Wales v Fiji Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 16.30 WALES's last international against Fiji, in 1995, was the first rugby union international played in Cardiff in the professional era, but the abandonment of amateurism has left both teams trailing in the slipstream of the more affluent and powerful.
The Welsh Rugby Union's financial travails are well chronicled. And the Fijians were only able to fly out for this month's tour of Wales, Ireland and Scotland because the three unions involved agreed to share the costs with the International Rugby Board.
A victory today will yield the Wales players a win bonus of £1,000 whereas last season those of them with 40 caps or more would have banked seven times that. It is the age of austerity in Wales, though a four-figure bonus is beyond the dreams of the Fijians.
"We play for nothing," said the Fiji second-row and Newport captain Simon Raiwalui. "When we go back to Fiji for a game we pay our own air fares and when I read last year that Neil Jenkins earned £10,000 every time he was part of a winning Wales team, I calculated that was more than the entire Fiji squad would have got in expenses for going unbeaten on tour."
Raiwalui is one of two Wales-based players in the Fiji team, along with the Neath back-rower Alfie Mocelutu.
The Wales coach Steve Hansen wants to incorporate a more fluid style, which is why he has ordered the Millennium Stadium's retractable roof to remain shut this week.
WALES: R Williams (Cardiff); M Jones (Llanelli), Shanklin (Saracens), Parker (Pontypridd), G Thomas (Bridgend); S Jones (Llanelli), Peel (Llanelli); I Thomas (Llanelli), M Davies (Pontypridd), B Evans (Swansea), Sidoli (Pontypridd), Llewellyn (Neath), D Jones (Llanelli), M Williams (Cardiff), Charvis (Swansea, capt). Replacements: Lewis (Cardiff), Madden (Llanelli), S Williams (Northampton), Parks (Pontypridd), Powell (Cardiff), Harris (Cardiff), Robinson (Cardiff).
FIJI: Narruhn; Ligairi, Raebni or Ruivadra, Bai, Lasagavibau; Little, Rauluni; Nyholt, Smith (capt), Cavubati, Naevo, Raiwalui, Tawake, Doviverata, Mocelutu. Replacements: Gadolo, Biu, Rasila, Koyamaibole, Rabaka, Mow, Serevi.
