sunday when they face Fiji in Cardiff.

The two sides meet for the first time since the World Cup thriller in Bordeaux almost 14 months ago with memories of that epic encounter still fresh in the mind.

Wales won 32-26 on that September night but only after surviving a ferocious fightback that saw Fiji score two late tries, before Semi Radradra dropped a pass with the try line begging in the final move of the match.

It was ecstasy not agony for Wales on that occasion and head coach Warren Gatland says he is hoping for the same this weekend.

A lot has changed as the two sides prepare to rekindle the rivalry this weekend.

What is at stake?

Victory is everything for Wales with forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys admitting an ugly win would suffice.

That is because Sunday will represent 400 days since Gatland's side last won a Test with no international victory so far in 2024.

That last triumph came when beating Georgia in Nantes during the World Cup pool stage in October 2023.

Nine international defeats have followed, with eight of those in this calendar year.

The current losing run began with a World Cup quarter-final exit against Argentina, and also included a Six Nations wooden spoon with five defeats and summer losses against South Africa and Australia.

One more reversal would see Wales equal their record low of 10 Test losses on the bounce set in 2002 and 2003 when Steve Hansen was head coach. So there is a lot at stake for the hosts on Sunday.

Wales have slipped to 11th in the world rankings, one place below Fiji who will be desperate to demonstrate they can beat a Tier one nation in an away fixture.

Fiji were without their Europe-based players for the 57-17 defeat against Scotland last weekend because the game fell outside World Rugby's autumn Test window.

Australian Mick Byrne has taken over as Fiji head coach after leading the Fijian Drua side in Super Rugby since 2022.

Team news

Uncapped wing Blair Murray will make his Wales debut, the New Zealand-born back stepping into the Test match arena after just six games for the Scarlets since arriving for the start of the 2024-25 season.

The 23-year-old, whose mother is from Tonyrefail in the Rhondda in south Wales, has done enough to earn a starting spot.

Ben Thomas is at inside centre following two fly-half appearances during Wales' summer tour of Australia, with Gareth Anscombe reclaiming Wales' number 10 shirt for the first time since last year's World Cup.

Anscombe, 33, is joined in the back division by Gloucester team-mates Max Llewellyn and Tomos Williams. Llewellyn is chosen as Thomas' midfield partner and Williams is back at scrum-half. Mason Grady switches from centre to wing.

Locks Will Rowlands and Adam Beard are back in tandem, with Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell earning a start ahead of Jac Morgan, who has been nursing a minor knock and is among six forwards on the bench.

Bath prop Archie Griffin - who has only played twice for his club this season because of a minor temporary heart condition that he has now recovered from - features in the front-row alongside Gareth Thomas and captain Dewi Lake.

Fiji have been able to welcome back some of their top players from English and French clubs with Byrne selecting Radradra, Josua Tuisova, Jiuta Wainiqolo and co-captain Waisea Nayacalevu in a star-studded Fijian backline.

Such is Fiji's firepower, Bayonne centre Sireli Maqala who is the leading try scorer in France's Top 14 league can only make the replacements bench.

There have been two changes in the pack, with Saracens prop Eroni Mawi and Northampton lock Temo Mayanavanua starting.

Line-ups and officials

Wales: Winnett; Grady, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Murray; Anscombe, T Williams; G Thomas, Lake (capt), Griffin, Rowlands, Beard, Plumtree, Reffell, Wainwright.

Replacements: Elias, N Smith, Assiratti, Tshiunza, Botham, J Morgan, Bevan, Costelow.

Fiji: Karawalevu; Wainiqolo, Nayacalevu (capt), Tuisova, Radradra; Muntz, Lomani; Mawi, Ikanivere, Tawake, Nasilasila, Mayanavanua, Derenalagi, Salawa, Canakaivata.

Replacements: Matavesi, Hetet, Koroiduadua, Vocevoce, Tuisue, Kuruvoli, Ravula, Maqala.

Match officials

Referee: Luc Ramos (France)

Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

Television match official (TMO): Eric Gauzins

View from both camps

Wales head coach Warren Gatland: "We're all aware of where we are. We've spoken internally about how important these first two games are.

"The way the players have trained and applied themselves has been excellent.

"The players are aware of how important the next few weeks are and building some confidence on what we've done as a group, with that experience coming back in. I've been pleased with how everyone has fitted in.

"Hopefully, on Sunday, there's ecstasy rather than agony."

Fiji head coach Mick Byrne: "I'm sure Wales will be desperate to get a win, but so are we.

"We want to get our job right and push enough pressure and execute our game plan in the way I know we can.

"We want to be the ones pushing the pressure on the field and see if the opposition can answer the questions we're going to ask.

"We know Wales are going to ask a lot of questions of us, they're going to come hard at us and we need to be ready for that and compete."

Match facts

• Wales have won 12 and lost just one of their previous 14 men's Test matches against Fiji and have been successful in the last six games between the two sides, including a six-point victory in their most recent meeting at the 2023 World Cup.

• Fiji's only victory against Wales came in the 2007 World Cup in Nantes. They have never defeated Wales in Cardiff, although there was a draw in 2010.

• Fiji have won four of their last five Test matches with those four victories all coming by margins of more than 15 points at this year's Pacific Nations Cup.

• The 40-points defeat against Scotland in the opening round of this year's Autumn Nations Series last weekend was their heaviest defeat away to a European nation since 2016.

• The Principality Stadium roof will be closed for this game and Wales' other November matches against Australia and South Africa.