Recap: Wales vs Fiji LIVE | Rugby World Cup
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Wales have claimed they are recharged and ready to go as they target a place in the World Cup quarter-finals. Ten days after the Welsh toppled Australia and took charge of Pool D, the Six Nations champions tackle Fiji in Oita.
Victory over a team they have beaten at the last two World Cup tournaments will secure a last-eight spot before their final group game against Uruguay next Sunday. Wales have not topped their pool with a 100 per cent record since the inaugural World Cup 32 years ago, but they are firmly on course to achieve that feat.
Josh Navidi is one reason for them to believe that feat is possible, the Wales back row forward classing World Cup-winning New Zealand coach Steve Hansen and England players among his many admirers. But Navidi admits he would probably not have believed anyone four years ago who predicted him being part of Wales’ World Cup squad in Japan.
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The 28-year-old Cardiff Blues player has become a pivotal cog in Wales boss Warren Gatland’s finely-tuned machinery. Navidi has won 14 of his 21 Wales Tests, and his versatility is underlined by him switching from No8 to blindside flanker against the Fijians. He has also worn the No7 shirt and captained Wales, with Gatland readily acknowledging his considerable ability.
“He runs hard, tackles hard, does the basics well and doesn’t make many mistakes,” Gatland said. “I remember speaking to John Mitchell (England defence coach) after we played England at home, and he said that the England boys have a lot of respect for him as a player. That to me is recognition of quality.
“A few years ago – I think it was one of Josh’s first games when we played the All Blacks – and Steve Hansen said: ‘where did you get that No7 from? We are very lucky in that department. We have some real quality loose forwards who are all capable of doing a job, and there is some real competition there.”
Here are the teams for #WALvFIJ #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/nZPy1nIdbP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 7, 2019
Navidi went four years between winning his first and second caps, but he is now arguably one of the first names on Gatland’s team sheet. “It’s been crazy,” Navidi said. “A couple of months ago I did take a step back and think about it. If you had said to me fours ago that I would be playing in this World Cup, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
“It is nice to be here embracing it and taking the opportunity. Hopefully, I can just keep the jersey and keep on playing. It has gone well. I know the jersey can be taken off you so quickly, so I just have to embrace it. You have to take it when you can and hold on to it for as long as you can.”
Navidi’s immediate thoughts are on Fiji, when he partners back row colleagues James Davies and Ross Moriarty, knowing that a victory in Oita would confirm Wales’ quarter-final place one group game inside the distance.
Wales have succumbed to Pacific Island opposition in three World Cups and this Fijian side have enough firepower to make Warren Gatland nervous. Complacency is not an option, says @OwainJTJones https://t.co/5FmcPGlXeB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 7, 2019
“They [Fiji] like a frantic and open game,” he added. “We have just got to concentrate on ourselves and make sure our set-piece and everything is right, and all our patterns are there. A lot of people know him (Davies), and he is a massive threat over the ball and in attack as well.
“He is a bit of a character, he does tuck a few of the boys up. He had me. He is a good boy to tour with. It is good to have him here. Liam (Williams), him and Brad (Davies) are on tour entertainment. They did a thing where we had to guess whose tweet it was, and it was about the 2015 World Cup. It came up, and I thought it couldn’t be me, but it was, so I had to do a forfeit.”
Navidi has had plenty of family support in Japan, with his parents watching on, while his brother – a hairdresser who has two salons in Bridgend – has proved a cut above as far as the Wales players are concerned.
“My brother was over here for about two weeks,” Navidi said. “He came in and did the boys’ haircuts to freshen them up for the Australia game, but now they are struggling to find a barber, so there might be a few wild haircuts. The boys are saying they will pay for his ticket to come back.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Interesting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to comments