Jac Morgan’s return to Test rugby lit up Wales’ 39-24 win over Fiji in Cardiff City Stadium as Steve Tandy’s side carried forward the feelgood from the Six Nations with a second straight victory. Morgan scored two tries, Josh Adams added another after poaching
Wales didn’t just pick up from their promising Six Nations finale — they carried it straight into their Nations Championship opener, and they did it with Jac Morgan back in the thick of the fight.
At Cardiff City Stadium. Steve Tandy’s side were technically the away team even though they played in the Welsh capital. where a crowd of 16. 456 watched Wales close out a 39-24 win over Fiji. The scoreboard told one story. The performance told another. Morgan. missing the Six Nations due to injury. returned to deliver what felt like a statement — scoring two of Wales’ six tries and earning man of the match as the forwards set a standard Fiji struggled to answer.
Fiji showed the difference in class between the teams in flashes, particularly in their livewire backline. But when Wales tightened their control, Fiji couldn’t sustain the momentum. Josh Adams sealed the outcome with a try of his own. poaching it after Fiji’s Selestino Ravutaumada dawdled fatally. a moment that felt to change the temperature of the match.
“It was really important to win again,” Adams said. “We closed the game out and we’re glad to have the win. We’ve shown how much we’ve developed since the Six Nations and we want to keep building.”
The victory also carried a sharper edge for Fiji. Their next game is against England at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday. but they are set to be without Semi Radradra after he suffered a serious leg injury in Cardiff. For a side trying to build rhythm and belief. that kind of blow doesn’t just change selection plans — it disrupts the momentum of a campaign.
The day across the Six Nations landscape had its own swings too. Earlier, Ireland came from behind to survive a big scare from Australia, winning 33-31 in Sydney, with Tom Clarkson’s try in the 77th minute providing the key moment.
New Zealand’s first game under new head coach Dave Rennie brought another high-scoring fight, but they only just held their nerve against France, edging them 34-32. France, missing Antoine Dupont, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Thomas Ramos, pushed the All Blacks all the way.
Back in Cardiff. though. Wales left the field with the clearest takeaway: Morgan’s return didn’t merely restore depth — it sharpened the engine. A second successive win, a confident finish, and a forward effort that contrasted strongly with Fiji’s backline flare. Now the only question for Steve Tandy’s side is how quickly they can keep turning promising starts into consistent authority.
Wales vs Fiji Jac Morgan Steve Tandy Cardiff City Stadium Nations Championship Josh Adams Semi Radradra injury Six Nations Ireland vs Australia 33-31 New Zealand vs France 34-32 Dave Rennie Tom Clarkson try