BATTERED
Playing Papua New Guinea is like being hit by a bus says Wales star
WALES forward Morgan Knowles compared being hit by Papua New Guinea’s defence to being in a car crash.
The Dragons were outgunned and outmuscled in their opening World Cup game in hostile Port Moresby, with the Kumuls running out 50-6 winners.
And St Helens back-rower Knowles believes Wales will not forget their “embarrassing” effort in defeat quickly.
Knowles said: “It was brutal – those PNG boys are tough. I do not think I have ever played such a physical game.
“I felt like I had been hit by a bus the morning after.
“There is a stat that rugby league is like being in a 20mph car crash and it was like that over and over again.
“But that’s just the way they play – it’s all 100mph carries and tackles.
“It’s probably a bit different to the northern hemisphere, but they definitely do hurt you.
“From one to 13, you cannot distinguish props from the wingers – they are all the same size and build.
“They’re all big and athletic right through the team.”
Despite the Kumuls (below) impressing in victory, Knowles insists the Welsh should have performed better. He said: “We did not match them physically up front. They got a roll on us and we could not wrestle it back.
“We feel disappointment and embarrassment, to be honest. You play for your country and you try and make your country and your family proud and I think we struggled to do that.
“You can always get beat on the scoresheet, but we got beat on effort and desire and wanting to front up. “It is not acceptable.” John Kear’s side must now perform a miraculous turnaround in performance against formidable Fiji to keep their remote World Cup hopes alive.
Knowles (above) added: “Fiji are a very similar team to PNG, but maybe a more difficult opponent with having more rugby skills.
“But we will rip into it this week – we just need to match them up front.
“It is do or die now. We have made it hard with the points difference, but you can always look at the other side of it.”