Wales boss Warren Gatland has reported a clear invoice of well being amongst his World Cup squad heading into the crunch event opener towards Fiji.
Co-captain Dewi Lake and quantity eight Taulupe Faletau have been amongst a handful of gamers who nursed accidents throughout Wales’ World Cup warm-up Checks.
Quantity eight Faletau performed no half in these fixtures on account of a calf muscle drawback, whereas hooker Lake went off after struggling a knee damage throughout Wales’ defeat towards England at Twickenham.
Ryan Elias, Dafydd Jenkins and Gareth Anscombe have additionally recovered to be obtainable for Sunday’s Pool C conflict in Bordeaux.
“The final couple of weeks we’ve had just a few niggles – we had eight or 10 gamers not taking a full half in coaching,” Gatland stated.
“Nothing severe, however only a few bumps. They’ve all been rehabbed and everyone seems to be now match, which is a optimistic place for us to be in.
“He (Faletau) has been taking a full half in coaching for the previous three weeks.
“There is no such thing as a doubt within the first week he was blowing fairly laborious when it comes to a few of the set-piece stuff the boys have been doing for plenty of weeks.
“That has taken a bit little bit of time, however we’ve saved an in depth eye on his GPS figures they usually have been glorious for him.
“Although he hasn’t been working round, he has achieved a variety of off-feet conditioning. A few of the work on the facet of the pitch is more durable than being on the pitch, and he’s positively in rivalry for the weekend.”
Lake departed throughout the first half at Twickenham, and the hooker added: “It at all times performs in your thoughts whenever you come off injured 20 minutes right into a sport.
“I’m very grateful to be sat right here, to the medical employees who acquired me via the three weeks at dwelling and the teaching employees for choosing me post-injury.
“Loads of laborious work has gone on behind the scenes to get me prepared for this weekend.”
Wales skilled amid temperatures of greater than 30 levels on Tuesday, whereas the forecast for Sunday’s encounter is for 28 levels at kick-off, despite the fact that the sport doesn’t begin till 9pm native time.
It’s understood that World Cup organisers are contemplating water breaks throughout the opening spherical of pool fixtures.
“We want the ball on the park as typically as we may. We predict we’re in fairly fine condition bodily,” Gatland stated.
“When it comes to that, we aren’t going to push again on water breaks if that’s what is set. We received’t be arguing with World Rugby on that call.”
It is going to be a fifth successive World Cup for Wales and Fiji to fulfill within the pool stage, and Sunday’s victors will take a major step in direction of the quarter-finals.
Fiji are contemporary from an impressive away victory over England, and they’re fancied by many to defeat a Wales facet with simply three wins from 13 Checks.
“I assumed they have been glorious at Twickenham,” Gatland added. “They’ve some nice athletes, we’re conscious of that.
“They’re much more structured now as a crew than they’d historically have been prior to now.
“We’ve acquired to impose our sport on them as properly. We all know they’re an excellent facet in the meanwhile, and a variety of their facet play in Tremendous Rugby and in France as properly. It’s going to be an thrilling problem.
“They’ve at all times had extremely world-class particular person athletes who may open up a sport. However bringing that organisation and construction makes them extra harmful.
“I believe from a training perspective, the last word pinnacle is the World Cup. It’s the one time in worldwide home windows that you simply get full preparation.
“It feels such as you’re working with a membership facet in having a pre-season. We’ve been capable of work on a variety of issues in the previous few months when it comes to the element and placing collectively a method.”