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Wales run in six tries in victory over Georgia but frustrated by 'taking foot off the gas'
A shortened six-day turnaround before the all-important pool game against Australia in Tokyo on Sunday will cause Wales no issues given that they have had to deal with the trauma of seeing one of their coaches expelled from camp and the possible knock-on disintegration of morale that such a scandal might induce. But instead of shrivelling, Wales have pulled together. In place of of rancour and self-pity, there has only been clear focus and a refusal to pass on blame. Wales have looked within and been all the stronger for it to judge by the sharpness of their attack in the first half, all edge and bite, cleverness too, all those attributes that the disgraced Rob Howley would have hoped to bring to the cause. Instead he is in purdah and critics can sing the praises of his ad-hoc replacement, Stephen Jones.
How the wheel of sporting fortune can turn in such a brief space of time. Wales are in a position to give notice that they are a serious contender in this World Cup, for their fortitude, for their relish and for their ability to deal with adversity and continue to perform. They began at a gallop, drew breath and finished with a flourish as they zipped in for their sixth and final try, scored by George North and set up by Tomos Williams who had scored earlier himself.
Wales didn’t try to sugar-coat the fact that it had been a difficult week, for head coach, Warren Gatland, in particular who has worked with Howley for the last 11 years.
“It was definitely strange not having Rob there but Stephen (Jones) fitted seamlessly into the coaches’ box,” said Gatland. “He knows the playbook and it was pleasing to see us execute a number of set-piece opportunities. The players have been absolutely outstanding over the last week. You have got to draw a line in the sand and move on. The senior players have really stepped up. The guys were itching to get out on the pitch. We’ll try and keep them as fresh as possible now with a short turnaround.”
Of course there were lulls, particularly in the second half with the job seemingly done and thoughts beginning to turn to the encounter at the Tokyo Stadium, a match that will set the tone for what lies ahead. Momentum matters in tournaments and Wales will be eager to press ahead with the brand of positive rugby that they managed to put out on the field on a steamy evening beneath the soaring stands of the City of Toyota Stadium which provided another impressive backdrop in this ever-engaging World Cup.
Wales led 29-0 at the break and it was only to be expected that there would be changes from the bench. Their set-piece was impeccable in that opening period, a monument built around the towering figure of Alun Wyn Jones. Age certainly does not seem to have wearied or withered him on what was the occasion of his record-equalling 129th cap, his 14th start to boot in a World Cup.
“We felt all week as if we were being held back and it was good to come out of the blocks the way we did in the first half,” said Jones. “It was a bit disappointing that we took our foot off the gas in the second half.”
There was a trademark all-consuming performing from Justin Tipuric on the flank, directness from Jonathan Davies in the centre and all-action involvement from Josh Adams on the wing. All three were on the scoresheet, a trio imbued with that particular Welsh blend of grittiness and panache, able to slug it out but also, on this evidence, to break clear and run free.
There was poise as well as alacrity in their half-back play with passes fizzing flat along the gain line, Davies being popped through a gap as early as the third minute. Biggar has reacted well to being thrust into the front-line in the absence of the injured Gareth Anscombe. The Northampton fly-half is not to everyone’s taste in Wales but he is a fighter as well as an underrated talent with ball in hand. His angles were bold and his passing was deft in that clinical first salvo.
He was also in the wars, accidentally clashing with teammate, James Davies, and cutting his chin. He was then inadvertently head-butted in the celebrations that followed the first try. Small wonder that he missed the conversion from in front of the posts.
Wales certainly made an impression on the well-travelled Georgia head coach, Milton Haig, who has been in post for eight years.
“Wales are a complete side, they know how to win tight matches which will be important in a tournament like this and they have the capability of doing well,” said Haig who is all too aware of the continuing problems his side face as they are obliged to keep pressing for inclusion in the Six Nations. “Regardless of the result, if Georgia wants to progress into a competition like the Six Nations then it is absolutely essential that it plays at least four matches a year against opposition like this," he said.
“As it is, we are asking the guys to produce miracles playing against this speed. When you make mistakes, these good teams will kill you. If we were to get those games, we would be competitive. As it is, we scramble for scraps every four years. ”
The biggest cheer of the night was for their first try from Shalva Mamukashvili, a trademark Georgian wrap-around and drive. Georgia gave it their all but Wales always had the whip hand.
Match details
Wales L Williams (rep L Halfpenny 59); G North, J Davies, H Parkes, J Adams; D Biggar (rep R Patchell 66), G Davies (rep T Williams 47); W Jones (rep N Smith 56), K Owens (rep E Dee 56), T Francis (rep D Lewis 46), J Ball (rep A Shingler 61), AW Jones (c), A Wainwright (rep R Moriarty 50), J Tipuric, J Navidi.
Georgia S Matiashvili; M Modebadze, D Kacharava, T Mchedlidze (rep L Khmaladze 77), G Kveseladze; T Abzhandadze, V Lobzhanidze (rep G Aprasidze 59); M Nariashvili (c, rep G Gogichashvili 46), S Mamukashvili (rep J Bregvadze 46), B Gigashvili (rep L Chilachava 46), G Nemsadze, K Mikautadze (rep S Sutiashvili 50), G Tkhilaishvili (rep B Saginadze 60), M Gorgodze (rep O Giorgadze 59), B Gorgadze.
Referee Luke Pearce (England).
Scoring sequence 5-0 (Davies try), 8-0 (Biggar pen), 13-0 (Tipuric try), 15-0 (Biggar con), 20-0 (Adams try), 22-0 (Biggar con), 27-0 (Williams try), 29-0 (Biggar con) Half-time 29-5 (Mamukashvili try), 29-7 (Abzhandadze con), 34-7 (T Williams try), 36-7 (Biggar con), 36-12 (Chilachava try), 36-14 (Abzhandadze con), 41-14 (North try), 43-14 (Halfpenny con)
Warren Gatland speaks
Good first half, a little bit missing in the second half. The ball was slippery out there and we were conscious with the six-day turnaround that we get some [fresh legs] on. We're pleased to get the bonus point and hold them scoreless at halftime but disappointed to concede two in the second half. These players have worked incredibly hard, we've had some real tough contests against Australia and we need to make sure we're primed and ready to go against a quality side.
Alun Wyn Jones speaks
We came out of the blocks in the first half but we were disappointed in the second half to let a couple of tries in. Overall the feeling is we took our foot off the gas, there's plenty to work on.
Full time: Wales 43 Georgia 14
An emphatically dominant first-half performance from Wales, some slacking off in the second half but on the whole they were impressive and look poised to do themselves justice. Georgia improved after the break, played with passion and purpose but made too many handling errors when blitzed and their kicking game was poor.
79 min: Wales 43 Georgia 14
Jake Ball has been named the player of the match. The camera pans to him on the bench with a cotton wool wad up each nostril. An arresting sight to say the least. Firestarter.
76 min: North scores! Wales 43 Georgia 14
Tipuric forces the knock-on and then chases the kick off the back of the scrum. Georgia scuff their return, Tomos Williams picks it up on halfway, bullocks past two then through two attempted tackles with superbly fast feet to lay it off inside to North who barrels over from 5m despite Gogichasvili being wrapped around his waist. Halfpenny slots the conversion from the right.
74 min: Wales 36 Georgia 14
Justin Tipuric turns on that slippery pace up the left but brushes the touchline with his left boot before he can offload inside to Josh Adams who would have been one-on-one with a forward 40m out.
72 min: Levan Chilichava scores Wales 36 Georgia 14
Warren Gatland is furious about the errors that led to Georgia's second try. Difficult to maintain intensity when you were cruising at half-time and with all eight replacements on.
70 min: Levan Chilichava scores Wales 36 Georgia 14
Wales concede a scrum penalty for collapsing, Aprasidze takes a tap 25m out, passes inside off the right to Abzhandadze who makes 10m and recycles to his left. Gorgadze has a drive for the line but is held up. The replacement prop picks from the back and drives over from a metre. Two missed tackles there.
68 min: Wales 36 Georgia 7
Rhys Patchell comes on for Dan Biggar.
65 min: Tomos Williams dots down Wales 36 Georgia 7
George North is fed by Navidi on the right and he punts the ball infield and 30m forward with perfect weight so it bobbles over the line. The replacement scrum-half gives chase, outpaces his pursuer and gets his hand down. Quick check to see if he was in front of North. He wasn't. George 'the finisher' North turns creator.
64 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
'Apologies for the bad language' alert as a Wales thrust up the middle is repelled with forceful tackling from the Georgia back row.
Gatland won’t be happy with how that yellow card period went anyway. Lacking the ruthlessness of the first half. #WALvGEO
— kevin (@KevBeirne) September 23, 2019
62 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
More terrific defence from Wales with a variety of tackles to thwart Modebadze and Tkhilaishvili, combining with Tipuric and Mavidi to stop the Georgia blindside. Leigh Halfpenny replaces Liam Williams and Aaron Shingler comes on for Jake Ball.
60 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Liam Williams kicks a grubber through on the diagonal which would have opened the field for North but it paints the whitewash and bobbles out before he can get to it. Not his night. Nothing down the right for Wales.
58 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
From the lineout Modebadze takes out George North off the ball, unseen by the ref, hit by a knee. Georgia peel off the back of the lineout and rattle through a couple of phases until they are held at the Wales 22. Bregvadze's spell in the bin is over and back on he trots.
56 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Georgia win a penalty at the scrum and Abzhandadze finds touch by halfway. Ken Owens is going off, Nicky Smith and Elliott Dee come on to make it a new front-row for Wales.
Ken Owens says
'His knee has clicked' to the physio but he gets up and readies himself for the scrummage.
55 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Tomos Williams gulls Georgia into coming offside after Wales swallow the kick and earns a penalty off his own with a feint. Wales kick for the corner and try to pierce the 14-man line. Wales win the lineout but Georgia hold them, aggressively counter-rucking. Ken Owens takes a knock and off goes the clock.
53 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Ross Moriarty replaces Aaron Wainwright, Shalva Sutiashvili on for Konstantine Mikautadze. Dillon Lewis concedes a penalty by handling on the floor after Georgia turn over at the lineout.
51 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Superb intervention from Modebadze to cut out Biggar's intended pass over the top to the right wing for North to finish. Georgia defend 12 attacking phases with only 14 men before Abzhandadze kicks to touch about 25m from the tryline. Dillon Lewis is also on for Wales.
49 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Georgia have an entire new front row with Bregvadze (now off in the bin), Guram Gogichashvili and Levan Chilachava on. Tomos Williams replaces Davies at scrum-half for Wales. Williams kicks for touch and Wales have a lineout 5m out on the left.
48 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Georgia collapse Wales' driving maul down the right 5m out. Wales pen but Gareth D uses the advantage to dink a little kick forward over the tryline. Williams chases and knocks it on as it sped away from him while trying to spot it down. The substitute hooker Bregvadze is sent to the sin bin for collapsing it. Wales want a penalty try but there were at least 10 defenders behind the maul.
46 min: Wales 29 Georgia 7
Adams is fed by a brilliant inside pass from Williams. He bursts up the left and tries to ding a kick into space but can't get past Mchedlidze. No penalty for that but they get one when Georgia are caught offside.
44 min: TMO confirms Mamukashvili got it down Wales 29 Georgia 7
And they knock over the conversion from wide on the right, too. Marvellous kick from Abzhandadze.
43 min: Wales 29 Georgia 0
Rolling maul from the lineout goes over the line, Georgia force it down and we have to go to the TMO. Onfield decision is try - by Mamukashvili.
42 min: Wales 29 Georgia 0
Georgia, as Sam Warburton points out, have atacked by rote. Wales defend the five or six phases of attack aggressively and successively and then they kick long and Wales come back at the, A-W Jones is penalised for hnging on to the ball from the kick-off after being tackled away from his colleagues. Georgia kick for touch and Tipuric is penalised at the lineout. They go for touch again.
World Cup winner
Tachey face of Japan 2019, already awarded:
Half-time: Wales 29 Georgia 0
Four tries to Wales who have been impressive both in defence and attack. Georgia's pack has had its moments from about the half-hour on but Wales and Gareth Davies in particular have been magnificently clinical with their passing and running.
40 min: Liam Williams scores Wales 29 Georgia 0
Over in the left corner after Jonathan Davies breaks the line, set free by Gareth D. He bends his run from centre field to the left and when he dras the full-back offloads to his own full-back on the outside. The pass isn't perfect and dribbles on to the floor. Williams checks his run to take it on the half volley and darts over the line. That's the bonus point and Biggar calmly hoops his conversion over from the left touchline.
37 min: Wales 22 Georgia 0
Jake Ball is penalised for a neck-roll in the tackle and Georgiakick from their own 10m line for touch. Wales win the lineout and attack up their right with North.
34 min: Wales 22 Georgia 0
Jonathan Davies thinks the ball is out of a ruck, goes too early and concedes the penalty. Georgia kick for touch 10m from the Wales line but they defend the lineout impeccably.
31 min: Wales 22 Georgia 0
Wales defend the lineout by holding Georgia up for 90 seconds as they go from right to left and back again. Navidi fells Tkhilaishvili with a tackle that loosens his fillings and when Kveseladze steps into the line the short, flat pass hits his hands and flops forward like a wet bar of Pears. Wales scrum 15m from their line. Superb defending.
29 min: Wales 22 Georgia 0
Georgia scrum on the Wales 22. They win it and overload on the right with both wings and the full-back using quick hands to shift the ball between them. When Modebadze is tackled, Lobzhanidze dawdles at the back of the ruck, allowing Wales to regroup and Gareth Davies steps into the line to pick off the pass. It hits his chest and is knocked on. Georgia scrum, which they win as Francis collapses. Penalty 10m out. They kick for touch.
26 min: Wales 22 Georgia 0
Seemingly deliberate knock-on from Gareth Davies to break up Georgia's best attack of the match when Mamukashvili breaks forward in the sixth phase and offloads to Tkhilaishvili. Davies sticks out hsi hand when the No6 returns to the hooker but after they go to the TMO, Luke Pearce decides the ball went backwards. It isn't at all clear to me that it did. Georgia will have a scrum instead which they earned during the advantage phase.
24 min: Wales 22 Georgia 0
Three times Wales have opened up Georgia's defence with a judicious flat pass. Wainwright catches Gorgodze in possession but they scramble back in time to retrieve the ball only to lose it within 10 seconds. Nothing's sticking and they're being suffocated by Wales's defence blitzing them and their space.
21 min: Adams scores Wales 22 Georgia 0
Josh Adams runs in the third try with a superbly angled run from inside to out, centre to left, after a lovely inside pass from Parkes off the back of the lineout to go over in the left corner from 30m. They're breaking the line at will. Nariashvili was defending the point he broke through and he simply burned past him. Biggar arcs over the conversion from the left touchline.
19 min: Wales 15 Georgia 0
Kveseseladze, though, is chasing everything, playing with intelligence and his heart on his sleeve. A couple of times he has been on for the crossfield kick but both times it has skirted too close to the touchline and concedes the lineout.
17 min: Wales 15 Georgia 0
Mighty fine start this from Wales, excellent execution of cleverly devastating running lines. Georgia's shonky kicking game is playing into their hands.
Mighty impressive start by Warren Gatland’s Wales.
Georgia are still in the change rooms.
But Wales have made the brightest start - perhaps other than France’s first half - at the World Cup.
Jonathan Davies is so classy.
Warning shot for the Wallabies #RWC2019#WALvGEO— Christy Doran (@ChristypDoran) September 23, 2019
13 min: Tipuric spots down Wales 15 Georgia 0
Terrific finish after a lovely flat pass from Navidi, Gareth Davies makes 20m and looks to ge tangled by his decsion to go left but finds Tipuric on his inside. He spins his marker from 15m, tears past him on the inside shoulder and the blue scrum cap carries it over. Biggar slots the gimme conversion from under the posts.
11 min Wales 8 Georgia 0
First handling error by Wales give Georgia a scrum on halfway. They are held after winning the ball and delay releasing it. Matiashvili lines up in the shotgun and tries to kick a grubber into touch but punts it out on the full.
9 min Wales 8 Georgia 0
Kveseladze is a very formidable tackler. he has just (firmly) cleaned out Dan Biggar after Wales bested Georgia in the scrum. Wales go back for another penalty for offside on halfway and Biggar kicks for touch. Georgia defend the lineout well. And Jonathan Davies is caught on the floor hanging on as Francis's attempt to jackal fails when he slips.
7 min: Biggar kicks the penalty Wales 8 Georgia 0
He puts the earlier attempt which he rushed and snatched at behind him and drills it straight through the middle of the uprights.
6 min: Wales 5 Georgia 0
We go back to the Wales lineout 10m inside the Georgia half. Wales go for the rolling maul a long way out and draw Georgia offside. they play on for about another 50 seconds but come back for the penalty from about 28m, bang in front. And Biggar will kick for the sticks.
5 min: Wales 5 Georgia 0
TMO check to see whether right wing Giorgi Kveseladze was unfairly jumped into by Josh Adams in the air. The TMO points out a pull on the arm as the two entangle but I think he was going for the ball. No foul.
3 min: Davies try Wales 5 Georgia 0
Navidi picks and goes from the back of the scrum, Gareth Davies delivers the perfect flat pass to Jonathan Davies, missing out Parkes and runs it in from 15m. Dan Biggar spanks the straightforward conversion attempt into the post and the ball rebounds away with a respunding clunk.
1 min: Wales 0 Georgia 0
Mamuka Gorgodze takes the kick-off uncleanly and knocks on. Wales have a scrum 15m inside the Georgia half. Jonathan Davies peels off down the blindisde of the scrum and the ball is ripped from his graps by Kveseladze as he was looking for Josh Adams. The ball goes forward and Wales have a scrum just inside the 22.
And for Wales
Time to clear the throat
Warren Gatland speaks
A little bit as we're watching the games over the past couple of days, the guys have been champing at the bit. Senior players have taken a huge amount of responsibility on themselves this week. We have had a great week's training. The scrum is their weapon and we've been doing some hard work of our own all week. We have to be positive, play our game and take it to them.
Call Roy Castle
Alun Wyn Jones equals his country's appearance record here as Wales launch their World Cup campaign against Georgia in Toyota City.
The Ospreys second row wins his 129th cap, matching prop Gethin Jenkins, and he leads a powerful line-up that includes fellow Lions players such as George North, Jonathan Davies and Justin Tipuric.
On ITV
The pundits have taken their shoes off again and Gareth Anscombe is watching Alfie Thomas and Sam Warburton pass a rugby ball lathered in baby oil between each other to show how the humidity will affect the players' handling today.
Here's Dan Zeqiri on the World Cup coverage so far. And Jessica Carpani on why the pundits are shoeless. I once interviewed a famous footballer in his house and his wife asked us to take our shoes off because they'd just had a new carpet laid. Predictably it was the day I had chosen to wear a favourite pair of socks that, beneath the ankle, resembled Emmental.
Wales put up Shaun Edwards yesterday
And he drew comparisons with this team and the one in which his former Wigan colleague Jason Robinson conquered the world:
"This team is more experienced. Definitely more experienced," Edwards said when asked how the current team compares to previous Wales sides.
"You look back at 2003, the only northern hemisphere team to win it has obviously been England, they had an experienced team, a few guys over 30. I don't think that does you any harm."
You can read the rest of Ben Coles' report here.
Good morning
Let's start with the team news:
Wales Liam Williams (Saracens); George North (Ospreys), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets), Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues); Dan Biggar (Northampton), Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues).
Replacements Elliott Dee (Dragons), Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Ross Moriarty (Dragons), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets).
Georgia Soso Matiashvili, Miriani Modebadze, David Kacharava, Tamaz Mchedlidze, Giorgi Kveseladze, Tedo Abzhandadze, Vasil Lobzhanidze, Mikheil Nariashvili (captain), Shalva Mamukashvili, Beka Gigashvili, Giorgi Nemsadze, Konstantine Mikautadze, Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, Mamuka Gorgodze, Beka Gorgadze.
Replacements Jaba Bregvadze, Guram Gogichashvili, Levan Chilachava, Shalva Sutiashvili, Beka Saginadze, Otari Giorgadze, Gela Aprasidze, Lasha Khmaladze
Referee Luke Pearce (England)
Match preview - Parkes on 'surreal' Rugby World Cup
Hadleigh Parkes admits it is "pretty surreal" to be part of Wales' World Cup campaign in Japan.
But when the action kicks off for Wales against Georgia in Toyota City on Monday, Parkes will run out as an established and pivotal figure in head coach Warren Gatland's plans.
It is less than two years since New Zealand-born centre Parkes made his Test debut.
But he has grown impressively into his midfield role, featuring in 18 of Wales' last 22 Tests and scoring a try when they beat Ireland to be crowned Six Nations Grand Slam champions last March.
"It has been an intense three months, and you have always had that carrot at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"Now you are actually here, you have got to pinch yourself that you are at a World Cup. You are in Japan - the first World Cup in Asia.
"To get a World Cup cap and medal, you go back to your room and kind of look at them for a little while.
"It has been a pretty awesome journey, a privileged and humbling journey I've been on the last couple of years, and it's one I have loved every moment of, and to be over here as part of this group is pretty surreal."
Central to Parkes prospering at international level has been his midfield partnership with Jonathan Davies.
They transferred impressive work together for the Scarlets to Test rugby, and have rapidly become a combination that operates at a consistent, high-class level.
"I think we are pretty lucky that we get to play at regional level as well," Parkes added.
"'Foxy' (Davies) is one of those guys who has done extremely well on the world stage for a number of years, with the British and Irish Lions as well.
"He's a world-class player. Defensively, he's outstanding, and on attack he is a big boy as well.
"We get on pretty well off the field - we have roomed together for most of the time over here. We have coffees, we go out for dinner and stuff like that.
"The more times you get to play together, the better it gets and the easier it gets as well.
"Having played with him a lot, you kind of know what he is going to do, a little bit. He reads the game very well. Hopefully, it will continue to go well over the next few weeks."
