Defeat by Fiji seals Wales' World Cup whitewash woe

Wales (15) 25

Tries: Cox, Callender, Tuipulotu, Powell

Fiji (28) 28

Tries: Naihamu 2, Railumu, Adi Tove Cons: Vueti 4

Wales suffered a World Cup whitewash as Fiji edged a highly entertaining encounter in Exeter.

With end-to-end action this was anything but a dead rubber between the two winless sides in Pool B, with nothing to play for but pride.

Carys Cox gave Wales an early lead before Fiji hit back with two tries from the equally evasive centre Josifini Neihamu.

Gwen Crabb pulled one back before Setaita Railumu and Repeka Adi Tove extended Fiji's lead.

Sisilia Tuipulotu's score on the stroke of half-time offered Wales a lifeline, while Kayleigh Powell reduced the deficit soon after the break.

Both sides then had tries disallowed, with Litiana Vueti's flawless boot proving the difference.

Lisa Neumann scored to set up a dramatic final 10 minutes and despite some late chances, Wales could not convert and Fiji held out for a deserved win in front of a 14,000 Sandy Park crowd.

There were few celebrating as hard as Fiji's head coach Ioan Cunningham, who enjoyed sweet revenge by getting one over on his former side after last year's controversial exit.

Wales got off to the best possible start with Bethan Lewis charging down a Fiji clearance kick to earn her side a five metre line-out.

Carys Phillips found her target with with Wales' drive brought down just short of the line. The forwards went through the phases and sucked in the defence allowing Lleucu George to pick a neat pass out to Cox to score.

Fiji responded almost immediately, but Powell did well to usher Kolora Lomani towards touch with the last-ditch offload just evading the supporting runner.

Wales fumbled at the scrum to give Fiji another chance and this time it was a training ground move which created a gap for Naihamu's first try of the afternoon.

Wales returned to Fiji's 22 and quicker ball meant their attack looked far more threatening than it did against Scotland and Canada.

Gwen Crabb carried hard to the line before returning co-captain Callender recycled quickly to crash over from close range.

Fiji continued to show their attacking threat with their powerful runners and quick hands and player of the match Naihamu showed a good turn of pace to cross for her second.

Scrum-half Railumu spotted a gap beside the ruck and willingly accepted the invitation to dash through for Fiji's third.

Meanwhile Wales' penalty and missed tackle count began to rise, with the attack becoming disjointed.

Fiji were anything but, and they wrapped up their bonus-point with a superb counter attack, with forwards and backs combining to run in the length of the pitch, with Tove finishing off in the corner.

Wales salvaged a score on the stroke of half-time to remain in the contest, Tuipulotu using her size and strength to bulldoze her way over from a metre out.

With conditions now in their favour, Wales came out firing in the second half.

Again it was more pressure from the pack which gave the backs some space, with Powell showing some dancing feet to get over the line.

Keira Bevan, Wales' saviour from the tee at the previous World Cup, continued to struggle with the conversions, missing all of her attempts.

But no sooner had Wales reduced the deficit and Fiji were in again, this time Lomani crashing over after Wales failed to deal with a kick through, but to Wales' relief a TMO review found an offside and forward pass in the build-up.

Powell continued to look threatening from full-back and Wales were soon back in Fiji's 22, and they thought they were celebrating a second try for Cox, but play was brought back after the replays showed a slight knock-on in the grounding off the ball.

Wales finally took a chance 10 minutes from time, a superb line break from Cox starting the move with Neumann finishing in the corner.

Wales piled on the pressure in the final few minutes, but every time they looked to have an opening, Fiji managed to turn the ball over to set up wild celebrations on the final whistle.

It was nothing less than a team, who had lit up the tournament with their brand of running rugby, deserved, while for Wales, the inquest starts now.

Wales: Kayleigh Powell; Lisa Neumann, Carys Cox, Courtney Keight, Nel Metcalfe; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Maisie Davies, Carys Phillips, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Georgia Evans, Gwen Crabb, Kate Williams (co-capt), Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender (co-capt)

Replacements: Molly Reardon, Gwenllian Pyrs, Donna Rose, Abbie Fleming, Bryonie King, Seren Lockwood, Hannah Dallavalle, Jasmine Joyce-Butchers

Fiji: Litiana Vueti; Repeka Tove, Verenaisi Ditavutu, Josifini Neihamu, Kolora Lomani; Salanieta Kinita, Setaita Railumu, Karalaini Naisewa, Keleni Marawa, Vika Matarugu, Jade Coates, Asinate Serevi, Nunia Daunimoala, Alfreda Fisher (capt), Manuqalo Komaitai

Replacements: Selai Naliva, Carletta Yee, Tiana Robanakdavu, Mereoni Nakesa, Sulita Waisega, Repeka Mata, Kelerayani Luvu, Salote Nailolo.