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Wales player ratings vs Fiji | 2024 Autumn Nations Series
By Martyn Thomas at Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Wales fans arrived at the Principality Stadium hoping to see a morale-boosting win but came away in disappointment as Fiji made history and their long wait for a victory went on.
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Blair Murray’s try on debut provided the hosts with the perfect start and when Wales were awarded a penalty try it put them 14-3 in front and seemingly on course for a routine win.
However, Fiji had other ideas and despite a flurry of first-half cards, Tommy Reffell and Elia Canakaivata sent to the sin-bin and Semi Radradra having his yellow ultimately upgraded to a red, the visitors grew into the contest.
Caleb Muntz scored a brilliant solo try before kicking his side into the lead with a couple of penalties. Josua Tuisova then barged his way over the line before Muntz struck his fourth penalty of the day to stretch Fiji’s lead to five points again after Ellis Bevan had given Wales hope.
If one stat sums up Wales’ afternoon is it the 32 tackles they missed in Cardiff. Here are the Wales player ratings:
15. Cam Winnett – 5
Thought he’d scored Wales’ second try from close range early on only for it to be ruled out as Reffell was shown a yellow card.
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He was unable to stop Muntz on his dazzling run to the try line and was then on the receiving end of Radradra’s dangerous hit. Supplied the assist for Bevan’s try.
14. Mason Grady – 6
Injury forced him off less than 20 minutes into the match.
Showed some nice touches in his limited time on the pitch, though, and played a pivotal role in the move that created the opening try for Murray.
13. Max Llewellyn – 5
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A solid if unspectacular afternoon for the centre. Like many of his teammates, he looked good in the opening exchanges but was unable to wrestle control back from the visitors.
12. Ben Thomas – 4
A mixed game for the Cardiff man. A brilliant offload in the move that ended with Murray’s opening try but lacked composure as the game wore on.
Lost the ball forward to deny Murray a second try at the beginning of the second half and was then brushed aside on Tuisova’s charge to the line. His restart then went straight out.
11. Blair Murray – 7
Enjoyed a dream start to his Test debut, mopping up a difficult kick and then finishing off a fine team move to score in the left corner.
He thought he had scored a second early in the second half, but an earlier knock-on put paid to his celebrations. Can be happy with his personal performance.
10. Gareth Anscombe – 5
Started the match well and was good when Wales were in the ascendancy. Struggled to maintain that control as Fiji got the upper hand.
Passed forward when trying to free Ben Thomas on the left wing and lost a high ball forward around the hour mark. Was replaced shortly afterwards.
9. Tomos Williams – 6
Did everything he could to raise his side as momentum and confidence ebbed away. His 51st minute 50-22 momentarily got the crowd going.
His lung-busting effort to charge down Muntz minutes later only resulted in him being clattered from behind by Taine Plumtree. Was unceremoniously handed off in the build-up to what Fiji thought was their third try.
1. Gareth Thomas – 6
Could do little as Muntz ghosted past him and through a gaping hole on his way to the try line midway through the first half.
Put in a big hit to stop a Fiji counter-attack later in the half but was replaced early in the second as Wales looked to regain control up front.
2. Dewi Lake – 6
Made more carries than any other player in red during his time on the pitch, put in some good work with ball in hand and was solid at the lineout.
Lake was also tireless in defence, making 14 tackles but gave away the penalty that allowed Muntz to get Fiji on the board.
3. Archie Griffin – 5
The tighthead prop was penalised at the scrum towards end of first half and was one of three changes at the beginning of the second.
4. Will Rowlands – 5
A reliable lineout option and willing runner, making 10 carries during his time on the pitch. Rowlands was penalised for holding on as Wales attacked deep inside the Fiji 22 early in the second half.
Got through a fair amount of work defensively too, completing 10 tackles.
5. Adam Beard – 6
Was a reliable option at the lineout and got through a good amount of work in defence but was unable to turn the tide in Wales’ favour.
6. Taine Plumtree – 5
Completed more tackles than any other player on the pitch but also missed more than anyone else.
Not unique in this but lacked the discipline to maintain pressure on Fiji at key moments.
7. Tommy Reffell – 4
Not his best day at the office, despite a bright start. Reffell was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle in the 13th and he did not have the impact he would have hoped for once back on the pitch.
Fiji certainly felt that his yellow card should have been upgraded to red and he gave away a couple of penalties before being replaced by Jac Morgan early in the second half.
8. Aaron Wainwright – 5
Another player who tried to give Wales momentum with ball in hand and put in a shift in defence but ultimately came up short.
16. Ryan Elias – 5
Didn’t do much wrong after coming on until the final play, when he knocked on as Wales surged towards the Fijian line.
His knock-on ended the hosts’ chances of victory.
17. Nicky Smith – 5
Came on in difficult circumstances and despite not doing anything wrong was unable to help turn things around.
18. Keiron Assiratti – 5
Warren Gatland changed his entire front row in the 45th minute but the team’s fortunes did not change with Assirratti on the pitch.
19. Christ Tshiunza – 5
Introduced for the final quarter as Wales chased the game but was unable to have the kind of impression that might have been hoped for.
20. James Botham – 6
Made four carries in his 20 minutes on the Principality Stadium pitch as Wales tried in vain to assert themselves on the visitors.
21. Jac Morgan – 5
The flanker came on as part of a quadruple substitution early in the second half but was unable to help turn the momentum in his side’s favour.
22. Ellis Bevan – 5
Scored within seconds of being introduced as a second-half replacement but that proved to be the highlight for him and Wales.
23. Sam Costelow – 5
Played more than hour due to Grady’s injury and the majority of that in an unfamiliar position on the wing.
Was one of the players Tuisova ran through as he scored his try and missed the conversion that would have levelled the scores late on. Improved when he went to fly-half.
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At last, a reporter who scores players properly. The inflated and political scores provided on Wales Online are heavily influenced by reporters regional bias, agents and past players from certain regions.
Selection used to be Gatland's strong point but in his second term, it seems the WRU board have managed to control him and they too much like the aforementioned reporters, agents and past players are getting players selected who should be nowhere near a test team.
Full back is a huge problem for Wales as Winnett although tidy, cannot be relied on to make a last ditch tackle and rarely breaks defences.
Thomas is no more a 'best back in Wales' than he is an outside half or inside centre. He is another tidy regional player.
Rowlands will benefit from that game but Beard just does the same everytime he plays for Wales, yet keeps getting selected.
Griffin should not have been exposed and that is on Gatland because Henry Thomas is easily the best tight head in the URC at the moment.
And poor Costellow cops flak when it's not his fault. Another centre or wing should have been on the bench in a 6-2 split and that again is on Gatland.
For the next game I'd like to see Rodgers and James brought in for Winnett and Thomas. Tschinza to start at second row with a back row of Thomas, Morgan and Plumtree.