Fly-half Caleb Muntz scored 19 points as Fiji pulled off a surprise 24-19 win over Wales at the Principality Stadium on Sunday to extend the hosts’ losing streak to 10 matches.
Muntz scored a superb individual try, which he converted, plus put over four penalties for Fiji, who also scored a try through Josua Tuisova.
Wales, who made a promising start to the test, scored through new cap Blair Murray, substitute Ellis Bevan and a penalty try with a single conversion from Gareth Anscombe on his long-awaited return to the side.
Murray, who was preferred to Rio Dyer in the Wales line-up on the left wing, justified coach Warren Gatland’s faith with a sprint to the line to score a first try in the eighth minute.
Wales went over again in the 15th minute but Cameron Winnett’s effort was chalked off after a dangerous clear out from Tommy Reffell in the build-up that earned the loose forward a yellow card.
Despite the disadvantage, Wales were awarded a penalty try four minutes later when Elia Canakaivata tried to pull down their driving maul, earning himself a 10-minute stay in the sin bin.
Fiji’s woes increased in the 21st minute when key winger Semi Radradra was cautioned, upgraded soon after to red, for a high hit on Winnett.
Despite being down to 13 men, Fiji scored with a break from Muntz, who cut through the middle and accelerated away from the defenders for a 24th-minute individual effort that reduced the home lead to 14-10.
Two minutes into the second half, Muntz reduced Wales’s lead to a single point when putting over a penalty and then gave Fiji a 16-14 lead with another successful kick in the 49th minute.
“As long as we held the ball, we knew that we could make chinks in the [Welsh] armour, and we knew we could score,” Muntz said.
Tuisova powered over for Fiji’s second try on the hour mark, as a box kick set up a powerful attack at the Welsh line and silenced the home crowd.
Substitute Jac Morgan, making a first appearance since last year’s World Cup, helped to set up Wales’s third try five minutes later with a carry that stretched the visiting defence and, once the ball went down the line, allowed Bevan to go over and reduce Fiji’s lead to 21-19.
But it was the Pacific islanders who finished stronger, botching a chance for a third try with an errant pass six minutes from the end.
They had, however, a penalty advantage in the build-up and Muntz put over the close-in kick to leave Wales scrambling unsuccessfully in the closing stages to try to snatch the win, with Ryan Elias spilling the ball in their last attack.
Wales’s last victory was a 43-19 triumph over Georgia at last year’s World Cup.
That was followed by elimination from the tournament by Argentina, then a Six Nations whitewash and mid-year losses to South Africa and twice to Australia.
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