Gatland wants ‘no-nonsense rugby’ against Fiji

WALES coach Warren Gatland aims to plot Fiji’s downfall tonight – leaving the South Sea Islanders as victims of their own success.

Gatland acknowledges that had it not been for Wales’ World Cup implosion against Fiji in Nantes three years ago, there is a “good chance” he would not be in his current job.

The Welsh Rugby Union reacted swiftly to that 38-34 defeat at Stade de la Beaujoire, dispensing with Gareth Jenkins’ coaching services less than 24 hours after a calamitous result confirmed an embarrassing pool stageexit.

Gatland watched the nine-try thriller at home in New Zealand, blissfully unaware that just six weeks later he would be unveiled as Jenkins’ successor.

Gatland’s matchday 22 for Fiji’s first Millennium Stadium visit since 2005 contains five survivors from that dismal September afternoon in France – James Hook, Tom Shanklin, Stephen Jones, Mike Philips and Ian Gough.

And it is an undoubted motivational factor for a game that sees Wales hell-bent on halting a run of five successive defeats.

With the New Zealand All Blacks looming – and Wales having occasionally struggled against so-called lesser opponents during the November Tests – Gatland knows it is a night for no-nonsense rugby.

“In the past, the criticism for games like this is that we haven’t quite turned up mentally,” he added.

“We’ve got to make sure there is a complete focus on Friday night and bring the same level of intensity we have brought to the last two games. Against Fiji, if we need to be direct, drive a couple of times or put the ball into the corner, we’ve got to do that”.

Gatland has made nine changes from the Springboks clash, although teenage sensation and two-try debutant George North is retained, along with Hook, Lee Byrne, Paul James, Adam Jones and Jonathan Thomas.