Beauty and brutality – six unforgettable Wales v Fiji gamesImage source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, Wales and Fiji have met 15 times in Test matches – including the infamous game at the 2007 Rugby World CupByGareth Rhys OwenBBC Sport WalesPublished1 hour agoEvery rugby supporter loves watching Fiji.Ask the players, and they might tell you a different story.From Waisale Serevi weaving through impossible gaps to Rupeni Caucaunibuca leaving defenders clutching at air, and from the raw power of Semi Radradra and Josua Tuisova to generations of fearless runners willing to attack from anywhere on the field, no nation has blurred the line between beauty and brutality quite like Fiji.Former Wales captain Sam Warburton once described the 2015 Rugby World Cup meeting as the toughest match of his career. Wales won that day, but only after surviving an 80-minute collision with one of rugby’s most unique teams.The two nations have met only 15 times in official Tests, yet almost every meeting has produced a moment that has become part of rugby folklore.Before Saturday’s recent chapter (14:10 BST), BBC Sport looks back at six of the most unforgettable.The shockImage source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, Wales finished third in Pool B behind runners-up Fiji after their shock 2007 World Cup defeat in Nantes2007 Rugby World Cup: Fiji 38-34 WalesMention Wales v Fiji to supporters of a certain generation and they still wince.Needing victory to reach the quarter-finals, Fiji produced one of the greatest wins in Rugby World Cup history to knock Wales out in Nantes.
At the time, it was regarded as one of the biggest shocks the tournament had ever seen.
Today, it feels rather different.
Fiji have beaten Wales twice since, pushed them to the brink in two more World Cups and now arrive in Cardiff as favourites. What felt extraordinary in 2007 has gradually become expected.
Ironically, one of the game’s finest moments belonged to Shane Williams, whose breathtaking solo try looked more Fijian than Welsh.
The consequences were enormous. Gareth Jenkins lost his job as Wales head coach, while hundreds of Welsh supporters who had already booked flights and hotels for the quarter-finals travelled to Marseille anyway – this time to cheer on Fiji against South Africa.
Heartbroken by what had happened, many could not help but admire the team that had done it.
