{"id":291879,"date":"2023-09-09T09:34:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T09:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=291879"},"modified":"2023-09-09T09:34:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T09:34:06","slug":"wales-face-familiar-foes-fiji-5-talking-points-before-rugby-world-cup-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/rugby-union\/wales-face-familiar-foes-fiji-5-talking-points-before-rugby-world-cup-clash\/","title":{"rendered":"Wales face familiar foes Fiji \u2013 5 talking points before Rugby World Cup clash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletter\/sport\/sport-135x135.png\" class=\"i-amphtml-layout-responsive i-amphtml-layout-size-defined\" i-amphtml-layout=\"responsive\"><\/p>\n<h3>Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing<\/h3>\n<h3>Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news<\/h3>\n<h2>Thanks for signing up to the<br \/> Sport email<\/h2>\n<p>Wales kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign on Sunday when they tackle Pool C opponents Fiji in Bordeaux.<\/p>\n<p>It will be a fifth successive World Cup at which the teams meet, with Wales having reeled off three successive wins since suffering a tournament-ending defeat by Fiji 16 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points heading into the game.<\/p>\n<h2>Familiar World Cup foes<\/h2>\n<p>Wales and Fiji will look to launch their campaigns with a momentum-generating victory. Since beating Wales in 2007 \u2013 a 38-34 success that meant a pool-stage exit for their opponents \u2013 Fiji have suffered three successive World Cup defeats.<\/p>\n<h3>Recommended<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/11\/30\/15\/GettyImages-1388382959%20copy.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/12\/01\/03\/GettyImages-1245251240.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Wales triumphed 66-0 at the 2011 World Cup, and although the two latest meetings were much closer contests, Warren Gatland\u2019s team found a way to cross the finishing line.<\/p>\n<p>Fiji are fresh from humbling England at Twickenham, while Wales have won only two Tests this year, setting up an encounter that should be full of twists and turns.<\/p>\n<h2>Hundred-club key for Wales<\/h2>\n<p>The saying goes that you cannot buy experience, and such a commodity could prove priceless for Wales in the heat of Sunday\u2019s battle.<\/p>\n<p>It will be an occasion for cool heads and calm decision-making, so it should come as no surprise if the likes of George North, Dan Biggar and Taulupe Faletau make significant contributions. The cap centurions boast 323 Wales international appearances between them, with North among an elite band to feature in four World Cups.<\/p>\n<p>It is Biggar\u2019s swansong before he retires from international rugby, and number eight Faletau is back from an injury lay-off. They could hold the keys to victory.<\/p>\n<h2>Warren Gatland\u2019s pledge<\/h2>\n<p>I promise you now, we will surprise some people<\/p>\n<p>Wales boss Warren Gatland probably surprised many rugby followers when he claimed ahead of the World Cup warm-up Tests: \u201cI am telling you this team will do something pretty special (in France). I promise you now, we will surprise some people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/mobile-stores\/Amazon_Prime.svg\" width=\"129\" height=\"56\"><\/p>\n<p>Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video<\/p>\n<p>Sign up now for a 30-day free trial<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/mobile-stores\/Amazon_Prime.svg\" width=\"129\" height=\"56\"><\/p>\n<p>Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video<\/p>\n<p>Sign up now for a 30-day free trial<\/p>\n<p>Gatland is eight Tests into his second spell as head coach \u2013 Wales have lost six of those games \u2013 while headlines earlier this year were dominated by financial issues in Welsh professional rugby and player contractual problems that almost led to a full-blown strike.<\/p>\n<p>Gatland, though, thrives amid adversity, and he has arrived at his fourth World Cup as Wales boss with a rejuvenated squad fit and firing following an intense build-up. Watch this space.<\/p>\n<h2>Memories of 2011<\/h2>\n<p>There is an undoubted symmetry between the Wales World Cup squad that went to New Zealand in 2011 and the current crop of players. For 22-year-old skipper Sam Warburton, read current co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake \u2013 aged 23 and 24, respectively \u2013 while the new brigade this time around includes prospects like Sam Costelow, Rio Dyer and Mason Grady.<\/p>\n<p>Twelve years ago, Ken Owens was at the start of his Test career, Faletau only had three caps and North just eight. Wales reached the semi-finals in that tournament \u2013 their best World Cup performance for 24 years \u2013 bowing out to France, and the same adventure of youth accompanies them this time, combined with vast experience offered by seven players with 70 caps or more.<\/p>\n<h2>The Fiji magic men<\/h2>\n<p>Fiji\u2019s set-piece game has undoubtedly improved under head coach Simon Raiwalui, but it is still an ability to cut teams apart through razor-sharp running angles and raw physical power that makes them such a threat.<\/p>\n<h3>Recommended<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/09\/04\/09-c40b61cb8e6b43baa562fee6e156a1ba.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/09\/04\/09-a7e543ebf4d94533b3f692879affb1f3.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/08\/23\/26a48b76508e46823b79134c1194ca46Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjk0MjY5NTQw-2.71482033.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Players like Semi Radradra and Viliami Mata can cause havoc with ridiculous ease, and there is no doubt that Wales could have their hands full defensively.<\/p>\n<p>If Gatland\u2019s team get on the front foot early, then they can boss the game tactically, yet that is far easier said than done against opponents who will fancy their chances of progressing from a pool that also includes Australia, Georgia and Portugal.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/rugby\/rugby-union\/fiji-wales-taulupe-faletau-george-north-ken-owens-b2408366.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up <span class=\"more-text\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":291878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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