Jamie Roberts soars over the tryline to open the scoring floodgates on a night when Fiji's traditional running game was notably absent. Photo / Alan Gibson
WALES 66
FIJI 0
Wales enter the quarter-finals buoyed by their biggest World Cup winning margin, on the back of a pile of tries and feeling pretty good about themselves.
So let's get this out of the way early.
Fiji were wretched and this 66-0 flogging was a sad end to a desperately disappointing campaign.
In a game where you'd have banked on them running the ball to test the Welsh line - and utilise one of their traditional strengths - they kicked it away far too often, particularly in the first half when the game was still on.
Add to that a massive inability to retain the ball in the tackle, throw in more dropped ball than the most butterfingered first slip catcher and it was a night to match the weather for Fiji.
That said, Wales showed plenty to like. They rustled up nine tries, some of which owed much to Fijian frailties, but others were well constructed, often based around hard running and smart support play, and kicked every goal - Rhys Priestland six from six, then Stephen Jones four from four.
Big wing George North had a night to savour. He scored one try and had a significant hand in three others.
From the fifth minute, when second five-eighths Jamie Roberts burst through in midfield for the first of his two tries, to the 80th, when replacement Jonathan Davies ran through weak defence, this was a one-sided contest.
Fiji's supporters roared themselves hoarse, but will have left the Waikato Stadium saddened.
The match programme had an item which began with the line "Expect the unexpected when the great entertainers of world rugby take the field".
There was precious little entertainment from them last night, and their limp campaign was unexpected.
Wings Albert Vulivuli and Michael Tagicakibau, and second five-eighths Gaby Lovobalavu ran hard and with purpose until halftime.
From then on, with the Welsh 31-0 up, it was all over and what air had been in the Fijian tyres at the start had seeped out.
The Welsh defensive line was good, the scrum was secure and imposing, with Lions props Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins on their game, while captain Sam Warburton was a dominant lineout figure and got about the park impressively.
In one play, Warburton won a lineout and was on hand moments later to take North's pass to sprint the last 20 metres to the Fijian line.
Wales rattled through the changes, but there are no injury issues of any note out of the game.
Indeed, Wales played the last eight minutes with 14 players, after Warburton sat down to rest a bit of cramp.
Welsh coach Warren Gatland was happy with where his team are at, and cautioned against reading too much into last night's victory, given that Fiji had made a pile of changes.
Even so, Wales are pretty satisfied with their lot.
"We knew this was the toughest pool," he said.
"The first step was to try and get out of it and we've achieved that.
"We think we've built a bit of momentum and hopefully a bit of confidence going into the quarter-finals.
"We feel the squad is in pretty good shape, and if you come out of a tough pool it does potentially set you up for the quarter-finals - and maybe a little further."
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