The 26-year-old Fijian star is already an Olympic Games gold medalist from his time playing sevens under the tutelage of Welsh coach Gareth Baber and kick-started Fiji’s 15-a-side Pacific Nations Cup campaign with a hat-trick of tries.
He scored half of the Fijians’ six tries in their 42-16 win over Samoa in Suva last weekend as he stood out as he won his seventh senior cap after transitioning from an outstanding three years on the sevens circuit.
The Fijians, coached by Mick Byrne, were without half-a-dozen overseas stars but still proved far too powerful for the Samoans despite trailing 16-15 at the break. They dominated the second half with Derenalagi taking the starring role.
The majority of the team were from the highly successful Fijian Drua side who reached the play-offs in Super Rugby Pacifica earlier in the year. Universally feared for their sevens skills – they won the first two Olympic titles and lost their first game to an Antoine Dupont inspired French side in the final in gold medal match in Paris this summer – they are now benefitting from having a dedicated team playing year round 15-a-side rugby.
They are the first team to face Warren Galtand’s side in the Autumn Nations Series in November and will be looking to avenge the 32-26 defeat they suffered against Wales in their opening pool match at last year’s World Cup.
They will also arrive in the Welsh capital seeking their first win over Wales on Welsh soil. They managed a 16-16 draw at Principality Stadium in the Autumn in 2016 and famously beat Wales in Nantes in the 2007 Wold Cup pool stages.
That is their only win to date in 14 internationals and four uncapped games. The game on Sunday, 10 November will kick-off a three-match series against southern hemisphere opposition that will also see Wales face Australia and South Africa in a month long feast of top class Test rugby.
WALES AUTUMN NATIONS SERIES – PRINCIPALITY STADIUM
Sunday 10 November
WALES V FIJI – KO 1:40PM
WALES V AUSTRALIA – KO 4:10PMSaturday 23 November
WALES V SOUTH AFRICA – KO 4:40PM
Tickets Available HERE
The Fijian fixture will also come two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of the two nations in an international match in the Welsh capital. Wales were the first country to welcome the Fijians on tour and they played games against Bridgend & Maesteg, Glamorgan & Monmouthshire, Western Counties, Abertillery & Newbridge as well as a Wales XV. They won two and drew one of their five games in Wales before heading to France and Canada.
