Jenkins is under contract until the end of the 2008 Six Nations, but Wales have won just six games from 20 with him in charge. Those wins came against Canada (twice), Japan, the Pacific Islanders, England and Argentina, and there was one draw with Australia. The loss was Wales' third World Cup humiliation at the hands of south sea island opposition, but the first time they have failed to make the quarter-finals in the professional era.
"Not one of us is not hurting or bleeding emotionally, no-one can understand how disappointed we are," said Jenkins. "It was a hell of a game and not the first half we planned, that's for sure. "We got back into the lead, but never had the chance to own and control the ball as we wanted." Wales fly-half great Phil Bennett feels that the pressure on Jenkins to go will become too much. "Gareth Jenkins is a proud man and I don't think he'll walk away from the job, but the press are going to be scathing," Bennett told BBC Sport Wales.
"I think he should resign because the media will destroy him in the next week or two. That will get to the players, and the team need to build up their confidence after this result. "Whether he'll have the backing of the WRU I don't know. But for his own sake, his family's sake and for Welsh rugby's sake, it's time for Gareth to go." Wales captain Gareth Thomas also fears a backlash against his side after the shock World Cup exit. "Our defence wasn't up to standard," said try-scorer Thomas, who became the first man in world rugby to be on the losing side when winning his 100th cap. "We turned the ball over in the wrong areas and we're going home, but we're going home proud Welshmen.
"We tried our best but we'll probably get beaten down for this." Thomas, Wales' most-capped player, is widely expected to now leave the international scene. "I'll never retire, but I won't be around in the next World Cup," said Thomas, who scored in the second half to extend his Wales try record to 40. "It's probably better for Wales to start looking at other guys now and building a squad for 2011."
Fiji captain and scrum-half Mosese Rauluni hailed his side's fighting spirit after they recorded their first win over Wales and made their first quarter-final since 1987. "Years ago Fiji would have lost that game, I'm so proud of the boys," he said. "They stuck to it, and it comes down to all the hard work and the training we did leading into this World Cup. "We made it to the quarter-finals, and it was our goal to do that. "All our wins have been so close, Japan, Canada, those games have helped us to win this game. "I know they're going to start celebrating in Fiji now with a lot of kava and maybe a lot of beer. Good on them, they deserve it." The only sour note for the Fijians was a late injury to fly-half Nicky Little, who was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. A Fiji spokesman confirmed that Little had not broken anything but that his participation in the quarter-final against South Africa is a major doubt. "We will use Nicky's injury as motivation," said centre Seremaia Bai. "We are a family and we will play for him like a brother. He's one of the world-class kickers and his experience speaks for itself."
Source: BBC Sport
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