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MONTPELLIER - Fijian coach Ilie Tabua is looking ahead to summoning his front-line players for the make-or-break World Cup showdown with Wales next Saturday.
The Fijians, weakened by 11 team changes, predictably went down to the Wallabies 55-12 here Sunday, but the margin camouflaged a patchy performance from the Australians, who locked up top spot in Pool B and a quarter-final berth.
Tabua is expected to recall his first-choice players for the match against the Welsh and he is seeking more ball control in chasing Fiji's second quarter-final at the World Cup after a 20-year gap.
"For the players we are going to bring in for next week it will be similar but with more control," Tabua said Sunday.
"We gave away a lot of penalties in the lineout and the decisions cost us a bit from getting more into the Australian territory and in the scrum as well."
Tabua said he was proud of the performance from his weakened team.
"I'm proud with the players we put in, knowing that it would be tough, but we had chances late in the first half, but things didn't turn out for us," he said.
"I'm pleased with the way the younger players getting through knowing that it is a tougher game for us against Wales next week."
Flanker Aca Ratuva, who backed up to score after scrum-half Mosese Rauluni exposed an embarrassing hole in the heart of the Australian lineout, said he will learn from his first experience playing against the Wallabies.
"It was a good experience. For me it was the first time I've played a Wallabies side," Ratuva said.
"We had some good balls, but didn't quite use it. The Aussies utilised it and it cost us the game."
"We lost it with our set pieces and a few of the line-outs. Against a big team like Australia you can't make silly mistakes.
"We are in a good position to go from here to play Wales. It will be a do or die game. We have to pull our socks up, but it will be a good game against Wales.
"We had some positives and negatives, which we will work on during the week. Come Saturday we should be alright."
Fiji have never beaten Wales in eight meetings, although they only went down 11-10 in their last encounter in Cardiff two years ago.
- AFP
