Wales send in wrong replacement in first home loss to Fiji

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Wales chose only two reserve backs in a gamble for the autumn rugby visit by Fiji on Sunday.

Coach Warren Gatland went for a rare 6-2 bench split of forwards and backs because several forwards hadn’t played much rugby lately. He thought every backline contingency was reasonably covered except if winger Mason Grady was injured.

Who was injured after 17 minutes? Grady.

He was replaced by flyhalf Sam Costelow, and Gatland admitted after their first home loss to Fiji by 24-19 that the wrong man went in.

It should have been backup scrumhalf Ellis Bevan, not Costelow.

“Teams get away with (6-2). All of a sudden we do it and the one position we could be exposed (in) we lose Mason Grady on the wing,” Gatland said. “That was tough for us and for Sam, having to cover that.

“Maybe the wrong player went on as a replacement. We spoke about Ellis Bevan going on. It’s difficult. We had a long debate about that. Ellis was meant to go on. I need to get to the bottom of that. Sam ran on. I think he might have assumed he was going on.”

Costelow played on the wing until the 65th, when starting flyhalf Gareth Anscombe was taken off. Costelow moved to flyhalf and Bevan was sent onto the right wing, and scored a try moments later.

But Wales extended its losing streak to a record-tying 10th test. It hasn’t won a test this year and hosts Australia next weekend.

Asked whether he was discouraged from using the 6-2 split again, Gatland said, “Probably.”