Rugby Union: Wales fail to please Norster

Fiji. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Wales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

IT SEEMS that not even a record-equalling fourth successive win away from home is enough to satisfy Robert Norster, the Wales manager.

This win here made it three in a row on this month's five- match tour. And never mind that this was the 15th win in Wales's last 17 representative games, and the seventh Test win in eight of 13 outings this year. The manager was not happy.

'If the games ahead of us next week are going to be even harder than this, as we've been told they will be, then we need to sharpen up,' Norster said. 'It wasn't a very good showing, but we are pleased to win away from home. Playing Tonga and Western Samoa in a week is going to be very tough.'

If this win did not altogether please Norster, what it did show was that the strength in depth of the squad is improving. How else could Wales have fielded only six of their Five Nations' Championship winning

side and still totally dominated a game?

Having fallen behind to a first-minute penalty from the home full-back Rasolo Solo Bogisa, the tourists hit back with two first-half tries into the wind that more or less sealed victory.

The first was a classy effort from Mike Rayer, presented to him on a plate with some great handling skills by his Cardiff club-mate Adrian Davies, and the next came from Richie Collins on the narrow side of a close-range scrum.

Davies helped himself to 13 points with the boot and Wales made it three out of three on tour, with a tough act still to come.

Fiji: Try Veitayaki; Penalty Bogisa. Wales: Tries Rayer, Collins; Conversions A Davies 2; Penalties A Davies 3.

FIJI: R Bogisa; J Vidiri, J Toloi, E Nauga, P Tuidraki; P Rayasi, J McLennan; R Williams, E Batimala, J Veitayaki, I Tawake (capt), I Savai, S Matalulu, A Mocelutu, J Campbell (M Korovou, 59).

WALES: M Rayer (Cardiff); I Evans (Llanelli, capt), N Boobyer, N Davies, W Proctor; A Davies, R Moon; R Evans (all Llanelli), R McBride (Swansea), H Williams-Jones, A Copsey (both Llanelli), P Arnold (Swansea), H Taylor (Cardiff), E Lewis (Llanelli), R Collins (Pontypridd). Replacement: P Davies (Llanelli) for Lewis, 74.

Referee: E Sklar (Argentina).