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'Anything below excellent' won't beat Fiji
By PA
Josh Adams scored three tries the last time Wales and Fiji met in Rugby World Cup mode – but he also remembers it being fraught with early problems.
Although Wales, inspired by Adams’ hat-trick heroics, won 29-17 to book a quarter-final place at the 2019 tournament in Japan, they had to endure a torrid opening.
Fiji scored two early tries and Wales had hooker Ken Owens yellow-carded during a dominant opening in Oita.
But Wales managed to regroup, with wing Adams’ treble underpinning his eventual status as the 2019 World Cup’s top try-scorer.
“We mentioned that today,” he said, ahead of Sunday’s Pool C clash.
“That game didn’t start too well for us – worst possible start in fact, 10-0 down after quarter of an hour and a yellow card as well.
“But we just reiterated the point that none of us went to try and do anything different, none of us had to go off-script, none of us wanted to go and do something magical off your own back.
“I think what we set out prior to the game we still tried to implement, regardless of the yellow card or scoreline and that was what allowed us to get back into that game.
“It will be no different this Sunday, and I think the importance of us understanding what we need to do early on – especially early on – is important to our execution.
“It is not just delivering your role, it’s about being excellent at what you are doing as well. With this Fiji team and how good they have been, anything below excellent might not be enough.
“We all understand we have a very important job, but I think the amount of time we have trained and talked about the first game, as a team we are all desperate to go and play.”
Fiji, now under the coaching guidance of former Newport forward Simon Raiwalui, are currently above Wales in the world rankings.
And their World Cup preparations also included an historic Twickenham victory over England, suggesting that they have genuine World Cup quarter-final potential.
Adams added: “You don’t blow them away early doors, and they have got a lot better since we played them in 2019.
“Their game looks a lot more structured, and this is probably the toughest Fiji team we would have faced.”
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Latest Comments
No he's just limited in what he can do. Like Scott Robertson. And Eddie Jones.
Sometimes it doesn't work out so you have to go looking for another national coach who supports his country and believes in what he is doing. Like NZ replacing Ian Foster. And South Africa bringing Erasmus back in to over see Neinbar.
This is the real world. Not the fantasy oh you don't need passion for your country for international rugby. Ask a kiwi, or a south african or a frenchman.
Go to commentsDont complain too much or start jumping to conclusions.
Here in NZ commentators have been blabbing that our bottom pathway competition the NPC (provincial teams only like Taranaki, Wellington etc)is not fit for purpose ie supplying players to Super rugby level then they started blabbing that our Super Rugby comp (combined provincial unions making up, Crusaders, Hurricanes, etc) wasn't good enough without the South African teams and for the style SA and the northern powers play at test level.
Here is what I reckon, Our comps are good enough for how WE want to play rugby not how Ireland, SA, England etc play. Our comps are high tempo, more rucks, mauls, running plays, kicks in play, returns, in a game than most YES alot of repetition but that builds attacking skillsets and mindsets. I don't want to see world teams all play the same they all have their own identity and style as do England (we were scared with all this kind of talk when they came here) World powerhouse for a reason, losses this year have been by the tiniest of margins and could have gone either way in alot of games. Built around forward power and blitz defence they have got a great attack Wingers are chosen for their Xfactor now not can they chase up and unders all day. Stick to your guns its not far off
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