Fly-half Caleb Muntz scored 19 factors as Fiji pulled off a shock 24-19 win over Wales on the Principality Stadium on Sunday to increase the hosts’ dropping streak to 10 matches.
Muntz scored an outstanding particular person strive, which he transformed, plus put over 4 penalties for Fiji, who additionally scored a strive by means of Josua Tuisova.
Wales, who made a promising begin to the take a look at, scored by means of new cap Blair Murray, substitute Ellis Bevan and a penalty strive with a single conversion from Gareth Anscombe on his long-awaited return to the facet.
Murray, who was most well-liked to Rio Dyer within the Wales line-up on the left wing, justified coach Warren Gatland’s religion with a dash to the road to attain a primary strive within the eighth minute.
Wales went over once more within the fifteenth minute however Cameron Winnett’s effort was chalked off after a harmful filter from Tommy Reffell within the build-up that earned the unfastened ahead a yellow card.
Regardless of the drawback, Wales had been awarded a penalty strive 4 minutes later when Elia Canakaivata tried to tug down their driving maul, incomes himself a 10-minute keep within the sin bin.
Fiji’s woes elevated within the twenty first minute when key winger Semi Radradra was cautioned, upgraded quickly after to crimson, for a excessive hit on Winnett.
Regardless of being right down to 13 males, Fiji scored with a break from Muntz, who lower by means of the center and accelerated away from the defenders for a Twenty fourth-minute particular person effort that lowered the house result in 14-10.
Two minutes into the second half, Muntz lowered Wales’s result in a single level when placing over a penalty after which gave Fiji a 16-14 lead with one other profitable kick within the forty ninth minute.
“So long as we held the ball, we knew that we may make chinks within the [Welsh] armour, and we knew we may rating,” Muntz mentioned.
Tuisova powered over for Fiji’s second strive on the hour mark, as a field kick arrange a strong assault on the Welsh line and silenced the house crowd.
Substitute Jac Morgan, making a primary look since final yr’s World Cup, helped to arrange Wales’s third strive 5 minutes later with a carry that stretched the visiting defence and, as soon as the ball went down the road, allowed Bevan to go over and cut back Fiji’s result in 21-19.
Nevertheless it was the Pacific islanders who completed stronger, botching an opportunity for a 3rd strive with an errant move six minutes from the top.
They’d, nevertheless, a penalty benefit within the build-up and Muntz put over the close-in kick to go away Wales scrambling unsuccessfully within the closing levels to attempt to snatch the win, with Ryan Elias spilling the ball of their final assault.
Wales’s final victory was a 43-19 overcome Georgia ultimately yr’s World Cup.
That was adopted by elimination from the event by Argentina, then a Six Nations whitewash and mid-year losses to South Africa and twice to Australia.
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