2. Wales 34 – 38 Fiji: 2007 Rugby World Cup
The biggest upset victory of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, saw Fiji defeat Wales in a decisive match in Pool B. Australia had already stamped their name on the quarter-finals, with the second placed slot in the pool still there for the taking. The stage was set in Nantes, with the pundits expecting to see a tough contest, yet backed Wales to come out overall victors.
Wales brought a star-studded squad with them to France, as the likes of Shane Williams, Alix Popham and Alun Wyn Jones ran out at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Wales Captain Gareth Thomas led a resounding rendition of ‘Old Land of My Fathers’, as the capacity crowd was made up of predominantly Welsh support, who had made the short trip across the English Channel.
Yet the Welsh confidence took a knock, as the Fijians performed a fearsome ‘Cibi’ war dance to prelude the match. The Flying Fijians were not here to make up the numbers, and they took an immediate intense fight to Wales from the off. Fijian flanker Akapusi Qera, winger Vilimoni Delasau and lock Senikavika Leawere opened up the scoring with a blitz of three unanswered tries in the first 25 minutes.
Wales were stunned by this onslaught, and managed to scrape together a first half try through Alix Popham before the break. Head Coach Gareth Jenkins must have given the team talk of his career at half time, as the Welshmen answered with three tries within eleven minutes of the re-start. Shane Williams, Gareth Thomas and Mark Jones took Wales back into the lead, as Fiji looked to have exhausted their arsenal in the first 40 minutes.
Yet consistent kicking from Nicky Little kept Fiji within touching distance of their opponents, as he slotted four crucial penalties to bring the sides level. However, the Pacific Islanders seemed to have succumbed to burn-out, and the experienced heads of Wales looked set to prevail. Welsh flanker Martyn Williams crossed over for a 73rd minute try, taking the match to 34-31 with the sands of time running out for Fiji.
Four minutes remained, and this end-to-end fixture took it’s final twist. Delasau made a darting run for the line, yet was halted inches short by Martyn Williams. The exhausted Welsh guarding at the ruck presented a golden opportunity for Fijian glory, with prop Graham Dewes driving over for the memorable win.
Fiji would eventually be eliminated in the following round, as they were drawn against that year’s champions South Africa. However, the heroics in Nantes will live long in the memory of Fiji, and stands a testament to the progression of rugby in the Pacific Islands.