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Wales suffered a record 11th successive test defeat as they were comfortably beaten 52-20 against Australia at The Principality Stadium, writes Ben Thomas.

The Wallabies scored eight tries in a clinical display despite spending 20-minutes of the fixture down to 14-men when Samu Kerevi received a red card for a dangerous shoulder challenge early in the second half.

In a back and forth opening it was the visitors who threatened first to open the scoring following some quick hands from Max Jorgensen found Len Ikitau. With the centre millimetres from the try line he was denied by the Welsh defence as they forced a touchback.

The Wallabies began to gain confidence however and it wasn’t long before they got their first score. Fullback Tom Wright forcing his way through the Welsh defence all to easily before scoring in the corner in the 13th minute.

They went over again just three minutes later as Wright capitalised on a poor pass to send Nick Frost through to score under the posts.

Australia continued their relentless assault on the home defence as Matt Faessler crashed over the line in the 24thminute, following a penalty that was kicked into the corner.

Despite the tough start the low in confidence home side got themselves on the scoresheet just three minutes later as Aaron Wainwright crossed over under the posts sparking relieved celebrations.

The try looked to have turned the momentum of the game as Wales looked to apply their own offensive pressure. Gareth Anscombe cutting the deficit further with a penalty in the 33rdminute.

Anscombe converted a second penalty four minutes later cutting the Australian lead to just six points as both sides headed into the break.

Warren Gatland’s hopes of ending their 10-match unbeaten run was further helped early in the second half when Samu Kerevi was shown a yellow card for his dangerous tackle that was later upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

Despite the man disadvantage it was Joe Schmidt’s side who crossed the try line next with Faessler getting his second of the afternoon in the 47th minute. Faessler got his third of the afternoon and Australia’s fifth just six minutes later crossing just right of the posts to open a 20-point lead.

The nightmare second half continued for Wales as Wrightintercepted a Sam Costelow pass in midfield to run clear and convert their sixth try of the game in the 61st minute.

The hosts eventually broke down the stubborn Wallabies in the 69th minute with Ben Thomas breaking through to score before Costelow converted his kick.

There was still time for further misery as Ikitau and Wright crossed over in the final five minutes leading to hordes of Welsh supporters making an early exit. The final whistle brining to an end another difficult day for Welsh rugby.

Wales: 20

Tries: Aaron Wainwright (1), Ben Thomas (1)

Conversions: Gareth Anscombe (1), Sam Costelow (1)

Penalties: Gareth Anscombe (2), 

Australia: 52

Tries: Tom Wright (3), Nick Frost (1), Matt Faessler (3), Ken Ikitau (1)

Conversions: Noah Lolesio (6), 

Red card: Samu Kerevi 41’ 

Wales: 1 Gareth Thomas, 2 Dewi Lake ©, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Will Rowlands, 5 Adam Beard, 6 James Botham, 7 Jac Morgan, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 9 Ellis Bevan, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 11 Blair Murray, 12 Ben Thomas, 13 Max Llewellyn, 14 Tom Rogers, 15 Cameron Winnett.

Replacments: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Christ Tshiunza, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Eddie James.

Australia: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Allan Alaalotoa ©, 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton, 6 Seru Uru, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Rob Valentini, 9 Nic White, 10 Noah Lolesio, 11 Max Jorgensen, 12 Samu Kerevi, 13 Len Ikitau, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 15 Tom Wright.

Replacments: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Zane Nonggon, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tate Mcdermott , 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. 

Words By Ben Thomas

France Player ratings vs New Zealand: Autumn Nation Series 

Check out our France player ratings vs New Zealand from their second Autumn Nation Series game at the Stade de France in Paris. 

France replicated their performance in the opening game of the Rugby World Cup in 2023, beating New Zealand 30-29 under the lights in the French capital. 

Les Bleus came into the encounter with the highest winning rate (22%) against New Zealand in the Northern Hemisphere, and after a troubled summer, it looks like Fabien Galthie’s men are back on track as they narrowly beat the All Blacks in a nail-biter.

Tries from Romain Buros, Paul Boudehent, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, accompanied by the boot of Thomas Ramos, saw France become the first team in New Zealand’s northern hemisphere tour to beat them. This win sees France claim their third consecutive win over the All Blacks, which is only the second time in the country’s history that they have won three on the spin.   

France: 30 

Tries: Romain Buros (32’), Paul Boudehent (43’), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (51’)  

Cons: Thomas Ramos (33’, 45’,52’) 

Pens: Thomas Ramos (7’, 57′, 73’)

New Zealand: 29

Tries: Peter Lakai (8’), Cam Roigard (26’), 

Cons: Beauden Barratt (9’, 27’)  

Pens: Beauden Barratt (37’, 55’), Damien Mckenzie (62’, 68’, 75) 

15: Romain Buros- 6 

It was a tranquil game for the Bordeaux player, who changed the game in the first half after powering his way over to score the first try of the evening for Les Bleus. He showed excellent handling skills and helped his side in attack on numerous occasions to get over the gain line. He was also of great value in defence. 

14: Gabin Villiere- 4

It’s pretty hard to rank Toulon’s Villiere, as he didn’t do much that caught the eye of the spectators, but he was outstanding in chasing upfield and worked hard in defence when needed.

13: Gaël Fickou- 6

It was an average performance. There were some excellent carries in the midfield, but other than that, he was one of the quieter players in the backline.

12: Yoram Moefana- 7

Like many, Moefana played his part in this historic win for France, often putting his side on the front foot. He looked really positive in defence, not allowing the visitors through at crucial moments.    

11: Louis Bielle-Biarrey- 8 

He claimed the Player of the Match award last timeout against the Brave Blossoms but had a quieter showing for a large part of the game. He was great in attack, showing great acceleration, especially in the build-up to his try, and was great in the red zone defensively as he stopped the momentum of the Kiwi’s.

10: Thomas Ramos- 9

There’s been much talk about Ramos being named in the XV, but continuing on from last week’s outstanding performance; Ramos’s boot was instrumental throughout. He was the main driver in adding scoreboard pressure by going 100% from the tee and was great in spotting gaps behind the visitors defence.

9: Antoine Dupont ©- 8

Despite moving to 10 late in the game, Dupont kept doing what the Gold Medalist does which is mainly showing maturity and great skill in leading France to this historic win. He was exceptional in controlling his side’s attack and kept the visitors on their toes around the breakdown area where he was looking for gaps through to the whitewash.

8: Gregory Alldritt- 6

Although he will be kicking himself after gifting Cam Roigard a try in the first half, Alldritt seemed underwhelming. He had a great showing in getting the hosts over the line when in attack and holding the All Blacks up in defence other than that was pretty average.

7: Alexandre Roumat- 5

Unlike his counterpart in the back row, Roumat was a lot quieter in his work, but overall, he plied his trade in and around the breakdown area, which helped the hosts massively. One area that let him down at times was his discipline.

6: Paul Boudehent- 8

After a brace against Japan, one of the standout players for the hosts in the encounter was yet again Boudehent. He gave great value in both attack and defence. He was great at the breakdown area and made a massive impact in scoring a decisive try that brought his side back into the encounter. 

5: Emmanuel Meafou- 7

The New Zealand-born showed excellent defensive skills after some early big hits on the visitors, setting the tempo for the tightly contested opening 40. He was utilised well in being one of the leading ball carriers for the hosts as he gave an excellent account of himself. 

4: Thibaud Flament- 7 

Like many of the starting XV, Flament was excellent. In defence, he was great, especially in the breakdown area, which sometimes halted the All Blacks’ attack. Overall, it was a solid showing for the Toulouse man.  

3: Tevita Tatafu- 3

We only had a little amount of time to rate Tatafu as there was an early injury scare for Tatafu. He went down injured after New Zealand’s Samipeni Finau’s head made contact with the tighthead’s knee within the opening minutes. In that time, he showed great strength and power when the hosts attacked. After trying to run it off, he was replaced nine minutes later by Georges-Henri Colombe. 

2: Peato Mauvaka- 6

Mauvaka was another standout player from last weekend, but didn’t hit the heights of last week. He was solid at the lineout, which was vital in getting France back into the game and carried well in helping France in attack and was excellent when he dropped into the back row.

1: Jean-Baptiste Gros- 7

The loosehead’s work went under the radar. He was a massive help in the host’s defence, as the visitors shared a lot of possession early on. His ability to change the tune at the scrum was impressive, as it didn’t always favour the hosts. It was a decent showing from the 25-year-old who went off on 48 minutes. 

Wales play their second Autumn Nation match tomorrow afternoon against Australia at Principality Stadium (KO: 16:10).

After last Sunday’s defeat against Fiji Gatland’s men will be looking to avoid their 11th consecutive Test defeat. 19 points from Caleb Muntz accompanied by a try from Josua Tuisova saw Mike Byrne’s Fijian side record their first ever win in the Welsh capital and also there first win over Wales since 2007.

That result means that Wales have equaled the number of losses (10) which last came when Steve Hansen was in charge. 

The Wallabies on the other hand, come into tomorrow’s game full of confidence after a sensational win at Allianz Stadium (Twickenham) last weekend after a late try from Max Jorgensen. Australia like Wales have had a troubled time in recent times under new head coach Joe Schimdt but after last weekends 42-37 win will add to the confidence of the Wallabies. 

After that defeat to Fiji, Wales have made four changes to the starting XV with both Mason Grady (Ankle) and Tomos Williams (Shoulder) being ruled out for the remainder of the Autumn. Both Ellis Bevan and Tom Rogers take their spots respectively in the starting XV. 

Tommy Reffell and Taine Plumtree are replaced by Jac Morgan and James Botham as they accompany Aaron Wainwright in the back row. A look at the bench now and Dragons scrum-half Rhodri Williams is named and if he comes off the bench tomorrow he will set a record for the longest interval between Welsh appearances. 

Joe Schmidt has added a lot more experience to his side that will be heading to the Welsh capital after trimphing over England. 

Both Rob Valetini and Samu Kerevi win their 50th cap and Nic White returns to the starting XV at 9. Will Skelton comes back into the second row to play his first game of 2024 for the Wallabies and after his heroics late on last weekend against England, Max Jorgensen starts. After making his debut in Rugby Union at Allianz stadium Joseph Sua’ali’i drops onto the bench and is replaced by the experienced Samu Kerevi. 

Pre-Match Thoughts: 

Speaking after Wales’s Captain’s Run at Principality Stadium, Will Rowlands said: “I think it will be a tough game. 

“They obviously have been improving a lot in the last 12 months and played well last weekend, they deserved to win against England. 

“So I think, yeah tough game for us but really excited, big challenge and I’m looking forward to it. 

On what Wales have to improve on from last weekend’s defeat, Rowlands continued: “Probably just the small moments. 

“Just a bit more accuracy from us trying to carry that first 20 minutes on and we think we could’ve killed Fiji off to drag that out to the 80 minutes. 

“I think we created opportunities, it’s just about relentless and repeatability,” the 6ft 8 lock insisted. 

On his opposition, Rowlands said: “Yeah, I think physical. I think they’ll have identified that the maul was an area of strength for us. So they will try to target that, try to limit us there. Otherwise, just (Will) Skelton doing what Skelton always does. Nick Frost, around the park link play, lineup. Hopefully nothing we can’t handle.”

“To be honest, there hasn’t been that much negative energy. I think obviously everyone’s been really disappointed every time we lose and we don’t want to be having lost 10 games on the bounce for sure. But I think the great thing about rugby and professional sport is that every week is a new opportunity,” Rowlands added on the mood in the camp. 

“I think it’s obviously something you’re aware of. Results do matter in particularly, well in all sports, particularly in test rugby. 

“And as I said, we absolutely don’t want to be here. But to be honest, I think personally I’ve just dialled out from the media this week following last weekend and I’ve just focused on the things that we can control and looking to what we can put into action on the weekend. 

Rowlands concluded by adding how delighted he is by seeing former Dragons teammate, Rhodri Williams being named on the bench. “Yeah, really pleased for him.

“It’s been, obviously been a while. So really exciting opportunity for him and great to be back playing with him after a couple of years,” Rowlands concluded.

Promotor Chris Sanigar has made it no secret that all the fighters will be looking to impress tomorrow night, as they all want to be on the BBC card come March next year. 

Kyran Jones (10-0) returns to the Vale Sports Arena after fighting on the Lauren Price vs Jessica McAskill card last timeout against Lewis Howells. The 26-year-old will take on Elliot Eboigbe (1-4), who stopped Thomas Galbraith in the fourth round in his previous outing. Fellow gym mate of Jones, JD Cuevo (2-0), looks to keep his winning streak going after his professional debut in August. The Colombian born, now fighting out of Pontyclun, takes on South African Garth Noot (1-5), who, in his last fight, caused many problems for former Welsh Champion Jake Tinklin after dropping him in the third. 

School teacher Daniel Walshe looks to move to 3-0 as he takes on Oldbury’s Jahfieus Faure (3-19-2). Walshe, trained by former World Champion Lee Selby, has yet to drop a round as a pro after making his debut in June. Haaris Khan (4-0) was set to face India’s Vijendra Kumar, who is undefeated after seven contests but will instead take on Jake Bray (3-24-2). Khan, nicknamed ‘The Hurricane’, sets his sights on a Welsh title fight early next year. After a brutal finish in his last fight against Rajesh Kumar in the sixth round, Bristol’s Anton Haskins (11-0) will take on Nicaraguan Eliecer Quezada (24-30-3) in one of four-six rounders on the card. 

Mountain Ash’s Tony Dixon (14-5) returns to the ring after almost 18 months out of the ring. Dixon, who claimed the Welsh Welterweight title after a narrow 95-94 decision win over Kieran Gething in 2018, will now step in against Costa Rican Berman Sanchez (31-59-4).

Kane Shepherd (5-0) also returns to the Vale Sports Arena after forcing Ishmael Ellis into retirement before the third round of his last fight, which took place at the Utilita Arena on Sky Sports. Shepherd takes on the former WBC World Youth Lightweight Champion, Rajesh Kumar (16-2-1), who returns to the Vale after his last outing against Anton Haskins. 

Aaron Sutton (17-1), who, back in February, went head-to-head with Germome Warburton in a final eliminator for the British Middleweight title. Since then, the Bristolian has recorded a win over Mike Byles, and tomorrow night, he will take on Jensen Irving (4-16-1), who has been stopped just once in his 21 outings as a pro. After making his professional debut at the Galleries in Bristol in June, Antonio Soares (1-0) takes on Richard Helm (1-40-1). 

If you cannot make it tomorrow night, follow The Punchers Chance on Twitter or Instagram as the night goes on to stay up-to-date with all the action. 

Words By Harry Tovey        

“I need to get to the bottom of that” – 5 Talking Points: Warren Gatland and Dewi Lake react to Wales’s defeat to Fiji

It has been ten games since Wales tasted victory in a Test Match. Fiji, the deserving winners, won their first-ever game in Wales, and a decisive penalty kick from Caleb Muntz secured it. Muntz led the way for the Flying Fijians, scoring 19 of the visitors’ 24 points, with Josua Tusiova crossing the whitewash.  

This 24-19 loss now adds to the heartache of many Welsh supporters and after a poor Six Nations and Summer Tour, you have to ask the question, where does this leave Warren Gatland?

Gatland and Dewi Lake broke down the brutal defeat in the post-match press conference. Here are the top five talking points from their immediate reaction. 

1: “I need to get to the bottom of that”- Gatland admits there was a miscommunication about the replacement for injured Mason Grady. 

Warren Gatland openly admitted that Cardiff Rugby’s Ellis Bevan was meant to come on to the wing in replacement of Grady instead of Sam Costelow, who dropped onto the wing. Gatland also stated he will probably not go for a 6-2 split on the bench again. 

“Other teams get away with it, and we have a 6:2 split, and we talked about one position where we potentially were a little bit exposed, could be on the wing, and we lose Mason pretty early in the game,” said Gatland.

“So it was a little bit tough for us and difficult for Sam to have to go on there and cover us for quite a big length of the game.

“Ellis (Bevan) was supposed to go on. I need to get to the bottom of that. So we were talking and said we’re going to put Ellis on, and then Sam’s (Costelow) run on the field. So, I just think he may have assumed that he was the person going on. We’d already had those discussions with Ellis. If we do lose a winger, you are going to need to cover us.”

2: Mason Grady injury update after the winger was replaced on 22 minutes 

One of the main takeaways from the post-match press conference was about the person who entered the field of play after Grady went off. Grady will be a massive loss for Wales if not able to continue this Autumn and Gatland gave us an immediate update on the injury.

“He’s got an ankle injury at the moment, and I’m not too sure how bad it is. It will probably need to be scanned tomorrow,” added Gatland. 

3: The first 20-minute Red Card of the Autumn Nation Series

Semi Radradra made direct head contact with one of Wales’s standout players, Cam Winnett, with referee Luc Ramos sending the winger off for an off-field review. Then, after Caleb Muntz scored the visitors’ first try of the afternoon, both captains (Tevita Ikanivere and Dewi Lake) were called to the middle of the pitch, and after further inspection, the yellow was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.    

Gatland added: “I’m in favour if it’s seen to be deemed as not being reckless or deliberate but the only thing I can say about that is that there’s no arms used in there. He’s gone with the shoulder, and it’s been head-to-head contact. So that’s where they need to make the decision on. Was it if he’s going to wrap his arms and I think if you do that and you catch someone higher, you can see how it can be a 20-minute red card.

“But they’ve got to deem whether it’s foul play of a certain standard. So look, I think it keeps the game alive, and it’s probably given Fiji an opportunity to get back in the game. I don’t see that as being bad for the game.”

4: A positive opening 20 minutes for Wales but “discipline cost us in the end”- said Lake 

After 20 minutes, Wales found themselves 14-3 up, with Blair Murray crossing over and referee Ramos awarding the hosts a penalty try after Elia Canakaivata deliberately brought down a driving maul. This was also despite being down to 14-men after Tommy Reffell made a dangerous clearance at the breakdown on Semi Radradra. Still, after that 20 minutes, it seemed the same old Wales again, easily giving away possession as they scored again on 65 minutes through Ellis Bevan and that was all from Gatland’s men.

Dewi Lake said: “Yeah, obviously frustration, disappointing. 

“As Gatt’s said, there’s a lot of opportunities out there for us. Disallowed try in the first half, you know, a couple of forward passes when we’re over the line in the second.

“But it was probably just discipline. Discipline cost us in the end. You know we talk about being under ten penalties or at least winning the battle of the penalty count, and we didn’t do that today.

Gatland added: “Yeah, absolutely. I think with the things that we were trying to do, we were trying to mix it up, like I said. 

“We talked about wanting to move their big forwards around and look to take their legs off them. I think we’re getting some success from our drive, and then we got some nice success out of some of the attacking shapes that we’ve been looking to play from, and we created some space and scored that first try and a couple of other occasions with the Tommy Reffell yellow card.

“Again, sort of we’ve created opportunities. So for me there’s a number of positives and I’ve just spoken in the changing rooms to them.

“We should be disappointed, but the boys have worked hard in the last couple of weeks and we’ve got to get back on the horse on Tuesday and tidy up some of the things that are going to help improve us.”

5: Is time on the clock running out of time for Warren Gatland as Wales head coach

This was a game that Wales had to win and they fell short, and with Australia beating England on Saturday a winless 2024 is looking very likely for Warren Gatland’s Wales who sit outside the top 10 in World Rugby. 

Gatland straight to the point on whether his time in Wales is up, stated: “Well, you can write about that. 

“So the pressure doesn’t come from us it comes externally. It comes basically from the media because that’s a narrative that you create.

“And that’s okay from where I sit. I honestly believe, and we’ve said for the last 12 months since the World Cup, in terms of the number of players and the experience that we’ve lost since the World Cup, that we were going to invest in a group of youngsters that we felt that we could build with and take us on.

“We’ve seen a lot of development from those youngsters, and we’ve said that we need a little bit of patience, a bit of time. But I understand that test match rugby is about performing. So you control the narrative and write what you want, and then I’ll see what happens there,” Gatland concluded.

A rugged 2024 continues for Warren Gatland’s men as they began their Autumn Nation Series with a record equalling 10th consecutive loss, as errors in the red zone proved costly.

It was a quick start to proceedings in the Welsh Capital as the hosts applied early pressure on the Fijian defence. However, after some heroic defending from the visitors, the ball was turned over, and pressure was relieved. Then, after Fiji were penalised for holding on, the ball was quickly spread to the outside, and Blaire Murray crossed over in the corner to break the deadlock on his debut. The visitors then added to the scoreboard shortly after, as the hosts were penalised for holding on, and Caleb Muntz slotted the three to reduce the deficit. Wales then looked to have scored their second through fullback Cam Winnett, but after a TMO check, Tommy Reffell was sent off for ten minutes after a dangerous clearout in the build-up to the try. 

Moments later, Wales doubled their lead after referee Luc Ramos awarded the hosts a penalty try after Elia Canakaivata deliberately brought the maul down.

Fiji’s ill-discipline was costing them as returning Semi Radradra was sent off for an off-field review after making direct contact with his shoulder to Cam Winnett’s head. However, with two men sitting in the bin, Caleb Muntz quickly broke through the hosts defence and crossed over for his side’s first of the encounter. This was met with referee Ramos upgrading Radradra’s yellow card to a 20-minute red card, the first of this Autumn Nation Series.

Then, after back-to-back penalties, Fiji found themselves yet again metres out from the hosts’ whitewash, and referee Ramos awarded another penalty try against Wales, who brought the driving maul down from the lineout. After a TMO check, it was deemed an obstruction in the driving maul, resulting in Wales winning a penalty, followed by Gareth Anscombe bringing an end to the half.  

HT: Wales 14-10 Fiji

Fiji’s star man, Muntz continued scoring all his side’s points at the beginning of the second-half as he slotted another three points. After Wales were penalised right in front of the posts, the 25-year-old again added the three to put his side in front for the first time.

Murray looked to have scored, but referee Ramos brought back play after a forward pass by Ben Thomas. Then, after a scrum, the ball was eventually spread outside for Josua Tuisova to power his way through the hosts’ defence and score Fiji’s second.

With it all seemingly being Fiji for most of the second half, Wales responded on the 65-minute mark with a try from Ellis Bevan, who was only on the pitch for less than a minute. This came from quick thinking to spread the ball to the outside, allowing the replacement to crossover.

Another TMO check ruled out Fiji’s third, but after returning to the original penalty, Muntz added the three to extend his side’s lead to five as they record a historic win in Cardiff.

Wales: 19

Tries: Blair Murray (1), Ellis Bevan (1)

Penalty Tries: (1)

Conversions: Gareth Anscombe (1)

Penalties: 

Yellow Cards: Tommy Reffell (1)

Red Cards:

Drop goals: 

Fiji: 24

Tries: Caleb Muntz (1), Josua Tuisova (1)

Conversions:

Penalties: Caleb Muntz (3)

Yellow Card: Elia Canakaivata (1)

Red Card: Semi Radradra (1)

Wales Starting lineup: 15 Cameron Winnett, 14 Mason Grady, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Blair Murray, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Archie Griffin, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Gareth Thomas

Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Christ Tshiunza, 20 James Botham, 21 Jac Morgan, 22 Ellis Bevan, 23 Sam Costelow

Fij Starting Lineupi: 15 Vuate Karawalevu, 14 Jiuta Wainiqolo, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu (cc), 12 Josua Tuisova, 11 Semi Radradra, 10 Caleb Muntz, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Elia Canakaivata, 7 Kitione Salawa, 6 Ratu Meli Derenalagi, 5 Temo Mayanavanua, 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Samuela Tawake, 2 Tevita Ikanivere (cc), 1 Eroni Mawi

Replacements: 16 Sam Matavesi, 17 Haereiti Hetet, 18 Jone Koroiduadua, 19 Mesake Vocevoce, 20 Albert Tuisue, 21 Simi Kuruvoli, 22 Isaiah Ravula, 23 Sireli Maqala

After a challenging summer tour, Fabien Galthie’s French side began their Autumn Nation Series with a comfortable win over Japan. Star-man Antoine Dupont shined in his first game for France since the Rugby World Cup. 

France began life back in the French capital, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, opened the scoring just moments into the encounter. He crossed over in the corner after kicking in behind and successfully regathering after Malo Tuitama misplaced the ball. The hosts’ early dominance continued as, after a crossfield kick from Thomas Ramos, it played into the hands of Emilen Gailleton to easily cross the whitewash.

Again, There was another error in the Japanese backline, and this time, Alexandre Roumat crossed over to score. On 26 minutes, Belle-Biarrey scored his second, and this came after Ramos spotted the space on the outside with a crossfield kick and Moefana offloaded for the 21-year-old to score.

Peato Mauvaka crossed over after quick thinking at the lineout with Dupont who drew the last defender for the hooker to cross to put his side up 31-0. However, after quick thinking from tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi it put the Brave Blossoms on the front foot, but some phases followed, and the ball was lost forward, which saw an end to the half.

HT: France 31-0 Japan 

It took the hosts just two minutes to add to the scoreboard. After a brilliant delayed pass from Dupont, Jean-Baptiste Gros crossed the whitewash, extending Les Bleus’s lead further. 

Harumichi Tatekawa crossed over in the corner after some brilliant handling from Dylan Riley as the Brave Blossoms scored their first point of the encounter. The hosts responded accordingly through Paul Boudehent, who went quickly from the breakdown to score, which came from a brilliant break from Dupont.

After being denied 90 seconds earlier, replacement Tevita Tatfu intercepted and just about won the foot race against Bielle-Biarrey to score the visitors second. Boudehent then scored his second after some brilliant attacking skills from the hosts’ backline, which allowed the replacement to stretch over from the breakdown and put his side back in the winning circle after a disappointing end to their Summer in Argentina.

Fabien Galthie’s men will now turn their attention to New Zealand, who have made an impressive start to their Autumn Nation Series with wins over England and Ireland. For Japan, they head to the surrounding French Alps as they face Uruguay in Chambery before facing England a week later.

France 52: 

Tries: Louis Bielle-Biarrey (2), Emilien Gailleton (1), Alexandre Roumat (1), Peato Mauvaka (1), Jean-Baptiste Gros (1), Paul Boudehent (2), 

Conversions: Thomas Ramos (5) 

Penalties: 

Drop Goals: 

Yellow Cards: 

Red Cards: 

Japan 12: 

Tries: Harumichi Tatekawa (1), Tevita Tatafu (1)

Conversions: Naoto Saito (1) 

Penalties: 

Drop Goals: 

Yellow Cards: 

Red Cards: 

France starting lineup: 15 Leo Barre, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Emilien Gailleton, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Thomas Ramos, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 8 Gregory Alldritt, 7 Alexandre Roumat, 6 Francois Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Tevita Tatafu, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros

Replacements: 16 Julien Marchand, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19 Mickael Guillard, 20 Paul Boudehent, 21 Maxime Lucu, 22 Matthieu Jalibert, 23 Gael Fickou

Japan starting lineup: 15 Malo Tuitama, 14 Jone Naikabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Siosaia Fifita, 11 Tomoki Osada, 10 Harumichi Tatekawa (c), 9 Naoto Saito; 8 Faula Makisi, 7 Kazuki Himeno, 6 Kanji Shimokawa, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Epineri Uluiviti, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takato Okabe

Replacements: 16 Kenta Masuoka, 17 Yukio Morikawa, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Amato Fakatava, 20 Tevita Tatafu, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Yusuke Kajimura, 23 Takuro Matsunaga

Five Talking Points:

Ramos pulling all the strings 

With there being a lot of talk beforehand about whether Thomas Ramos should be wearing that ten jersey over Matthieu Jalibert. All that talk was halted after two of France’s first half tries came from great vision from the 29-year-old as he put on a clini with spotted gaps in Japan’s defence. 

Louis Bielle-Biarrey

The 21-year-old made an incredible start to his Autumn campaign after running riot early on in this encounter. He showed great footwork, acceleration and was applying a great amount of pressure on the Brave Blossom’s fullback who was having a bad time at the back as one of his two tries came from a mistake from Malo Tuitama.  

Hard luck for Japan

Eddie Jone’s men never seemed to get going, despite having a lot of possession as they were unable to turn them into points as their opposition was far more clinical in the red zones. There was not a lot of go forward but when they did manage to showcase some skill they did so incredibly with their second try coming from a brilliant read from Tevita Tatafu who you can make the argument of why he wasn’t on the pitch from the start for the Brave Blossoms.

Try saving tackle from Theo Attissogbe 

After being a late replacement for Damien Penaud, 19-year-old Theo Attissogbe did not look out of place and it can be argued that he didn’t get what he deserved which was to be on the scoreboard. However, the highlight for the late call-up was a try-saving tackle on Tevita Tatafu late on in the second-half and proved to a lot of people not to skip leg day after his calves held the ball up. 

65 minutes was enough for Gold medalist Dupont

In what could be argued as the most anticipated comeback in the 15’s game for some time, Antoine Dupont made his return after winning gold at the Paris Olympic games. And he yet again proved why is up there with some of the greats in the game. From easily breaking through the visitors defence and created a lot of chances for his fellow teammates, which shows that the Dupont factor is real.

Wales will begin their Autumn Nation Series tomorrow afternoon (KO: 13:40). They will take on the Flying Fijians, hoping to end their winless streak and win their first Autumn game in the capital since Argentina in 2022.

You will have to go back to that sunny Autumn afternoon in Nantes when Wales recorded their last Test Match victory.

This came in their final group match against Georgia (43-19), and since then, Warren Gatland’s men have not picked up a win. However, after losing 2-0 down under to Australia in the summer, they come into the encounter on the back of a narrow 36-35 win over Queensland Reds in an uncapped game back in July. 

However, Fiji came into the encounter despite a thumping loss over Scotland last weekend having picked up silverware. This came in Higashiosaka, where they picked up the Pacific Nations Cup and put aside Eddie Jones’s Japan 41-17. With all that said and done, can Wales record their first win of 2024? 

Team news: 

One of the main talking points from Gatland’s team selection on Friday morning was Scarlet’s winger Blair Murray making his debut. This comes after a dominant start to the United Rugby Championship, where the New Zealand-born Murray has scored two tries in six appearances. 

Another interesting talking point was Cardiff Rugby’s Ben Thomas being selected at 12 after playing at 10 in Australia. This comes as Gareth Anscombe moves back into the starting ten jersey alongside his Gloucester counterpart Tomos Williams to complete the halfbacks. Joining Thomas in the centre will be Max Llewellyn, who has had a brilliant start to the season for Gloucester Rugby in the English Premiership.

Tommy Reffell gets the starting seven jersey ahead of Wales’s World Cup captain, Jac Morgan, who was named on a 6-2 split bench which includes the likes of Nicky Smith and Sam Costelow. Dewi Lake captain’s his side from hooker, and both Adam Beard and Will Rowlands make up the second row. 

Mick Byrne makes a handful of changes to his side, which lost 57-17 in Edinburgh last weekend. Many of their big names who ply their trade in the Top 14 return. Semi Radradra, Josua Tuisova, and Waisea Nayacalevu all start in the backline. 

Byrne makes no changes to Fiji’s half-backs as both Caleb Muntz and Frank Lomani remain in their starting positions and last weekend’s try scorer Tevita Ikanivere remains as captain.  

Pre-Match Thoughts:     

Speaking ahead of the encounter at the Captain’s run on a fresh Saturday morning at Principality Stadium, Taine Plumtree said: “I’m excited for it. 

“It’s been a long time coming and the season’s been good so far. I’ve been enjoying playing for the Scarlets but now there’s a real job to do tomorrow, so I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into Fiji. 

“It’s been tough. We’ve been training really well and we’ve been getting put through some good meters. So like I said, you know, the boys are ready,” he added.

Sunday afternoon will also see Plumtree make his first start in a Wales jersey, he continued: “I mean it’s an unbelievable stadium and being able to get my first start. I’m obviously grateful for that, and I’m just planning on making the most of the opportunity, really.”  

“I think Fiji have that DNA in them that they just want to play rugby and that offloading ability and a lot of strong, fast men. So, I mean, if we can contain that and we get our physicality in that contact zone, I think we can try to put them at bay like that.

“It’s a good loose forward trio that I’ve got with me, so I’m stoked for that. And there’s a good bunch of competition in training with Jack and James coming on off the bench. They bring a really good physicality, sort of physical level and good attacking rugby. So, yeah, I’d be excited for that.”

On his fellow housemate Blair Murray’s first start, he added: “I’m stoked for him. He’s got about 30-odd family members from around Wales and England coming tomorrow, so I’m really excited for him to be able to see them and obviously play in front of them and then play in the stadium like this. It wasn’t too long ago where I was in a similar situation just coming from New Zealand.

“He’s really looking forward to it and I’m looking forward to seeing him go out there, “ Plumtree concluded.

Words By Harry Tovey

Scotland Top Five Players

1- Darcy Graham

Having not played international rugby since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Graham began life back in the Scotland jersey with a bang showcasing some brilliant footballing skills and footwork to score four times. Two in first half and then two in the second-half moved him joint top on 28 tries for Scotland but only for a short period of time.

2- Adam Hastings

Hastings gets boosted up the list and this is arguably just because of that superb pass that he showcased in the making of one of Scotland’s nine tries. This ten shirt is going to be very competitive over the next couple of years and with his kicking game being solid from both boot and tee, he was also the maker of many of the hosts tries with some excellent handling skills.

3- Huw Jones

A brilliant intercept try was one of two for Jones and like Hastings was involved in the majority of the build-up play to many of Scotland’s tries. Solid performance across the park and is definitely one to watch out for this Autumn.

4- Duhan van der Merwe

Duhan who came into the match as the leading try scorer had to regain that status as he picked up a brace. Lots of big carries from the South African born winger that helped put his side on the front-foot.

5- Tom Jordan

Having a tricky opening period to life in international test rugby, the Glasgow Warriors player made an excellent try-saving tackle on Vuate Karawalevu in his opening minutes. There’s going to be tougher outings for Jordan but after that mature performance I don’t why he can’t make starting in that 15 shirt a more regular occurrence.

Fiji Top five players

Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula

After gifting Huw Jones his opening try after a terrible pass which resulted in the interception, Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula regained composure and responded with a try at the end of a very one sided half of rugby at Murrayfield. The 20-year-old will need to improve on his goal kicking for Sunday against Wales as he only successfully converted one of the three Fijian tries.

Caleb Muntz

After settling down after a edgy start to proceeding, Caleb Muntz was the catalyst in controlling his sides attack after a slow and ill-disciplined start.

Tevita Ikanivere

Even though at the age of 25, he led his side through a dodgy opening period with lots of powerful carries and even managed to cross the whitewash after quickly breaking down the touchline to score.

Ratu Meli Derenalagi

Scored right at the death of the first half after powering through, solid at times but the highlight of the game for the blindside was that try that seemed to helped change the momentum.

Elia Canakaivata

Was a brilliant ball carrier all game long, topping the tally with 16. Was also one of the main attackers that looked to break through at times a solid brick wall of Scotland defence.

Scotland 57-17 Fiji: Darcy Graham makes a dominant return to the international stage as he scores four times

The Return of Darcy Graham proved influential as Scotland began their Autumn Nation Series with a dominant win over a poorly disciplined Fiji side.

After 13 months without playing international rugby, Graham paved the way by scoring four times on his return at Scottish Gas Murrayfield. 

Accompanying Player of the Match, Graham was joined by Huw Jones and Duhan van der Merwe, who both scored a brace, with Kyle Rowe also crossing the whitewash as Gregor Townsend’s men began their Autumn period with a bang. 

It was a fast-paced start to Scotland’s opening match of the Autumn Nation Series as Inia Tabuavou misplaced the ball, the hosts won a penalty and kicked into the visitors’ 22. Then, from the catch and drive, a substantial number of phases followed, and after a change in direction from Adam Hastings, the ball looked to be spread out wide. 

However, Fiji were reduced to 14 men after scrum-half Frank Lomani deliberately knocked the ball on. From that penalty, the visitors turned the ball over and relieved pressure after a dominant opening period from the hosts. 

The deadlock looked to be broken; after recycling at the lineout hooker, Ewan Ashman crossed the whitewash from a powerful driving maul. Then from the TMO check, referee Craig Evans ruled the try out due to Pierre Schoeman making contact with Fiji’s Ponipate Loganimasi whilst being ahead of the ball carrier. Evans then returned to a penalty for the hosts, and the deadlock broke through Kyle Rowe. This came from another successful take at the lineout and excellent handling skills for the fullback to crossover. 

Ill discipline was proving to be an issue for the visitors early on as outside centre Apisalome Vota was yellow carded after an infringement at the breakdown. From that penalty, the hosts found themselves back in the Fijians 22 and after some quick thinking down the short-side hooker, Ashman offloaded back inside for returning Graham to crossover. 

Shortly after, the visitors were penalised for crossing, outside-half Hastings caught them sleeping as he quickly kicked across the field for Graham to expertly keep the ball infield with a grubber kick and crossover for his second. Scotland quickly claimed their fourth after a brilliant read from Jones, who intercepted the ball and crossed over to punish the visitors for their attacking error. 

On the half-hour mark, Duhan van der Merwe was penalised for being offside after a brilliant kick into the corner from Caleb Muntz, which was the catalyst of the visitors’ first actual attack. Then, from continuous pressure on the host line, Ashman was awarded a yellow card. After finding space on the outside, fullback Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula powered his way over to score his side’s opening points of the encounter. 

However, ill-discipline was a problem again for the visitors. After being penalised around the breakdown area, Hastings slotted the three to extend Scotland’s lead even further.

Prior to halftime, Glasgow Warriors Tom Jordan came on to win his first cap. He replaced try scorer Rowe, who went off due to a hamstring injury. However, with the clock deep into the red and the hosts’ ill-discipline worsened, Ratu Meli Derenalagi powered over as Fiji reduced the deficit to 19 points at the break. 

HT: Scotland 29-10 Fiji 

The visitors started the second half better. After entering the hosts’ 22 for the first time in the half, captain Tevita Ikanivere caught Scotland sleeping at the lineout and quickly broke down the touchline to crossover, narrowing the deficit further.  

This was shortly followed by van der Merwe putting his side on the front foot after breaking through the visitors’ defence. With the ball spread quickly to the outside, Huw Jones offloaded to Graham, who crossed over for his hat-trick. The visitors again found the hosts sleeping straight from the restart, and this forced debutant Jordan to make a brilliant try-saving tackle, followed by his side winning a penalty and kicking to relieve pressure.

Going into the final quarter, Graham picked up his fourth, bringing him level with fellow winger van der Merwe as Scotland’s all-time try scorers with his 28th international try after some brilliant attacking skills being on show.

However, the record breaker before the match crossed over to regain that status as after brilliant hands from Hastings, van der Merwe crossed over in the corner. Outside-centre Jones looked to have scored Scotland’s eighth, but after a TMO check, the try was disallowed after double movement to place the ball on Fiji’s try- line. In the closing moments, Jones secured his second and Scotland’s eighth after a brilliant cross-field kick from Hastings, which finished off a brilliant start to Scotland’s Autumn Nations Series in style. 

Scotland: 57

Tries: Darcy Graham (4), Huw Jones (2), Duhan van der Merwe (2), Kyle Rowe (1)

Conversions: Adam Hastings (7)

Penalties: Adam Hastings (1)

Drop Goals:

Yellow Cards: Ewan Ashman 

Red Cards: 

Fiji: 17

Tries: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula (1), Ratu Meli Derenalagi (1), Tevita Ikanvere (1)

Conversions: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula (1)

Penalties 

Drop Goals:

Yellow Cards: Apisalome Vota, Frank Lomani

Red Cards: 

Scotland: 15 Kyle Rowe, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (c), 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Ali Price, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Grant Gilchrist, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Dylan Richardson, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 D’Arcy Rae, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Gregor Brown, 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Stafford McDowall

Fiji: 15 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 14 Vuate Karawalevu, 13 Apisalome Vota, 12 Inia Tabuavou, 11 Ponipate Loganimasi, 10 Caleb Muntz, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Elia Canakaivata, 7 Kitione Salawa, 6 Ratu Meli Derenalagi, 5 Ratu Leone Rotuisolia, 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Samuela Tawake, 2 Tevita Ikanivere (c), 1 Haereiti Hetet

Replacements: 16 Mesulame Dolokoto, 17 Livai Natave, 18 Jone Koroiduadua, 19 Mesake Vocevoce, 20 Vilive Miramira, 21 Simi Kuruvoli, 22 Kemueli Valetini, 23 Waqa Nalaga

Talking points: 

Darcy Graham is back with a bang. 

It was great to see Darcy Graham make his long-awaited Scotland return and be awarded the Player of the Match. Having not played for the national side since the World Cup defeat to Ireland in Paris in 2023, he started like he has never been away from International rugby. The influential winger played his part in his side’s dominant start after showing some brilliant footballing skills to keep the ball in play for one of his two tries. The speedster was also a crucial ball carrier as he returned brilliantly to international rugby for Scotland, scoring four times. 

Ill-discipline costly for Flying Fijians 

Ill-discipline was frustrating for both teams but, more crucially, for Fiji. At one point in the match, the visitors were 9-0 up on the penalty tally. And within the opening quarter, the number of visitors was down to 13 men. Although they did improve, most of their ill-discipline resulted in many of instances of the hosts’ scoring points. This will need to improve for their trip to Cardiff next Sunday. 

International window concerns

There was a concern about this game being outside of the test window. Scotland didn’t let that affect them, as the 22 players comprised Glasgow and Edinburgh, alongside Sharks player Dylan Richardson. Some areas will need improvement, but with the return of Finn Russell and the Top 14 duo of Ben White and Blaire Kinghorn, will help massively. However, Adam Hastings expertly steered the ship in Russell’s absence to make that spot for the ten jersey more competitive. For Fiji, they’ll be looking forward to the impact of their European based players next week against Wales.

A strong debut from Tom Jordan

Having recently qualified for Scotland after landing in the country in 2019, he started his international career maturely. Having played some brilliant rugby for Glasgow in the URC, Jordan has already made a significant impact by making a crucial try-saving tackle to break the second-half momentum of Fiji.