Former Fiji fly-half Nicky Little has said referee Matthew Carley ‘melted’ under pressure after the Pacific Islanders were defeated by Wales in a World Cup thriller in Bordeaux.
Warren Gatland’s side made a winning start to the tournament thanks to a 32-26 success, but it was a success they almost threw away after taking an 18-point lead with 10 minutes to go.
In a stunning final, Fiji scored twice through Josua Tuisova and Mesake Doge and went in search of a dramatic comeback. Wales conceded four penalties on their own line, but Carley did not show another Gatland player a yellow card after an earlier sin against Corey Domachowski.
‘I thought the referee melted and didn’t want to give another yellow card. To be honest, I’m not happy with the refereeing at this World Cup in general,” Little told Mail Sport.
‘I’m a bit worried about their performance in the tournament. They miss so much.’ Wales conceded a total of 17 penalties in the 80 minutes, but lost only Domachowski for 10 minutes. Fiji’s penalty count was nine, but they lost Lekima Tagitagivalu in the bin.
Fiji were left to reflect on what could have happened after a narrow loss to Wales on Sunday night
Former Fiji fly-half Nicky Little (pictured) was frustrated with the officiating of the match
He felt that referee Matthew Carley (photo) ‘melted’ under the pressure in the final phase
Former Samoa great Dan Leo complained on social media about the treatment of his compatriot in the Pacific.
Ex-England and Lions wing Ugo Monye also questioned Carley’s decision-making.
Monye told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rugby Union Daily: ‘In the last quarter the way the game was managed just didn’t feel fair. They (Fiji) did not get things that were due to them.
‘I just thought some of the referees’ decisions were completely out of hand. I’m not one to whine about referees and just cause a media storm because referees are already under so much scrutiny, but at times like this I think you have done that to be honest.
‘You don’t have to have three or four penalties – two of which are cynical and automatic yellow cards – before waving a yellow card. They (Fiji) just didn’t get the law enforced the way it should have been enforced. If I were Simon Raiwalui or the players, I would be furious.’ Fiji head coach Raiwalui said: “When we were in the corner we had several penalties. There could have been more and we didn’t get a yellow card against Wales.
Former England winger Ugo Monye was stunned by Carley’s refereeing on Sunday evening
Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui (pictured) admitted his side felt they were not getting the green
‘The referees have a tough job. I respect what they do. There were a few moments where we thought we didn’t get the green right.’ Little also lamented the inconsistency in decision-making seen at the World Cup so far. England’s Tom Curry was sent off against Argentina for making head contact with Juan Cruz Mallia, but South Africa’s Jesse Kriel escaped punishment for a similar incident against Scotland after colliding with Jack Dempsey.
‘I’m just stating facts. Wales gave away four penalties on their own line and had only one yellow card,” said Little, who won 71 caps and played at four World Cups.
‘Fiji was further punished and it was an immediate yellow card.
‘During the Scotland vs South Africa match there were some phone calls which baffled me. The referees need to improve. This is the World Cup. How come they are allowed to make so many mistakes?’
The late drama in Bordeaux should not detract from the fact that Wales were impressive for a long time and that the match was the best of the World Cup so far. Gatland’s side made a staggering 253 tackles – a record for a World Cup match – as they ultimately held Fiji at bay and recorded a bonus point success.
Wales traveled from Bordeaux to Nice on Monday before playing Portugal on the Cote d’Azur on Saturday.
Their fly-half Dan Biggar was named official player of the match on what would have been the birthday of his late mother Liz, who passed away in 2021.
“I think she looked down on us in the last passage of the game,” Biggar said, referring to Semi Radradra’s spilled ball when a match-winning Fiji try looked certain.
Wales flyhalf Dan Biggar (pictured) admitted it was a ‘relief’ to get the win as he delivered a matchday player on what would have been his late mother’s birthday
‘I thought the match was quite difficult because she would have made this a big weekend. I think it was extra special. It was in the back of my mind.
‘It was a very difficult day for me. It was a very nice moment to get the results and a huge relief.’ Biggar admitted that the tense ending had made him “a few years older” and that “it felt like the clock was going back.”
He also said Wales had taken inspiration from England’s opening win over Argentina after losing Curry early on.
“I thought England was absolutely fantastic,” Biggar said. “We talked about having kind of the same mentality. I think it really helped us to watch their play as a team.
‘Results are all that matter in this tournament and we are off to a good start.’
The brutal nature of the Fiji match saw Wales Will Rowlands make 27 tackles on his own as the fitness of Gatland’s players was impressed.
Wales reported no serious injuries after Fiji but are ready to make several changes for their second match against Pool C minnows Portugal.