Lydiate fears Black future as Fiji snatch late draw

WALES flanker Dan Lydiate has warned his Wales team-mates they need to make a big improvement if they are to avoid a thrashing by the All Blacks next week.

A last-gasp penalty from Seremaia Bai saw an unfancied Fiji side earn an impressive 16-16 draw at the Millennium Stadium last night after a disjointed and error-strewn performance from the hosts.

A try from centre Albert Vulivuli was the high point for Fiji, while Wales forced a penalty try after repeated collapsing of the scrum.

With a formidable New Zealand next to visit Cardiff, Lydiate knows there is no room for a similarly loose display then.

“We’re absolutely gutted,” the Newport man admitted. “We came here to get the result and we didn’t deliver tonight.

“We always knew it would be physical coming up against these boys and they didn’t disappoint. A lot of us will be aching tomorrow.

“We didn’t take our chances and made a lot of errors and you can’t do that at this level.

“We have to turn it right around, we can’t play like that again or we’re going to get battered (by New Zealand).”

Dan Biggar booted Wales ahead from short range after Fiji’s backs drifted offside and was then called on to restore the three-point advantage following Bai’s equalising strike and subsequent sin-binning for a dangerous tackle on Aled Brew.

However, Bai’s stand-in, Josh Matavesi, then slotted a long-range penalty to tie the game at 6-6 after 25 minutes. Fiji piled on the misery for Wales by scoring a try three minutes before the break that had its origins in poor Welsh lineout work.

Number eight Jonathan Thomas took a clean catch just outside Wales’ 22, but he gave scrum-half Richie Rees no chance by hurling the ball past him.

Sale Sharks number eight Sisa Koyamaibole gathered possession and after he was hauled down just short, quick recycling work ended in Vulivuli touching down.

Bai, back on the field, added the conversion and Wales trooped off 13-6 adrift.

With Mike Phillips and Stephen Jones now calling the shots at half-back, Wales went back to basics and turned the screw in the scrum, which resulted in a 57th-minute penalty try, converted by Jones, who then kicked a penalty to inch Wales in front.

But Bai had other ideas, finding his range with the last kick of the game.

Scorers for Wales: Penalty try; S Jones con, pen; D Biggar 2 pens.

Scorers for Fiji: A Vulivuli try; S Bai con, 2 pens; J Matavesi pen.

WALES: L Byrne; G North, J Hook, A Bishop, A Brew; D Biggar, R Rees; P James, H Bennett, A Jones; I Gough, D Jones; R Jones, D Lydiate, J Thomas.

Replacements: T Shanklin for Bishop (9), S Jones for Biggar (49), M Phillips for R Rees (49), B Davies for Gough (49).

FIJI: J Matavesi; M Tagicakibau, A Vulivuli, G Lovobalavu, V Goneva; S Bai, N Kentale; C Ma’afu, V Veikoso, D Manu; I Rawaqa, J Qovu; S Saukawa, M Ravulo, S Koyamaibole.

Replacements: R Ratu for Tagicakibau (49), T Rawaqa for Vulivuli (67), S Taka for Kentale (55), G Dewes for Ma’afu (59), T Tuapati for Veikoso (51), S Kalou for Ravulo (75), A Qera for Koyamaibole (49).

Referee: Jerome Garces (France).