Shame is only emotion for Welsh after Fiji debacle

Jonathan Thomas has delivered a damning verdict on Wales' worst performance of the Warren Gatland coaching era, claiming: "We are ashamed."

Wales No.8 Thomas' withering assessment summed up a shambolic 16-16 draw against Fiji on Friday night, when the home side's most notable scoring contribution came via a penalty try.

Gatland's men have now gone six Tests without a win, which represents their worst run of results since 2003.

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And such a miserable sequence could yet deteriorate, with world No.1 team New Zealand next up in seven days' time, followed by an RBS Six Nations opener against in-form England before a testing trip to Scotland.

Beating the All Blacks is rugby union's answer to mission improbable. They last lost a Test match in Britain and Ireland when England beat them in 2002, while Wales have not managed it for 57 years.

In 13 years of playing regular November internationals, Wales have never gone through an autumn series without recording at least one win, but that is the dismal scenario they now face.

Fiji, one place below Wales in the International Rugby Board world rankings, led 13-6 at half-time and, although it took fly-half Seremaia Bai's last-gasp penalty to give them a draw, their Millennium Stadium hosts could have few complaints.

"Once again we failed to execute the game-plan," said Thomas.

"I don't really know what to say. We made errors that top international sides wouldn't make against the opposition we were playing.

"You've got to give credit to Fiji, but we were way below average.

"I don't think there was a lack of effort, I just think it was too many mistakes - turnovers and discipline. Fiji are not as poor as people think, they've got players based in Europe with top sides.

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"But we are bitterly disappointed with the way we played. We are ashamed of that result.

"And there is no doubt we can compete next week, but we just have to improve a hell of a lot."

The ghosts of Nantes, venue for a humiliating World Cup pool stage exit against Fiji three years ago, returned to haunt Wales, whose group at next year's global gathering in New Zealand is starting to assume alarming proportions - Fiji, South Africa and Samoa.

At least in 2007 Wales played their part during an epic nine-try encounter but this latest clash against the South Sea Islanders saw them lacking in all departments apart from the scrum, currently their most potent attacking weapon.