Adams grabs hat-trick, Wales ‘reach’ quarters
Fiji knocked out
OITA, Japan, Oct 9, (RTRS): Winger Josh Adams grabbed a hattrick of tries as a battered and bruised Wales battled to a 29-17 bonuspoint win over Fiji on Wednesday to book their place in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
In a frenzied clash under the roof at Oita Stadium, the Fijians gave the Six Nations champions a real scare, surging into 17-14 lead early in the second half of the Pool D with a penalty try.
That revived memories of the ‘Nightmare in Nantes’ when the Pacific islanders knocked Wales out of the 2007 World Cup.
Adams, however, steadied the ship with his hat-trick try on the hour-mark and fullback Liam Williams crossed 12 minutes from the siren to settle the game.
Wales ended the game with concerns over talismanic flyhalf Dan Biggar, sidelined with a head injury for a second time in the tournament and who was quickly ruled out of the team’s final pool game.
“We probably started a little slowly out of the box, we knew that if Fiji got their tails up we were going to be in for a hard day at the office,” said Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones.
“But credit to Fiji, we saw the best of them at times today. We did the job today but plenty to work on.” The result ensured Wales, with 14 points, leapfrogged Australia (11 points) to top the pool ahead of their final game against Uruguay. Fiji were eliminated after losing earlier matches to Australia and Uruguay.
“I’m so proud of the effort our boys put in this evening,” Fiji coach John McKee told reporters.
“They’re playing a Six Nations champion team that’s been number one in the world this year and they really took the game to them. Although we didn’t get here in the end, it was an absolute gallant effort all round.” Wales, with England or France awaiting them in the quarterfinals, are also monitoring Adams and key centre Jonathan Davies after they also suffered injuries.
Wales, rejuvenated after a 10-day break, were looking for a fast start but instead it was Fiji charging out of the blocks, spreading the ball wide from an attacking scrum to winger Josua Tuisova, who bashed through Adams and Biggar to score in the right corner.
Wales responded immediately only for backrower Josh Navidi’s score after a turnover to be ruled out by the TMO due to a knock-on. Fiji, too, thought they had scored moments later but scrumhalf Frank Lomani’s effort was also scratched by the TMO.
The early drama continued when Wales hooker Ken Owens was yellow-carded in the eighth minute for a flip-tackle on number eight Viliame Mata and barnstorming Semi Radradra, the player of the match, made Wales pay at once, setting up a try for fullback Kini Murimurivalu in the right corner to make it 10-0.
Fiji’s numerical advantage did not last long as lock Tevita Cavubati was also yellow-carded for a shoulder charge in the 17th minute and now Biggar responded with a sumptuous cross-kick to Adams.
Fiji’s scrambling defence was soon on the brink of collapse as Wales upped the tempo and flanker Semi Kunatani earned the third yellow card of the first half after a string of Fijian offsides.
Soon after, Adams strolled over for his second five-pointer as the Welsh sliced open Fiji’s threadbare right flank.
Fiji were fortunate to trail by just 14-10 at the break but blew a chance to retake the lead in the 49th minute with another forward pass disallowing a try for Radradra.
The game threatened to turn on its head minutes later as James Davies was yellow-carded for a ruck infringement. Fiji kicked for the corner, rumbled a lineout drive to the line and were awarded a penalty try after Wales collapsed the maul.
Liam Williams then clattered into Biggar as both attempted to catch a clearing kick. After several minutes of medical attention, Biggar groggily got to his feet and jogged off. Soon after, however, Adams had his hat-trick, again at the corner, before scrumhalf Gareth Davies cantered through a hole to set up Williams for the sealing try.
FUKUROI CITY, Japan, Oct 9, (RTRS): George Horne scored a hat-trick as Scotland ran in nine tries in a 61-0 bonus-point thrashing of Russia on Wednesday to set up a crunch Pool A showdown with host nation Japan for a place in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
Horne scored his first two tries from scrumhalf and added a third from the left wing as Scotland finally got their high-octane running game going in their third match in Japan.
Flyhalf Adam Hastings, son of Scotland great Gavin, also made a significant contribution with the first two tries in four first-half minutes and eight conversions for a personal haul of 26 points.
Horne actually crossed for what seemed like a Scottish record-equalling fourth try only for referee Wayne Barnes to call it back for a forward pass.
Neither Horne not Hastings are likely to start in Yokohama on Sunday when the Scots take on Japan almost certainly needing to record a victory and deprive the hosts of a bonus point to progress to the knockout stages.
That match in Yokohama, however, is in danger of being disrupted by Typhoon Hagibis, which is projected to strike the Tokyo area on Saturday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.
Tournament rules state that any pool game that cannot be played is not rescheduled and instead is recorded as a 0-0 draw,with no bonus points available. Scotland made 14 changes from the team that beat Samoa 34-0 and many of the players had a dual goal of winning the game as well as trying to force their way into consideration for Sunday’s match.
Scotland’s scoring in the first half came in an eight-minute burst with Hastings crossing twice, while Horne intercepted a flat pass by Dmitry Perov on his own tryline to give Scotland a 21-0 lead at the break. Horne then secured the bonus point after a brilliant weaving run of more than 60 metres from Darcy Graham, who was the only player who also started against Samoa.
Russia then ran out of steam and their defence faltered as they missed 41 tackles with hooker George Turner and winger Tommy Seymour crossing before Horne completed his hat-trick with more than 20 minutes remaining.
Match captain John Barclay brought up the half century, just the 13th time Scotland have surpassed 50 points in tests, when he burst free with about five minutes remaining. Squad captain Stuart McInally completed the scoring, although Hastings did cross after the gong only for Barnes to again rule the try out.
Argentina ended a disappointing World Cup campaign on a high as they ran in seven tries to hammer the United States 47-17 with a sometimes scintillating backline display in their final Pool C game on Wednesday.
The Pumas, whose qualification hopes were ended by defeats at the hands of France and England, picked a young team and the newcomers took their chance to play with confidence and ambition that left the Americans clutching at shadows.
There were two tries each for Joaquin Tuculet and man-of-thematch centre Juan Cruz Mallia, while recalled flyhalf Nicholas Sanchez, Jeronimo De La Fuente and Gonzalo Bertranou also scored to secure their ninth win in nine meetings with the US.
They finished third in the pool with 11 points from their wins over Tonga and the US to secure automatic qualification for 2023 but that represented a considerable step backwards for the 2015 semifinalists, especially on the back of such an impressive Super Rugby campaign by The Jaguares.
“They always had the (freedom to play). They were playing from the heart today and for their own pride,” said coach Mario Ledesma.
“(The youngsters) were incredible, we really expected that from them and they really delivered. Obviously, we’re out of the World Cup but with those guys, the future is looking good for Argentina.”
The US, who have now managed only three wins in their 26 World Cup games, will hope to end with a fourth from their final game against Tonga but will have to dramatically improve their defence after missing 46 tackles on Wednesday.
“I don’t actually believe those figures but yes, we do need to improve in that area,” said coach Gary Gold. “Probably more important though is to look after the ball better.”
Two-try captain Blaine Scully added: “Argentina are a very dangerous team when you give them possession and we had too many turnovers. They’re ruthless on that.”
Argentina were on top from the start and Mallia set up the first try when he cut through a ragged American defensive line to feed Sanchez on his shoulder after 19 minutes.
Sanchez then set up the second as his short kick took a horrible bounce to wrong-foot Mike Te’o and give Tuculet an unexpected second, followed soon after by his own second and the team’s third.
The Americans got on the scoreboard at the end of the half when flyhalf AJ MacGinty sent a grubber kick into the corner for captain Scully to scamper on to and touch down.
Bautista Delguy had the crowd on their feet at the start of the second half with an outrageous run from behind his own line and through half a dozen defenders all the way to the halfway line.
He was unable to complete but the next score was only minutes away as Mallia, again untouched, got the fourth, and soon after, and identical fifth after a quick lineout caught the Americans napping.
It was then Jeronimo De La Fuente’s turn to run in unharried.
The Americans kept going and were rewarded when Paul Lasike showed great strength to smash his way over for their second try.
Bertranou then became the latest to benefit from more great work by Mallia but the US had the final word with Scully’s second.