Gatland banking on a sting in tail

WALES still have their Rugby World Cup destiny firmly in their own hands but there is a nagging fear that despite their heroics so far they could yet be denied a quarterfinal berth.

After surviving a second-half Fijian onslaught to register a third consecutive win in the tournament and top Pool A on Thursday, the injury-plagued Welsh should already be looking forward to the knockout stages.

But the nature of the so-called “Pool of Death” means it could still all come down to their final match against Australia at Twickenham next Saturday – a scenario coach Warren Gatland knows is highly probable.

“To think you can lose one game in this pool and miss out on a quarterfinal berth that’s how tough it is,” Gatland said after the fraught 23-13 victory over Fiji in Cardiff.

No team has ever gone out of the World Cup having won three matches since five-team pools were introduced in 2003 but after Wales failed to earn a bonus point against Fiji that is the worry in the rugby-mad nation. Only once have bonus points decided the outcome of a pool – in 2011 when France edged out Tonga and went on to reach the final – but should England beat Australia today it could come down to such slender margins again.

That is why Gatland, despite being a proud New Zealander, will be urging on Australia at Twickenham today when victory for the Wallabies will spare Wales a nerve-jangling all-or-nothing clash the following week. “To be honest, (Australia) would do us a big favour wouldn’t they?” said Gatland, whose side beat England in such gutsy fashion last week. “It means we make the quarterfinals so it’s hard not to. If we’re being entirely selfish about our own destiny, Australia can do us a big favour.” — Reuters