International Rugby preview: Wales should record first win of the Autumn Internationals
Wales will be hoping that they can record their first win of the Autumn Internationals as they prepared to take on Fiji in their Test match on Friday 19 November.
Wales have made a number of changes from the team that were defeated 29-25 by the Springboks on Saturday 20 November.
Ryan Jones returns to captain the team and he will be looking for a good performance to secure his place in the team, for Wales’ final Test with New Zealand on 27 November.
Welsh coach Warren Gatland has decided to change his half-back pairing. Scrum half Richie Rees and out-half Dan Biggar replace the British and Irish Lions partnership of Stephen Jones and Mike Philips.
Winger Aled Brew will fill in for the injured Shane Williams, while Andrew Bishop returns to the team to partner the talented James Hook in midfield.
Ian Gough and Deniol Jones make up a new second-row partnership as Bradley Davies drops to the bench and Alun Wyn Jones is rested.
Huw Bennett is also introduced and the hooker replaces Matthew Rees who will be rested. Rees hands the captain’s arm band back to Jones as a result of his omission.
Dan Lydiate will play against Fiji if he can prove he is fit ahead of the Test and he will join Jones and Johnathan Thomas in the back-row. Veteran, Martyn Williams is on stand-by, in case the flanker fails to recover from his ankle injury.
Wales will be disappointed that they have failed to beat any of the Southern hemisphere teams after their loss to South Africa and their 25-16 defeat to Australia in their opening Test.
Gatland was particularly disappointed in not beating the Springboks, as they failed to close out the game having built up a good lead over the Springboks during the first half.
However, the Welsh coach will be pleased with George North’s display, after he scored two tries on his debut and he looked very impressive against the world champions.
Fiji will be confident that they can challenge the Welsh. The Pacific Islanders knocked Wales out of the 2007 World Cup and will aim to replicate that performance.
Deacon Manu will lead Fiji out and they will hope that they can improve on their 34-12 defeat by France on Saturday 13 November.
Wales will go into the game as favourites and despite two losses and a number of injuries the Welsh team should record their first win in the Autumn Internationals.
The Welsh front-row will expect to dominate the scrum, while Wales’ new second-row pairing should have enough experience to get the better of Fiji in the line-out.
The Welsh team will look to take Fiji on in the forward battle and then let their talented backs attack when in the Fiji half.
Wales will seek to play a controlled game to start and then attempt to adopt a more fluent running game if they build up a lead.
Fiji will hope their attacking off load game will be enough. Their lack of structure and game plan can lead to unpredictable performances, but Wales should have learned from their defeat in the last World Cup not to take anything for granted.
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