They had come close in 2010 in a 16-16 draw against Wales, but on a cold and cloudy day in the Welsh capital, the Flying Fijians wrote another chapter in the history books. This Fijian team is one getting used to claiming records.
At last year's Rugby World Cup, they reached the last eight for the first time in 16 years, beating Australia for just the third time on their path to securing a quarter-final spot. In the group stage, they narrowly lost to Wales in a thrilling encounter which made this win at the Principality that much sweeter.
It was an impressive second-half performance, orchestrated by the fly-half Caleb Muntz and co-captain Waisea Nayacalevu, which saw them edge out a gritty game and continue the misery for Warren Gatland's team. For Wales, this was a 10th successive defeat—their worst losing streak since 2003.
"I am just ecstatic for the players. I know how hard they have worked," Fiji's head coach, Mick Byrne, said. "To keep beating tier one teams, they are landmark moments we know that. We want to live in this arena; the Nations Cup is coming. We want to be a part of that. We are going to be up against these teams every year now."
This story is from the November 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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