WALES ESCAPE RED FACES AS RED CARD FOR FIJI IS DECISIVE
WALES claimed their first win of the autumn campaign against Fiji, but do not be fooled by the scoreline.
For most of the game, Wayne Pivac’s side were as uncoordinated as their ghastly black and dark green strip and will reflect on this encounter as a lucky escape from the clutches of humiliation.
Fiji wing Eroni Sau was sent off in the 25th minute for a swinging arm to the head of centre Johnny Williams and they had two further yellow cards later on, decisions which changed the entire complexion of proceedings.
Yet even against 13 men for a quarter of the game Wales didn’t look like definitely winning until an opportunist try by Louis Rees-Zammit in the 74th minute.
Ultimately, two touchdowns from rolling mauls by hooker Ryan Elias and tries by scrum-half Kieran Hardy, returning wing Alex Cuthbert and Liam Williams, were enough to get Wales the victory.
But Fiji, whose two tries through centre Waisea Nayacalevu lit up the afternoon, will leave Cardiff knowing that only poor discipline stood between them and a first ever win in the Welsh capital.
IMPOTENT IN ATTACK
EVEN though Fiji had a wing sent off in the 25th minute, it said much about Wales’ lack of craft that they could only manage to go in at halftime with a one-point lead at 14-13.
Time and again they crabbed across the field, their backs shovelling passes until the ball reached the touchline and an inevitable new phase.
Wales just didn’t look dangerous going forward, there was a lack of decoy running to keep the Fijian defence guessing, it was risk-averse, ponderous stuff.
It’s been a feature of the whole campaign up to now, Welsh attackers isolated, brought to ground and seeing the momentum sucked out of promising positions.
The two Wales tries in the first half came off a rolling maul – admittedly well worked and finished off by hooker Ryan Elias – and a dart from the base of a close-range scrum by Kieran Hardy while Fiji only had 13 men on the field after the yellowcarding of blindside flanker Albert Tuisue.
Yet in the 10 minutes either side of half-time while Fiji were two men down Wales prevailed just 7-3 on the scoreboard. In a word, it was pathetic.
Instructive was the fact that Wales’ best try was Alex Cuthbert’s in the 67th minute. He got in with a desperate lunge next to the corner flag while Wales were up against 13 men again.
Backs coach Stephen Jones has work to do. The injection of some fizz and unpredictability into offensive patterns should be at the top of his in-tray.
LACK OF WELSH CONTROL
WHILE Wales lacked guile and inventiveness in attack, there was also an overall lack of control and gamemanagement.
With Fiji depleted numerically, it was crying out for Welsh players to react to unfolding circumstances and work out exactly how they were going to seize control and win the match with comfort.
But nobody could. There was a criminal lack of leadership and nous on show.
Wales just became flustered and untidy as they huffed and puffed, their discipline was poor as they were penalised at the breakdown and for offside in midfield, such as when Nick Tompkins was over-eager coming off the defensive line in the 54th minute only for a Volavola miss to let the hosts off the hook.
What we saw was the resurfacing of an age-old problem – Wales’ lack of ability to be clinical and think on their feet when games aren’t going to plan.
SENSELESS RED CARD
SOME red cards are unfortunate, some are downright stupid. The one brandished at Eroni Sau just after the midway point of the first half fell emphatically into the latter category.
After Wales centre Johnny Williams had been taken to ground by the touchline, Sau piled in with a swinging arm that made contact with the Scarlets’ man’s head.
Up to that point the visitors were unquestionably the better side, but even though Australian referee Nic Berry initially seemed to want to let
Sau off with a yellow, TMO Stuart Terheege reminded him that he had no option but to dish out the ultimate punishment.
It was mind-bogglingly reckless on Sau’s part and although he looked crestfallen as he left the field he had only himself to blame.
FIJI’S ENCOURAGING START
AT the start of the second quarter it was 13-7 to Fiji and they were full value for that advantage.
They began the game by unleashing their big powerful runners at the Welsh defence which gave them gain-line dominance. They were rock-solid, too, in the scrum.
The Fijians also had plenty of joy at the breakdown, competing fiercely for possession with hooker Sam Matavesi a particular menace over the ball.
The away side’s try in just the fourth minute was a beauty. After eating up impressive yardage through the phases, No. 8 Viliame Mata ran a penetrating straight line before offloading superbly in the tackle for Stade Francais centre Waisea Nayacalevu to cruise over the line.
At that stage the match had that ominous look about it of being one of those occasions that see Wales taken to the brink of ignominy, or worse, by a determined South Seas nation.
It doesn’t take a genius to deduce that, had Fiji kept their discipline, they would probably have won.
MUCH FOR PIVAC TO PONDER
WALES finish the autumn campaign next weekend against Australia. Suffice to say a big week lies ahead for players and coaches.
For the November programme to be declared a success, Wales must beat the Wallabies, especially after Scotland and England did so, the latter with a bit to spare.
If they don’t then perhaps it’s time we started asking questions about where Wales are heading under Pivac.
They’ve won nine out of 21 games under his stewardship, with one draw. But it’s not unreasonable to wonder how much last season’s Six Nations title win flattered the group. There are serious issues to address. Wales have looked shaky at setpiece, they look frankly clueless in attack at times. They also have to offer more on the gain-line to enable to get more forward momentum and speed up the pace of their attacks.