Fiji player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

Fiji player ratings: Not the start that Senirusi Seruvakula had envisioned, as Fiji were beaten by Wales 39-24 at Cardiff City Stadium in the Nations Championship.

Fiji conceded far too many penalties and were comprehensively outplayed at the breakdown, preventing them from establishing the cohesion and continuity needed to launch their attacking game and allowing Wales to take control through the scrum and maul.

Temo Mayanavanua and Jiuta Wainiqolo tried to push their team towards glory, but persistent struggles at the set-piece and breakdown ultimately proved Fiji’s undoing. Here’s how the players rated:

1. Eroni Mawi – 5.5

Completely mauled at scrum, just like Tim Hoyt and Peni Ravai. Aside from his scrummaging, Mawi did try to get involved in Fiji’s attack, with the loosehead prop connecting two good offloads that kept his team going. However, the scrum woes and the inability to find a way to counter Wales’ driving maul had a significant impact on his final rating.

2. Tevita Ikanivere – 5

An afternoon riddled with indiscipline and lineout missteps that had an impact on the end scoreline. The lineout wasn’t as reliable as it should’ve been, while the scrum crumbled under pressure for most of the game, with the hooker unable to find his groove.

3. Tim Hoyt – 5

As Mawi, Hoyt had a troubling afternoon at scrum time, conceding one penalty and being trampled by his opposite number on a few occasions. On the other hand, the Worcester tighthead showed a positive commitment in battling his way through the Welsh breakdown. Was subbed off early due to injury.

4. Isoa Nasilasila – 7

A lineout steal in the opening minute of the game and a few powerful carries from the Fijian Drua lock. Precise in his tackling and among Fiji’s more resilient defensive performers, Nasilasila helped offset the impact of a less-than-optimal showing in the scrum.

5. Temo Mayanavanua – 8

Simply sensational stuff from Temo Mayanavanua, as the lock was all over the Welsh breakdown, nabbing three turnovers that gave Fiji a lifeline in the opening half. To add to that, he stole a Welsh throw-in, keeping the opposite pack on their toes.

6. Pita-Gus Sowakula – 7

In his second outing as a Fiji international, the back-rower packed good dynamics in the opening half-hour, but ran out of fuel too early, depriving Fiji of an all-out-threat. Nonetheless, his tackling was on point, with Sowakula’s off-the-ball work standing out.

7. Kitione Salawa – 6.5

A double-edged sword. Salawa played his part in the ball-carrying department, making good ground and breaking away from a few tackles; however, his contribution was undermined by indiscipline, as he was penalised three times for deliberately playing the ball on the ground, proving costly for Fiji.

8. Elia Canakaivata – 7.5

Claimed Fiji’s second finish from a well-oiled driving maul, leaving Cardiff with a more than positive performance. Stepped in on several occasions to clean up his side’s handling errors, showing quick reactions to regather loose balls and the determination to fight his way through the Welsh defensive line.

9. Frank Lomani – 6

Fiji needed someone to steer the ship, but Frank Lomani endured an erratic performance that missed the mark in his side’s bid for a third consecutive victory over Wales. In open play, the experienced No. 9 was effective; however, when Wales slowed the game down, Lomani looked unsure which option to take. Penalised once for flying into a ruck, the scrum-half could easily have been sanctioned twice more for the same offence, missing the timing of the entry point.

10. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula – 7

Despite a slow start, the Fiji fly-half settled into the game impressively, becoming one of his side’s most influential figures and cutting out errors that threatened to derail their efforts. While he missed a kick into touch once, Armstrong-Ravula strung together a handful of smart plays that caught the opposition by surprise, injecting excellent speed and pace that kept Fiji in the contest until the end.

11. Jiuta Wainiqolo – 7.5

Wales experienced a world of pain every single time Jiuta Wainiqolo had a shot to run with the pill, with the speedster claiming three line-breaks and four defenders beaten, totalling 127 running metres. Had Fiji found more effective ways to bring the LOU winger into the game, they might have posed even greater problems for the Welsh defence.

12. Josua Tuisova – 7

Packed two dominant tackles, with one completely dismantling Dan Edwards, surging in with several carries that allowed Fiji to unleash their outside back trio. As long as he had fuel in the tank, the Racing 92 centre was relentless in his work rate, and he can hardly be blamed for Fiji falling short in Cardiff.

13. Semi Radradra – 6

28 minutes of quality play, which ultimately ended with an injury that seemed worrying at the time. His exit proved a major blow, with Fiji losing a crucial source of power and momentum in their attacking game plan.

14. Selestino Ravutaumada – 6.5

It was, to say the least, a very odd game for Selestino Ravutaumada. The winger was involved in some of Fiji’s best moments, executing excellent running lines that powered his team’s attack—even scoring a try from one of those plays— yet his performance was marred by a glaring error that gifted Josh Adams a try— an avoidable lapse that proved extremely costly.

15. Salesi Rayasi – 7

A game of ups and downs for the elusive Bordeaux-Bègles outside back. Built some of Fiji’s most incisive plays but was also responsible for a handful of handling and tactical mistakes that opened the door for a Welsh comeback in the first half. With space out in the back, he looked menacing; however, he looked far less assured under the high ball, with Wales repeatedly troubling him through their kicking game.

Replacements

16. Zuriel Togitama – N/A

Played the final eight minutes with no impact whatsoever on the final scoreline.

17. Livai Natave – 5

He came on and performed much better than Mawi, but as the match wore on, the prop became entangled in Fiji’s scrum struggles.

18. Peni Ravai – 5

As did Natave, Ravai managed to course-correct the Fiji scrummaging woes for a brief time, but it was short-lived.

19. Mesake Vocevoce – 5.5

Industrious at the breakdown, he repeatedly attempted to disrupt Wales’ driving maul, without any success.

20. Peceli Yato – 5.5

Conceded a penalty and claimed five tackles in under 25 minutes.

21. Simione Kurivoli – 6.5

A step up from Lomani, Kurivoli tried to bring more cohesion to Fiji’s attack, but came on at a time when Fiji looked exhausted.

22. Vilimoni Botitu – N/A

Featured for a total of nine minutes and was involved in two great attacking opportunities, adding 40 carried metres to his data sheet.

23. Kalaveti Ravouvou – 5.5

Wasn’t able to win the physicality front, allowing Wales to run circles around him.