Bai Reflects on Fiji’s Famous 2007 Victory Over Wales

Nearly two decades later, the memories of Fiji’s famous 38-34 victory over Wales at the 2007 Rugby World Cup still stir emotions across the rugby world. For former Flying Fijians second five Seremaia Bai, that match remains one of the proudest moments of his career, a game that changed Fiji rugby history.

On that unforgettable night in Nantes, Fiji stunned Wales 38-34 to book a place in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals. It was the first time Fiji had reached the last eight since 1987, and for Bai, who played the full 80 minutes at second five-eighth, the emotions remain vivid even today.

“What stood out was the end of the game, when you actually know that you won the game,” Bai reflected.

“It was like a dream come true that we were going to play in the quarterfinals the week after. That’s probably the proudest moment.”

The Flying Fijians exploded out of the blocks in the opening half. Fiji crossed first through a try from captain Akapusi Qera inside the opening 15 minutes, setting the tone for a fearless display of running rugby. By halftime, Fiji held a commanding 25-10 lead as the Welsh struggled to contain the flair and speed of the islanders.

But the contest was far from over.

Wales clawed their way back into the match, targeting Fiji’s weakness in the scrum and slowly turning the game into a tense arm wrestle. Bai recalled the emotional rollercoaster as momentum swung dramatically late in the second half.

“I think we were leading by three tries and all of a sudden it became a seesaw game,” he said. “They started coming back and scoring tries, then they got an intercept try as well. That’s when I thought we were going to lose again.”

One of the key moments came in the 70th minute when Bai himself looked certain to score, only to be forced into touch by a desperate tackle from the Welsh fullback before grounding the ball.

Just when Fiji seemed on the brink of heartbreak, prop Graham Dewes powered over for the decisive try in the 76th minute. Nicky Little calmly added the conversion to push Fiji ahead 38-34.

“Then Graham Dewes scored the try and Nicky converted it,” Bai remembered. “That’s when we started believing that we could actually win the game.”

For Bai, one of the lasting memories from that historic night was the overwhelming support from Fijian fans who travelled from across Europe to witness history. The atmosphere in Nantes, he said, still gives him goosebumps today.

“I can still recall the week,” he said. “We approached it the same way we normally do, but going into that game we could see so many Fijians from all around Europe come and support us. The noise was incredible, the excitement and adrenaline started kicking in, and we were playing in a Rugby World Cup game.”

The result was historic beyond just qualification for the quarterfinals. Before that night, every meeting between Fiji and Wales since 1964 had been won by Wales. Fiji finally broke the streak in one of the greatest matches in Rugby World Cup history.

Now, history brings the two proud rugby nations together once again.

On July 4, Fiji and Wales will meet in the newly organised Nations Cup competition, marking Fiji’s first appearance in a major Tier One annual competition. Bai believes the occasion reflects how far Fiji rugby has come.

“It’s an incredible time to be a player representing Fiji,” he said. “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to play against the best.”

He added that generations of Flying Fijians players helped earn Fiji the right to compete regularly against rugby’s elite nations.

“Past and present players have contributed to Fiji performing consistently and earning the right to play Tier One nations. It’s amazing how far we have come as a nation.”

For many Fijian rugby fans, the memories of Nantes remain unforgettable. And as another clash with Wales approaches, Bai’s reflections serve as a reminder of what belief, passion, unity and determination can achieve when Fiji stands tall on rugby’s biggest stage.