Rugby World Cup 2015: Sam Warburton calm over bonus-point failure as Wales move a step closer to quarter-final with Fiji victory

Exhausted Wales skipper Sam Warburton dismissed the significance of his side’s failure to secure a bonus point after beating Fiji in a bruising encounter at the Millennium Stadium yesterday.

 

Scrum-half Gareth Davies and hooker Scott Baldwin touched down for Wales as fly-half Dan Biggar kicked 13 points, while Fiji retaliated in the second period through the powerful Vereniki Goneva following a free-flowing passing move.

 

Warren Gatland’s side top Pool A and will qualify for the quarter-finals should England fail to beat Australia tomorrow, although the accumulation of bonus points could yet prove decisive in the so-called Group of Death depending on that result.

 

“Our priority was to win, not the bonus point, and Australia didn’t get a bonus point against Fiji,” said Warburton. “Credit to Fiji, they played like they had nothing to lose. 

 

“It was extremely tough but we’ve got three wins from three. If someone said that at the start of the tournament, we would have snapped their hand off.”

 

Welsh eyes now turn to Twickenham, while the principality’s final pool game next Saturday sees them pitted against Australia, before England play Uruguay at the Manchester City Stadium that evening.