Wales 23-22 Fiji

What a match!

Wales edged a thrilling encounter with Fiji 23-22 in the Autumn Nations Series opener at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday.

Fiji led 14-13 at the break and looked set to cause an upset when they extended their lead to 22-13 early in the second half.

But Wales hit back with two tries in the final 10 minutes to snatch the victory.

Replacement hooker Dewi Lake scored the winning try in the 79th minute, crashing over from close range after a driving maul.

The result was a timely boost for Wales, who have been struggling for form in recent months.

Warren Gatland’s side will now travel to New Zealand for a three-Test series before returning home to face Australia in the final game of their autumn campaign.

Match report

Wales started the match brightly and took an early lead through a penalty from Leigh Halfpenny.

But Fiji hit back with two tries in quick succession, the first from winger Sevu Reece and the second from centre Semi Radradra.

Wales reduced the deficit to 4 points with a try from centre Owen Watkin, but Fiji extended their lead to 14-13 just before the break with a penalty from fly-half Ben Volavola.

Fiji continued to press in the second half and were rewarded with a try from winger Josua Tuisova in the 49th minute.

Wales looked to be out of the contest, but they showed great resilience to come back and win the match.

Wing Josh Adams scored a try in the 70th minute to give Wales hope, and Lake’s late try sealed the victory.

Reaction

Wales head coach Warren Gatland was delighted with his team’s performance.

“I’m really proud of the boys,” he said. “They showed great character to come back from behind and win the match.”

“We knew Fiji would be a tough opponent, but we stuck to our game plan and got the result we wanted.”

Fiji coach Vern Cotter was disappointed with the result, but he praised his team’s effort.

“We played really well for most of the match,” he said. “But we made a few mistakes in the final 10 minutes and Wales took advantage.”

“I’m proud of my players for the way they played. They showed great heart and determination.”

Key moments