North aiming to ensure the clash with Australia is one to remember
GEORGE NORTH said Wales felt like they had been forgotten about in Japan.
But after reminding their World Cup rivals of their talent by ripping Georgia to shreds, North says his team are now ready to beat Australia.
Warren Gatland’s side were one of the last nations to get their tournament underway, but they started with a bang by hammering Georgia 43-14 in a six-try thrashing on Monday.
Now the Wallabies lie in wait on Sunday in a game set to determine the winners of Pool D. Whoever triumphs at Tokyo Stadium is likely to avoid the winner of England’s pool in the quarter-finals.
North said: “We felt a little bit left out not playing. It felt like we were forgotten.
“At a World Cup you have to focus on your next job. The form Australia are carrying into this means they have grown again as a team. They are playing some unbelievable rugby.
“We know we will have to be at our best. In the second half against Georgia we were nowhere near where we need to be to beat Australia. They are a tough beast.
“They have skills from one to 15, physicality and speed. We will have to be on the money straight from the off and expect the unexpected. They have so many good players and trick plays – we have to be on our mettle.”
North had a quiet first half against Georgia as Wales ran riot, but he popped up for a try after the break - his 39th for his country and his third in his past four Tests.
Australia will be without wing Reece Hodge on Sunday after he was retrospectively banned for a high tackle on Peceli Yato in the Wallabies’ opening pool win over Fiji.
But Wales will still face a mammoth
task against a side who beat them 13 games in a row before Gatland’s men finally snapped that streak last November.
Asked if Australia had a psychological hold over Wales, former Wasps full-back Kurtley Beale, below, said: “For some reason whenever we play Wales it just brings out the best in us. They’re always great contests.
“They’ve got off to a flying start and we’re well aware of their threats. It’ll be another great opportunity for both teams to go at each other. There is a lot of respect there.
“The past is the past and the World Cup is a different beast. It’s as simple as that. The pressure and the intensity of World Cup rugby definitely comes into it and it’s a matter of which team can handle that the best.”
Sam Warburton, meanwhile, has hailed Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones as he prepares to break his country’s Test appearance record. Jones will win his 130th cap when he leads his country out on Sunday.
And former skipper Warburton said: “It baffles me how he is still going - not just physically, but mentally as well. To keep playing consistently at that top level is amazing.”
❑ SAMOA have been hit by a double citing ahead of Monday’s match against Scotland in Kobe.
Centre Rey Lee-Lo and hooker Motu Matu’u will face disciplinary hearings in the aftermath of the victory over Russia and could miss the clash with the Scots.
Lee-Lo and Matu’u were both sin-binned by referee Romain Poite for dangerous tackles.
Samoa wing Ed Fidow has also been warned for striking during the match although he will not face a hearing or ban.