'I never got the chance to play here... Villa Park was the biggest stadium I played in'

Aaron Wainwright savoured Wales winning at a stadium where he never managed to play as a Cardiff footballer.

Wainwright helped Wales open their Nations Championship campaign with a 39-24 victory over Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium – the third straight success for Steve Tandy’s improving team.

It was the first time Wales had played a Test match at the Sky Bet Championship ground close to their Principality Stadium home, with Fiji being the official hosts after switching their Nations Championship fixtures to the northern hemisphere.

But Leicester new boy Wainwright was in familiar surroundings having spent several years at the Cardiff academy before being released by the club at the age of 16.

“I never got the chance to play here,” said Wainwright, 28, who has transformed from his formative years as a defensive midfielder into a powerful rugby back-row ball carrier.

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“We had training sessions on here as kids and I did many a team photo shoot through the age groups before the coaches decided to drop me.

“Villa Park was probably the biggest stadium I played in football-wise. Under 14s or Under-15s against Aston Villa, but never here.

“It was a great occasion. The fans made loads of noise and I really enjoyed it.”

Wales withstood an early bombardment from Fiji’s physical forwards and dazzling runners to eventually get on top and pull away on the scoreboard.

After wins over Italy in the Six Nations and last week’s uncapped fixture against the Barbarians, Wales scored six tries in a Test match for the first time since November 2021.

Wainwright said: “I remember speaking when we were going through that poor run of form and the losses were adding up.

“We had guys coming into the team with not much international experience.

“I think we’ve ridden that wave or come out the other end of that losing streak.

“You can start to see the combinations forming and the boys are more confident out on the pitch and know what to expect from one another.”

Wales now travel to Argentina for their second Nations Championship fixture in San Juan on Saturday.

Wainwright made his international debut at Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario on Wales’ 2018 summer tour, coming off the bench in a 23-10 victory over the Pumas.

“My dad made the journey out for my first cap and I spoke to him about potentially coming out again,” said Wainwright.

“I don’t think he fancies that this time around with how far the travel is, but I’m excited to go back and revisit.

“It was a very hostile crowd last time with all the fencing stopping the fans getting on the pitch.

“That’s what I remember and the guys who haven’t been before can look forward to that.”