Gatland’s Wales destroys the Wallabies to become the first team into the quarter finals in France.
It has been a nervous wait for both teams as they come into the final game of week 3 with one simple mission just win at all costs.
This is exactly what Gatland’s team did as they started strongly with Gareth Davies scoring in the third minute. After an unbelievable run from Jac Morgan, who yet again showed his class offloading to the Welsh scrum half Davies and this got Wales off to the best possible start in Lyon.
However, just after 12 minutes into the game a massive injury concern became apparent as Wales fly half Dan Bigger went off injured and on came what some people in Wales are calling the “The new Prince of Wales” Gareth Anscombe. Anscombe hasn’t been playing a lot rugby lately and didn’t take part in any of the three Wales warm up games, he came on and was just simply incredible earning himself the Player of the Match award. The 32 year old came on and converted 6 penalties and a drop goal.
Nick Tompkins and Jac Morgan both also crossed the line as Wales recorded there biggest ever win against the Wallabies.
Australia never seemed to get going and never threatened the Welsh defence in anything they did. Eddie Jones side now need to rely on either Georgia or Portugal beating Fiji, but the ball is in the Fijians court as they only need 5 points to qualify for the quarter finals.
If this was to happen it would mean for the first time in the history of World Cups Australia will not get out of the group stages. Something drastic needs to change for the Aussies as they’ve got a Lions tour in 2025 to worry about and also they are the hosts of the next World Cup in 2027.
Wales 40-6 Australia.
Portugal was so close to securing their first ever win at a Rugby World Cup against Georgia in Toulouse on Saturday afternoon. Both teams had opportunites in the closing minutes to secure victory.
Both teams were feeling the pressure as Georgia’s replacement flyhalf missed a penalty after Tengizi Zamtaradze had brought the Georgian’s level with just minutes left on the clock to go into the lead.
With the clock in red Portugal had one last opportunity to create World Cup history, up stepped Fullback Nuno Sousa Guedes who had a rather tricky kick to convert. Sadly for Os Labos it was a bitter end to the afternoon for the Portugeese as Sousa Guedes shot went wide.
A cruel end to what was an unbelievable afternoon of rugby in Toulouse as two tier two nations went toe to toe with both showing what they can do.
Georgia 18-18 Portugal
After a rather not so convincing win last time out against Japan in Nice, after a slow start England finally got into gear and ran in 11 tries as they are now on the brink of qualification to the knock out stages. Club Racing 92 player Henry Arundell ran riot in Lille as he crossed the Chilean line 5 times.
Chile should still be taking postives though from these defeats as four years ago they were losing to Brazil, Canada and USA on a regular basis and were not even in the discussion of qualifying for a World Cup.
England 71-0 Chile
It was the Emiliano Boffelli show in Saint-Etienne as he scored 16 points of the 19-10 win over Manu Samoa in tightly contested battle. The Argentinians were pushed right to the end by Samoa in a very wet Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, but as the saying goes puddles are for playing in.
However, it isn’t all done and dusted in Group D for Samoa. With Argentina not winning with a bonus point they both have must win games next in round four against Japan and Chile.
Argentina 19-10 Samoa
Concerns were through the roof as the captain of France Antoine Dupont went off in last Thursday’s night encounter against Namibia with a potential “fractured cheekbone” that some reporters in France were stating. However later that evening the French scrum half under went surgery and is now able to return to the French squad much sooner than expected. After just six minutes into the second half Dupont and Namibia captain Johan Deysel clashed heads.
As Deysel made direct head contact with the head of the Frenchman he was yellow carded and it went off to the bunker for an off field review. This resulted in the yellow card being upgraded to a red.
Namibia came up an against a fully strength as the French team who struggled in the last round of fixtures against Uruguay. It wasn’t just the French head coach who had made changes to his starting XV, Allister Coetzee made changes to his Namibian side and will be looking at that Uruguay game as their own World Cup final to finally stop the drought of losses at a World Cup.
Take away the injury concerns of Dupont which probably put a dampener on the historic occasion, as France nearly reached the century mark. Also a stand out performance coming from the young 20 year-old Bordeaux player Louis Bielle-Biarrey scoring twice.
France 96-0 Nambia
Even though this game feels like it happened years ago, Italy’s dreams of qualifying are still somewhat still alive as they sit rather comfortable in second place of Group A.
With this bonus point win over Los Teros it would mean that if they could pull off what would be a Rugby World Cup upset against either New Zealand or France they are in for a chance of knockout rugby.
Got to give credit to the Uruguayans as they led at the break 17-7, and also what a way to end a half of rugby with flyhalf Felipe Ethcheverry kicking what was an unbelievable drop goal that had to get reviewed to see if it went over.
However, after a strong first half Los Teros never really seemed to get going with skipper Andres Vilaseca making direct head contact with the Italian winger Lorenzo Pani early in the half meant that it was pointless scoring half of rugby for Uruguay.
Italy 38-17 Uruguay
Possibly, one of the most highly anticipated matches of the weekend saw South Africa vs Ireland get off to what can only be described as a fierce start.
South Africa got the early advantage as some early nerves were apparent within the Ireland team as their lineouts were not functioning. When Ireland were gaining penalties within kicking rage for Johnny Sexton to easily rack up points, they opted to gamble and go to the corners.
Both Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki scored in the first half to end what was can only be described as a chess game as each mistake from either team was countered by the opposition.
South Africa got off to the better start in the second half as the Suntory Sungoliath winger Cheslin Kolbe crossed the line to keep the Springboks interested in Paris. Sadly for the Springboks 9 points went begging and aslo a conversion, so maybe this 7 forwards and 1 back replacements split on the bench isn’t actually the way forward for South African Rugby.
Ireland sealed victory in what was a thriller which had everybody on the edge of their seats in the Stade De France.
Ireland 13-8 South Africa
Scotland on the other hand, kept their hopes of qualifying well and truly alive as they encountered Tonga in Nice on Sunday afternoon.
It saw the Scot’s claim a bonus point win and this builds pressure on the world’s number one Ireland and reiging champions South Africa. If Scotland can do what both Ireland and South Africa did against Romania and get a bonus point it would be game on and will set up a blockbuster ending to what has been an unbelievable competitive group.
For Tonga, it was the lack of discipline that let themselves down with Afusipa Taumoepau and Vaea Fifita both shown yellow cards, with Fifita’s yellow card being upgraded to a red after the final whistle blew.
Scotland 45-17
Written By Harry Tovey
HTSPORTSNEWS 