Sloppy Wales beat Uruguay 35-13 to top Pool D at Rugby World Cup
Wales will play France in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals after labouring past Uruguay 3513 to top Pool D yesterday.
Four wins from four matches gave the Welsh a pool sweep for the first time since 1987. Their victory left Australia to play England in another quarterfinal.
Coach Warren Gatland gave 11 Wales players their first starts in the tournament and said he’d consider them for the quarterfinals team if they impressed, but few impressed in a match they dominated but kept hurting themselves through unforced errors.
In the face of Uruguay’s scrambling, scrappy defence, Wales could score only four legitimate tries and received a penalty try.
Two more tries were ruled out on video review, and three others were bombed. Winger Hallam Amos had three ruled out, all of them his own fault.
The fumbling and bumbling meant Uruguay was in the match at halftime, behind only 7-6. While the Teros never looked like winning, they hustled to the end and managed to humble the Welsh by scoring their only try while down to 14 men.
Gatland wanted the Teros out of the picture long before halftime so he could rest some tired players four days after the bruising comeback against Fiji. He was justified to think his players would deliver as Wales won the only previous matchup 54-9, but the players were sloppy in dry conditions.
A deserving Japan reaches first RWC quarterfinals
Japan got the chance to prove it was a worthy Rugby World Cup quarterfinalist and took it bravely with a 28-21 win over Scotland yesterday to bring some joy to a host country reeling from a ferocious typhoon.
The tournament host swept Pool A and will play South Africa next week. And it has form against the two-time champion, after producing the so-called Miracle of Brighton to upset the Springboks in 2015.
After a stirring comeback, Scotland misses the quarterfinals for only the second time and will go home.
Japan is into the knockout stage for the first time, fittingly in the first Rugby World Cup staged in Asia.
Ireland placed second in the group and will play the defending champion All Blacks next week.
Tonga beats US 31-19, gets its win at RWC 2019
Tonga got its win, captain Siale Piutau got a farewell try on his birthday, and the United States got nothing but a recordequalling 10th straight loss at the Rugby World Cup.
Tonga beat the United States 3119 yesterday to avoid finishing last in Pool C. Already eliminated, both teams sought desperately to end their tournaments with a victory and something to build on.
Tonga did it, although it made life tough for itself by throwing away at least five try-scoring chances at Hanazono Rugby Stadium.
Tonga did make four opportunities count with four tries. Centre Piutau’s score with just under 20 minutes to go was crucial in giving his team breathing space at 24-12. The United States made it interesting when flanker Tony Lamborn pushed the ball up against the post padding in a late surge and it was 24-19 with just under three minutes to go.
Fullback Telusa Veainu, guilty of messing up at least two tries, sealed Tonga’s first win of this World Cup when he dived on a kick behind the US defence in the last play of the game.
Three matches called off due to Typhoon Hagibis
Due to Typhoon Hagibis, three matches had to be called off New Zealand vs Italy in Pool B, England vs France in Pool C and Canada vs Namibia in Pool B.
Each team has taken two points (a draw) from the abandoned games. New Zealand and South Africa have therefore qualified for the quarter-finals from Pool B, and England and France from Pool C.