MORE IN RWC 2019...

 

---

---

 

ELSEWHERE IN

 

---

---

You can always follow all the latest news & opinion on our social media channels:

& &

---

---

---

Kobe Misaki Stadium - Tuesday, 08 October 2018
KO: 19:15 HT: 47-0 Att: 28,014

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

Boks v Canada Ten minutes til KO at #RWCKobe, and it's a bit of a shame since the Canucks will be booking their flights home later today after they exit the #WC play offs running
Boks v Canada The Boks haven't really been tested yet - actually most #RWC contenders haven't shown what they're made of, or even haven't been tested as yet. Well, there's always next week...
Boks v Canada The teams are out on the glorious pitch, anthems pending before Ref Pearce gets us underway for 🇿🇦🏉🇨🇦
Boks v Canada Herschel Jantjies is so diddy! 🙊 😆 And it warms the heart to see Schalk Brits to be grinning like a Cheshire cat 🤣
Boks 0-0 Canada 1min The Boks have finally figured out which part of the ground they need to be in 🙈 and the Canadians KO...
Boks 0-0 Canada 1min The Canucks have the first lineout on halfway; expect a Bokke try fest over the next 80 minutes....
Boks 5-0 Canada 2min ...and the first almost comes from RG Snyman under the posts but he's just held back, so the Boks recycle, DTH van der Merwe tries his damndest to stop them but Damian de Allende is let loose to score
Boks 7-0 Canada 3mins Elton Jantjies is in charge of the kicking tonight, and it's the easiest of conversions for the flyhalf
Boks 12-0 Canada 5mins Feeling so sorry for the Canadians already who are being battered by the man-monsters that are the Bokke, and from the 22 they go wide for S'busiso Nkosi to collect and sprint along touch for the corner try
Boks 12-0 Canada 7mins Elton J takes the full time allocated for the conversion from touch, and it's not easy this time for him to hook it wide of the uprights
Boks 12-0 Canada 8mins First scrum of the game is set for the Boks, on their own 22 as Canada battle from the restart to gain some territory, but they hand over a penalty to be potentially mauled..
Boks 17-0 Canada 9mins No mauling - just clean and efficient for the ball to come to scrumhalf Cobus Reinach who sprints like lightning, chips ahead over halfway, the ball bounces right back to him and he runs under the posts for a 3rd
Boks 19-0 Canada 11mins Ref Pearce hurries Elton J along with his conversion this time, but there's no faulting his boot from here
Boks 19-0 Canada 13mins It's Brits who makes the first break from the restart, Frans Steyn kicks in sublime fashion to the tryline in the other half of the pitch, Damian Willemse & Warrick Gelant chasing it but Peter Nelson stops them
Boks 19-0 Canada 13mins The Canadians clear to halfway and win a penalty at the breakdown for a scrum
Boks 19-0 Canada 14mins But for a Tier 2 nation to stand up to the scrum of the Boks is asking too much, and they lose their scrum for another with Reinach' put in this time
Boks 19-0 Canada 15mins Josh Larsen replaces Kyle Baillie who likely got clattered, while the Boks win the free kick from the penalty after the Canadian front row collapses
Boks 24-0 Canada 17mins It's a lineout inside the 22 for die Bokke and Reinach hurls it out from the ruck. the ball goes wide toward the centre and Snyman break, held just short and it's Reinach over for a brace instead nearer the corner
Boks 26-0 Canada 19mins Elton J this time is far more accurate from touch this time with the conversion, and that's the quickest try bonus point in the RWC so far
Boks 33-0 Canada 21mins The restart ball is quickly recycled by Elton J > Gelant who make the first break toward halfway, de Allende carries it over at speed and it's back out to Reinach for a hat trick! 🙈 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

 

Boks 33-0 Canada 22mins Elton J adds the extras - and it's simple as since the try was under the posts again
Boks 33-0 Canada 23mins Cynical knocking down of the ball by the Canucks in their own half following the restart allows the Boks another attacking lineout in the 22
Boks 33-0 Canada 24mins Clean lineout ball is secured and the Boks are looking for a way through, still in the 22, but all the Canucks are pretty much offside, and with advantage being played, the penalty comes
Boks 33-0 Canada 26mins The Boks opt for an attacking scrum in front of the posts, and it goes down - Canadians at fault, and it's reset...
Boks 38-0 Canada 27mins The ball is out like lightning and Reinach hurls it to Elton J to Gelant who flies over in the corner for try no.#6
Boks 40-0 Canada 28mins The conversion is cleanly through the uprights. The Canadians must be utterly deflated, and it's showing in the indiscipline and frustration
Boks 40-0 Canada 30mins Finally some possession and the Canucks have an attacking lineout from the restart, which they win but then knock on as Billy Mack spills it; time off
Boks 40-0 Canada 31mins As the Boks set a defensive scrum inside their 10m, they have had 93% territory and possession; they clear to touch for a 22 Canadian defensive lineout...
Boks 40-0 Canada 32mins The lineout is cleanly won and the Canadians are off through Mack making serious ground, they reach halfway and breach Bok territory, winning a penalty to clear to touch...
Boks 40-0 Canada 33mins ...for an attacking lineout on the 22. They win it well, and from far touch, work the ball infield and a beautiful kick comes flying toward the nearside corner for SA-born van de Merwe...
Boks 40-0 Canada 34mins ...and he flies up for it, is interrupted by Willemse and the ball finds touch 🙊; TMO has a look at which of the two Canadians and Boks smacked it out - green hand so 5m attacking scrum for Canada
Boks 40-0 Canada 35mins The Canadians are in touching distance of the tryline and they drive as far as they can, inches short, before the whistle goes for foul play 👀
Boks 40-0 Canada 35mins And it's sadly bad news for Canada - though rightly called - Larsen smashed into Thomas du Toit in the ruck with no arms, shoulder charging from offside into his neck and it's a red card
Boks 40-0 Canada 37mins Well that's deflated the game well and truly, and the Boks clear the Canadians back into their own half, from which they have a long way back to gain territory again
Boks 40-0 Canada 38mins The Canadian attack is thwarted and the ball finds touch for a Bok lineout inside the Canadian 10m
Boks 40-0 Canada 39mins The lineout is won, the Boks charge along touch for Nkosi to be held up a fraction short, the ball is quickly recycled from the corner and Franco Mostert offloads to Kwagga Smith who spills it in front of the posts
Boks 45-0 Canada 40mins It's a defensive 5m scrum under the posts for Canada, the Boks gift a penalty and Ciaran Hearn attempts to offload for Steyn to intercept and hurl himself over the tryline to score
Boks 47-0 Canada 40+1mins Didn't even hear the gong for HT in the furore of battle, and Elton J takes all the time he wants from out wide to convert that try, eventually splicing the upright perfectly

Boks 47-0 Canada HT T: de Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn C: Elton Jantjies (6) | Larsen

Boks 47-0 Canada HT From excellent lightning play from the Boks, the Canadians have just ruined this game through churlish indiscipline. It will now be boring; there's no coming back for Canada and it's a 40 minute drills test for the Boks
Boks 47-0 Canada HT We could play a game - will the Boks top the #AllBlacks 11-try fest on Namibia 🤔 The difference being of course, the southern Africans put up a fight, unlike Canada who have just lain down in defeat already

Boks 47-0 Canada 40mins Canada have replaced Hubert Buydens & Jake Ilnicki with Djustice Sears-Duru & Matt Tierney as we resume this game
Boks 47-0 Canada 41mins Canada have the first penalty after the Boks slip up, not releasing, but it's only on halfway, kicked to touch for an attacking lineout...
Boks 47-0 Canada 42mins ...which they secure and make a couple of yards, advantage being played and Elton J is pinged, giving them another attacking lineout, at the 22 this time
Boks 47-0 Canada 43mins This lineout too is won, and the Canadians almost taste the tryline, but are turned over at the ruck almost under the posts, and the Boks clear them back
Boks 47-0 Canada 44mins The Boks push the Canadians back a fraction, the Canadians attack from further back but are again turned over...but the Boks reciprocate and it’s a 5m attacking lineout for the Canucks
Boks 47-5 Canada 45mins The lineout is clean and the Canucks attack with serious vigour, they don't make the whitewash on the first attempt but the ball is well recycled a couple of times for Matt Heaton to reach and score!
Boks 47-5 Canada 46mins But before we can have a conversion, TMO Kitt attempts to spoil the party, accusing Hearn of obstruction. It's a nonsense and Ref Pearce sees that - try stands 😆
Boks 47-7 Canada 47mins Peter Nelson adds the extras and maybe this won't be so tedious
Boks 47-7 Canada 49mins Canada fight back from the restart too, and the Boks look like they suddenly have an opposition; Gelant's skills are special to keep the ball in play, but a penalty is given deep in Canadian territory, 5m from the 22 - by the Boks
Boks 47-7 Canada 50mins It's a Canada defensive scrum and they come away with the penalty, the Boks losing a fraction of composure there
Boks 47-7 Canada 51mins Herschel Jantjies replaces record hat-trick scoring Reinach
Boks 47-7 Canada 52mins Another Canada scrum but the Boks win this one solidly thanks to Herschel J and Elton J charges deeper into the Canada 22, 2m short of the tryline, but Mostert misses a catch and Jeff Hassler takes full advantage, charging in the opposite direction, footballing the ball away...
Boks 47-7 Canada 53mins But eventually the ball comes to Elton J and the penalty is for the Boks, putting them back in an attacking position...
Boks 52-7 Canada 54mins Steven Kitshoff & Frans Malherbe replace du Toit and Vincent Koch before Brits throws into the 5m lineout; it's not such an easy score this time, more of a battle, but Brits finds the whitewash
Boks 54-7 Canada 55mins Elton J adds the extras for an eighth try, while Canada bring on some changes...
Boks 54-7 Canada 56mins ...Benoît Piffero, Michael Sheppard & Jamie Mackenzie come on for Andrew Quattrin, Tyler Ardron and Mack
Boks 54-7 Canada 57mins Piffero hands over a penalty at the breakdown on arrival, while much to the disappointment of the crowd from his superb gleeful attitude, Brits limps off injured, bowing to the crowd on the touchline, to be replaced by Malcolm Marx
Boks 54-7 Canada 58mins The Boks win their 10m attacking lineout, but knock ons both ways gives Canada a defensive scrum inside their 10m
Boks 54-7 Canada 59mins Coe gets to the ball put back in this 22, and is immediately swarmed with Boks, but Steyn is pinged for infringing for Canada to clear the Boks out
Boks 54-7 Canada 60mins The Boks are quickly back as the ball doesn’t find touch and it's great hands offloading back into the 22, but Marx loses it forward for Canada to clear to the 10m
Boks 54-7 Canada 61mins Smith has knocked it on, missing the ball for a Canada lineout
Boks 54-7 Canada 63mins Hassler is having a good game, and he's making sure he is everywhere, but the penalty comes to the Boks in the Canada 22
Boks 59-7 Canada 65mins It's a long while for that attacking 5m scrum to be set close to the corner, but once executed, the Boks hurl the ball infield quickly and cleanly going through 4 sets of hands well before reaching Willemse to fly over
Boks 61-7 Canada 67mins While Elton J adds the extras, Handré Pollard has replaced de Allende while Shane O'Leary is on for Nelson
Boks 61-7 Canada 69mins The restart doesn't get the Canadians far and quickly the Boks are right back up in their faces, forcing play back to the midfield...
Boks 61-7 Canada 71mins The Boks charge along touch, holding the ball in close to the 22 before Gelant is forced over the line for a Canada defensive lineout
Boks 66-7 Canada 72mins The lineout is fine, but the ball is deftly turned over at the breakdown just outside the 22, and the Boks go 9 phases, Kolisi just held back from the whitewash, but Malherbe has no opposition to prevent a score
Boks 66-7 Canada 74mins Elton J misses his second conversion of the night, and the Canadians are determined to repeat their earlier performance in attack, but struggle...
Boks 66-7 Canada 75mins As the Boks make more inroads into Canadian territory, Ardron has returned for Sheppard to return to the bench, while Guiseppe du Toit replaces Hearn
Boks 66-7 Canada 76mins The Boks bulldoze ahead into Canadian territory but a pass is intercepted by Andrew Coe who belts up to halfway...
Boks 66-7 Canada 77mins ...but Willemse shuts him down firmly and turns over for a Bok midfield lineout, well won
Boks 66-7 Canada 78mins The Boks make little ground and the ball comes loose in the midfield for Canada to run off with it, an offload going wide to van der Merwe with such opportunity but he fumbles it 🙈
Boks 66-7 Canada 79mins From almost their 22, the Boks run the ball out of their half and breach Canadian territory...
Boks 66-7 Canada 80mins ...and the gong rings out for 80 minutes as the Boks are halfway to the 22, are forced back and Evan Olmstead steals it well, but a knock on ends the horror for Canada
Boks 66-7 Canada FT Well it was great that the Canucks turned up in the second half, and tried to take the game to the Boks; not a bad effort from a Tier 2 team against previously twice World Champions, and with a man down for 45 minutes

REVIEW

• South Africa have qualified for the next round. They have now progressed to the next round in every RWC they have competed in. Canada are eliminated.

• Canada have scored the fewest points, 14, at RWC 2019.

• Cobus Reinach scored the fastest hat-trick in Rugby World Cup history, scoring three times in the first 20 minutes and beating Chris Latham's record (three tries in the first 25 minutes against Namibia at RWC 2003).

• Reinach became the fifth South Africa player to score an RWC hat-trick. Bryan Habana registered two and Chester Williams, Joost van der Westhuizen and JP Pietersen all recorded one.

• Frans Steyn needed more than seven years to score another test try. The record by a Tier 1 player in the professional era is nearly 10 years. South Africa's Os du Randt scored one in November 1997 only to score his next in August 2007.

• Schalk Brits scored his second try of the tournament. He became the first player to record multiple RWC tries after his 38th birthday.

• Damian Willemse came into replace injured Jesse Kriel only this week. He became the second player at RWC 2019 to not be chosen in the original 31-man squad and score a try after Shannon Frizell (also against Canada).

• DTH Van der Merwe played his 15th World Cup match, the most of any player for Canada, overtaking Rod Snow and Jamie Cudmore.

15 Damian Willemse 14 Warrick Gelant 13 Damian de Allende 12 Frans Steyn 11 S’busiso Nkosi 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Cobus Reinach 1 Thomas du Toit 2 Schalk Brits 3 Vincent Koch 4 RG Snyman 5 Franco Mostert 6 SIYA KOLISI (C) 7 Kwagga Smith 8 Francois Louw BENCH: 16 Malcolm Marx 17 Steven Kitshoff 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Eben Etzebeth 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit 21 Herschel Jantjies 22 Handré Pollard 23 Willie Le Roux

SCORERS T: de Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse, Malherbe C: Elton Jantjies (8)

15 Andrew Coe 14 Jeff Hassler 13 Conor Trainor 12 Ciaran Hearn 11 DTH van der Merwe 10 Peter Nelson 9 Phil Mack 1 Hubert Buydens 2 Andrew Quattrin 3 Jake Ilnicki 4 Evan Olmstead 5 Kyle Baillie 6 Lucas Rumball 7 Matt Heaton 8 TYLER ARDRON (C) BENCH: 16 Benoît Piffero 17 Djustice Sears-Duru 18 Matt Tierney 19 Josh Larsen 20 Michael Sheppard 21 Jamie Mackenzie 22 Shane O'Leary 23 Guiseppe du Toit

SCORERS T: Heaton C: Nelson Larsen

Man of the Match: RG Snyman

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU) Asst. Referees: Angus Gardner (ARU), Andrew Brace (IRFU) TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)

 

 

---

Kumagaya Rugby Stadium - Wednesday, 09 October 2018
KO: 13:45 HT: 19-5 Att: 24,377

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

 

Pumas v USA こんにちは peepals! A triple header incoming today, and we're just 15 minutes from KO at #RWCKumagaya 🇦🇷🏉🇺🇸
Pumas v USA An update on Pumas' Tomas Lavanini who was red carded for his dangerous tackle on England Rugby's Owen Farrell: Sanctioned for 4 matches incl'g USA and his new club Leicester Tigers’ next three matches. FTP: 28 October
Pumas v USA What a glorious sunshiny day in Kumagaya today for this match up - and they know each other better since the Americas Rugby Championship began; from 8 full test matches, the Pumas have won all 8. The anthems are underway...
Pumas 0-0 USA 1min We have kick off from the Pumas and the Americans clear them away back over halfway rather quickly and efficiently
Pumas 0-0 USA 1min The Pumas build nine phases, but they are still are back in their own half and the ball is spilled with no gain
Pumas 0-0 USA 2mins It's an Eagles scrum on halfway, but not till Rodrigo Bruni gets some attention while Paul Lasike is sent off for a blood replacement - Martin Iosefo is on and time is back on
Pumas 0-0 USA 4mins A reset is required and eventually the USA get going, reaching only the 10m before they are turned over and have to make up those yards again
Pumas 0-0 USA 5mins This assault is much improved and go 6 phases up to the Pumas' 22 but get turned over again
Pumas 0-0 USA 6mins Pumas clear USA away and then go wide back in their own half before Bautista Delguy who makes a super break into the Eagles' 22, but he trips over his own feet and the attack is halted, the ball finding touch on the far side
Pumas 0-0 USA 7mins Eagles' action gives the Pumas an opportunity to attack from a 5m nearside lineout and they secure the ball well as Lasike returns to the paddock sans the claret of earlier
Pumas 0-0 USA 9mins There's no direct attack from the Pumas and an intercept comes from Lasike, but he's offside so it's an attacking scrum for the Argentinians, in front of the posts
Pumas 0-0 USA 10mins Excellent work from the back of the scrum from Felipe Ezcurra who sprints off himself, hits the upright high and falls down to the side to score! But we're off to TMO Graham Hughes
Pumas 0-0 USA 11mins The decision is the try was grounded but captain Pablo Matera is accused of obstruction, holding back his opposite number, Tony Lamborn so it's no try and an Eagles' penalty
Pumas 0-0 USA 12mins The Eagles clear the Pumas way back over halfway with efficiency, the Pumas can't retain the cleared ball and the Eagles thump away possession for a Puma mark to be called
Pumas 0-0 USA 14mins Nicolás Sánchez kick isn't the best and the Eagles are straight back into Pumas territory, bursting into the 22 threatening the whitewash from the corner in towards the uprights, but they come away with nothing, turned over
Pumas 0-0 USA 15mins The Eagles have to start again from up nearer the 10m with a lineout after the ball is cleared from the 22, and they make some yards but it doesn't last...
Pumas 0-0 USA 17mins ...the Pumas stealing possession again and Juan Cruz Mallía sprints away from his own half to the Eagles 22, offloading, and Blaine Scully attempts an intercept knocking it on but penalty for Eagles regardless
Pumas 0-0 USA 18mins It's a USA defensive scrum and they clear well, but the Pumas have other ideas and they come in from touch, great hands and it comes to Sánchez...
Pumas 7-0 USA 20mins ...who offloads to Mallía and it comes back to Sánchez who pegs it to the tryline from his own half, Mike Te'o attempting to stop him at the death but he rolls over and scores regardless, and then converts perfectly
Pumas 7-0 USA 22mins That was likely the kick start the Pumas needed to find their game, which up until now, has eluded them , and they are back with ball in hand again
Pumas 7-0 USA 23mins But only because the Eagles have yet again kicked away possession - they haven't quite understood the concept that without the ball, you can't score 🙄
Pumas 12-0 USA 24mins Pumas work up to the Eagles 22 for a lineout, secure it well via Rodrigo Bruni & they go wide from Ezcurra to Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro back out for a chip overhead and it's Joaquin Tuculet who scores, Te'o left wanting again
Pumas 14-0 USA 26mins Sánchez adds the extras and the restart has the USA in possession, but not for long enough to make anything of it...
Pumas 14-0 USA 28mins The Pumas take control of the ball again, and work from a midfield lineout and they breach the 10m before Mallía is pinged at the breakdown
Pumas 14-0 USA 29mins The Eagles are able to clear the Pumas out of their half and have the chance to make some inroads into Puma territory
Pumas 14-0 USA 31mins But the ball is knocked on, Pumas have a midfield scrum and with advantage being played, they clear for a 10m attacking lineout
Pumas 14-0 USA 32mins The expectation from the Eagles is not so high, despite coach Gary Gold giving his boys the tools to be more forceful, but the Pumas are just not clicking either
Pumas 14-0 USA 33mins The lineout is good and Titi Lamositele is pinged for not releasing at the breakdown, the Pumas clearing for a 22 attacking lineout
Pumas 19-0 USA 34mins The Pumas lineout isn't perfect, but they do enough from the ruck to keep possession and they shift the ball from far touch to come infield, and it comes to Tuculet to secure a brace
Pumas 19-0 USA 36mins This time the conversion eludes Sánchez so it's now for the Eagles to retain possession from the restart and not go into the break pointless
Pumas 19-0 USA 37mins The Eagles build 10 phases and are in touching distance of the Pumas 22, are forced back and a knock on gives possession back to the Pumas who rush play over halfway to the 22...
Pumas 19-0 USA 38mins But we come back for an earlier penalty for the USA on halfway, AJ MacGinty's kick not finding touch, the ball kicked back for a lineout inside the 10m...
Pumas 19-5 USA 39mins ...and this time the Eagles come good, the lineout secured, the ball held in and onto till MacGinty chips through to the corner for Scully to chase and score from
Pumas 19-5 USA 40mins MacGinty just misses the space between the uprights as the ball pings off the nearside post so there's no conversion, but things are looking more hopeful for the USA

Pumas 19-5 USA HT T: Sánchez, Tuculet (2) C: Sánchez (2) | T: Scully

Pumas 19-5 USA 40mins The Eagles kick off the second half but a knock on puts paid to that for a defensive Pumas scrum on their 22
Pumas 19-5 USA 41mins The Kumagaya pitch looks like a company of moles have been having a party as the scrum is set, failed, reset (it's for the USA not Pumas) and they clear badly...
Pumas 19-5 USA 42mins ...for Delguy to collect in the corner, run behind the tryline, round the posts, then sprint to halfway before chipping through, and an Eagles boot pushing it into touch for a 22 Pumas lineout
Pumas 24-5 USA 43mins It's a textbook lineout for the Pumas and it's Mallía who finds the whitewash with a degree of ease
Pumas 26-5 USA 44mins Sánchez adds the conversion, and not that it affects the bigger picture of the RWC, but the Pumas have the bonus point
Pumas 26-5 USA 46mins Looks like the Pumas have a taste for tries all of a sudden, and only a huge effort from the Eagles' backs halts Tuculet from securing a hat trick, just 2m short of the tryline

 

Pumas 31-5 USA 48mins Blink ye not! There's no time! An Eagles hand knocks the ball into touch in the midfield, and the Pumas quickly execute the lineout perfectly for Mallía to run in a brace already
Pumas 33-5 USA 49mins Sánchez converts and the Pumas are racing ahead now, running rings around the poor Eagles, who bring on changes in hope...
Pumas 33-5 USA 50mins Marcos Kremer replaces captain Matera | Fawsitt, Kilifi, Hooley & Mullen on for Taufete'e, Fry, Te'o & Lamositele
Pumas 33-5 USA 52mins The Eagles play with a little abandon all of a sudden, and the bolt not just into the Pumas 22, but look to have placed the ball over the tryline to score, but Ref Williams deems it held up...
Pumas 33-5 USA 54mins The Americans have another chance with a 5m lineout from their penalty, but Agustín Creevy, Mayco Vivas & Enrique Pieretto are on for Julian Montoya, Tetaz Chaparro & Santiago Medrano and Creevy doesn't let that drive...
Pumas 33-5 USA 54mins ...culminate in a try as Fawsitt is forced away from the whitewash
Pumas 38-5 USA 55mins The Eagles are forced back to the edge of the 22, yet have another attacking lineout - but oh dear that fails to the point that Jerónimo de la Fuente get to that ball and runs the length of the pitch to score
Pumas 40-5 USA 56mins More points for Sánchez as the Pumas clock up the score for depressing times for the Eagles
Pumas 40-5 USA 57mins Gonzalo Bertranou and Tomas Lezana on for Ezcurra and Guido Petti | Ben Landry & Ben Pinkelman for Nate Brakeley & Lamborn
Pumas 40-5 USA 58mins Eagles have an attacking 22 lineout again and this time the hang on to that ball for dear life, breach the 22 and drive with conviction toward the 22, recycling efficiently and not letting the Pumas over the ball...
Pumas 40-5 USA 59mins Creevy is pinged at the breakdown and the Eagles can catch and drive from a 5m lineout, and they do! Off to TMO for confirmation of the try...
Pumas 40-5 USA 59mins In the meantime, Benjamin Urdapilleta is on for Sánchez while Nate Augspurger replaces Ruben de Haas
Pumas 40-12 USA 61mins What a lineout take from Pinkelman! The try is good, as is the conversion from MacGinty. The Eagles will be buoyed
Pumas 40-12 USA 63mins Matías Moroni has replaced de la Fuente while both teams take a breath after hat frantic period inducing exhaustion
Pumas 40-12 USA 65mins USA have a defensive scrum and they win the free kick, but the Pumas charge off in the opposite direction, only for the Eagles to steal it back and they're off...

Pumas 40-12 USA 69mins Finally a penalty come for the Pumas to set a 22 lineout, they can't get the drive going so go wide, but the ball finds nearside touch in the 22 for an Eagles defensive lineout
Pumas 45-12 USA 71mins The USA kick the ball clear to the midfield and the Pumas aren't anything close to done, Mallía dummying in sublime fashion and offloading to Bertranou who sprints toward the posts to score
Pumas 47-12 USA 73mins Almost directly in front of the posts, Urdapilleta converts he try and the Eagles have an Everest to climb to even score again
Pumas 47-12 USA 75mins Iosefa's back on , this time for MacGinty who has had a good game despite the Eagles' score, while play is in the midfield, Pumas in control again
Pumas 47-12 USA 77mins Pumas hand over a penalty for the Eagles to set a scrum on their own 10m, and they win the free kick to clear over halfway for an attacking lineout...but can they make something of it in the dying minutes?
Pumas 47-12 USA 78mins The Eagles go 7 phases, but mostly going backwards and they kick the ball away aimlessly, only for the Pumas to kick it to touch for a lineout back where they Eagles started
Pumas 47-12 USA 79mins The USA can't do anything with that ball and the Pumas quickly have possession, only making a mistake in kicking the ball into touch too far for an Eagles scrum though in defence
Pumas 47-12 USA 80+1mins But he USA win that free kick, the gong has gone but we play on, and superb kick over halfway for an attacking lineout in the 22...
Pumas 47-17 USA 80+2mins ...and maybe, just maybe they've got a few ounces of verve in them as they secure the ball, throw it infield and a superb crossfield kick from Hooley lands for Scully to score in the corner!
Pumas 47-17 USA 80+3mins Hooley's conversion is barely in the direction of the uprights, but that's the game, a little face saved at the death by the Eagles, though both teams out of RWC play off running
Pumas 47-17 USA FT On the bright side for the Pumas, aside from Mallía deservedly awarded Man of the Match, Argentina have qualified automatically for #RWC2023 in France already

Pumas 47-17 USA FT It's the final curtain and farewell to the Pumas formidable flanker, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, and it's pretty emotional all round

REVIEW

• Argentina are guaranteed to return to the World Cup in 2023, when they return to the country (France) where they established their best World Cup finish (third place) in 2007.

• In August-September 2018, Nicolas Sanchez registered a try in four consecutive test appearances, but did not score a try since, before today.

• Sanchez became the first Argentina player to convert his own RWC try since 2011, when Felipe Contepomi converted his own try against Georgia.

• Joaquin Tuculet's scored his 17th and 18th test tries and his third and fourth at the World Cup. At RWC 2015, he also scored against Tonga and Ireland.

• Joaquin Tuculet registered only the second try double of his test career. He ran in a pair of tries against Chile on 25 May, 2014.

• Juan Manuel Leguizamón made his first appearance at RWC 2019. A fourth RWC participation saw Leguizamón equal the team record shared by Mario Ledesma, Martín Scelzo, Pedro Sporleder and Felipe Contepomi. Agustín Pichot also earned four selections, but did not make any appearances in 1995.

• Juan Cruz Mallía scored his first two test tries, in his first test appearance for Los Pumas in 2019. He was rewarded with Player of the Match honours for his performance.

• At RWC 2019, Argentina deployed 30 of their original 31-man squad, including injury replacement Gonzalo Bertranou. The only member of the 31-man original squad that went unused was hooker Santiago Socino.

• Blaine Scully became the third Eagles captain to register an RWC try. Dan Lyle did it in 1999 and Chris Wyles managed it twice in 2015.

• His double was Blaine Scully's first tries against Tier 1 opposition. His 13 previous tries were against Canada, Georgia, Japan, Uruguay, Germany and Russia.

• Scully became the fourth captain to score a pair of RWC tries in a match against Tier 1 opposition, following David Kirk (NZL), Will Carling (ENG) and Richie McCaw (NZL).

• Scully made his 10th career RWC appearance, leaving him one shy of the Eagles record shared by Wyles and Mike MacDonald.

15 Joaquin Tuculet 14 Bautista Delguy 13 Juan Cruz Mallía 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente 11 Santiago Carreras 10 Nicolás Sánchez 9 Felipe Ezcurra 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro 2 Julian Montoya 3 Santiago Medrano 4 Guido Petti 5 Matías Alemanno 6 PABLO MATERA (C) 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón 8 Rodrigo Bruni BENCH: 16 Agustín Creevy 17 Mayco Vivas 18 Enrique Pieretto 19 Marcos Kremer 20 Tomas Lezana 21 Gonzalo Martin Bertranou 22 Benjamin Urdapilleta 23 Matías Moroni

SCORERS T: Sánchez, Tuculet (2), Mallía (2), de la Fuente, Bertranou C: Sánchez (5), Urdapilleta |

15 Mike Te’o 14 BLAINE SCULLY (C) 13 Bryce Campbell 12 Paul Lasike 11 Marcel Brache 10 AJ MacGinty 9 Ruben de Haas 1 Eric Fry 2 Joe Taufete’e 3 Titi Lamositele 4 Nate Brakeley 5 Greg Peterson 6 Tony Lamborn 7 Hanco Germishuys 8 Cam Dolan BENCH: 16 Dylan Fawsitt 17 Olive Kilifi 18 Paul Mullen 19 Ben Landry 20 Ben Pinkelman 21 Nate Augspurger 22 Will Hooley 23 Martin Iosefo

SCORERS T: Scully (2), Lasike C: MacGinty

Man of the Match: Juan Cruz Mallía

Referee: Paul Williams (NZRU) Asst. Referees: Jaco Peyper (SARU), Brendon Pickerill (NZRU) TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

 

 

---

Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa - Wednesday, 09 October 2018
KO: 16:15 HT: 21-0 Att: 44,123

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

Scotland v Russia As the elegant Princess Royal looks cool as a cucumber supporting her Scotland Rugby team up in the stands, we're not long from KO at #RWCShizuoka
Scotland v Russia Gregor Townsend has made 14 changes to the team after their 34-0 routing of #SamoaRugby, and it's a bonus must win for them if they are to challenge the hosts, #JapanRugby on Sunday for a playoff spot #RWCShizuoka
Scotland v Russia As the anthems get underway, there's been a change to the refereeing with Wayne Barnes stepping in for a sick Mathieu Raynal. Hope he didn't try the blowfish! 🙊 #RWCShizuoka

 

Scotland 0-0 Russia 1min Scottish fans are in awesome voice at #RWCShizuoka as Ramil Gaisin kicks off the match for the Russians and they retain their ball efficiently from the outset
Scotland 0-0 Russia 1min That's a formidable start for the Russians as they kick deep into Scottish territory from the midfield, the Scots knock on and the Russians are at phase 13 of their assault...
Scotland 0-0 Russia 2mins 17 phases in, the Scots have pushed Russia back over halfway and they kick for territory again
Scotland 0-0 Russia 3mins But now it's Scotland's turn to attack and they breach the Russian 10m and just about retain the ball 11 phases in and the ball goes loose but is collected by blue hands
Scotland 0-0 Russia 4mins Russian defence is not allowing the Scots to get much further ahead and they go 15 phases before the Scots also kick ahead for Gaisin to catch and save the ball from touch
Scotland 0-0 Russia 6mins Will this is frantic! Gaisin clears for a lineout close to his halfway, but Scotland come away with the ball and attack immediately again, clearing for a defensive Russia lineout
Scotland 0-0 Russia 7mins Scots are on the front foot, good hands from the backs but Darcy Graham knocks it on for the first scrum outside the Russia 22 - Russia put in
Scotland 0-0 Russia 8mins Russia win their scrum and Gaisin kicks to heap on the pressure on Scotland; it comes straight back, only for Gaisin to kick it back - back and forth for a 22 drop out for Russia
Scotland 0-0 Russia 10mins Expect a lot of high ball and aerial football; Russia kick more than any other RWC team, but it's not aimless to kick away possession. Scotland in possession again and up to the Russia 122 before the whistle goes
Scotland 0-0 Russia 11mins Russia pinged for a high tackle to give Scotland a strong attacking position, and the ball handling between the players is impressive, but Graham is forced to knock on again; time off
Scotland 0-0 Russia 12mins It's a Russia scrum in their 22, but Nikita Vavilin is pinged for knocking on after a huge shove comes from the Scots - Scotland put in in front of the posts...
Scotland 5-0 Russia 13mins Knowing Scott Hastings is working this match, it must be hard for a match commentator to keep his cool when from good setpiece, his nephew, Adam pelts from the base of the scrum to score Scotland's opening try
Scotland 7-0 Russia 15mins Hastings has converted his try, and Dad Gav's in the stadium too, probably going ballistic as Russia have to regather themselves and reply to that excellent try from Scotland
Scotland 7-0 Russia 17mins The Russians attack, have a lineout in the right place and make some serious yards but are caught short and Graham sprints the ball in the opposite direction...
Scotland 12-0 Russia 17mins ...the Russians momentarily retaliate but Graham offloads to Hastings who chips ahead from halfway, Tagir Gadzhiev matching him step for step, Artemyev can't ground the ball over the tryline and Hastings nails it!
Scotland 14-0 Russia 19mins It's another conversion from Hastings and Scotland are exploiting every opportunity they've been given so far
Scotland 14-0 Russia 20mins Russia are going to have to reply pretty soon if they are to keep any foothold in this game, but so far, it's all Scotland all the way
Scotland 19-0 Russia 21mins Scotland have Russia pinned back in their own 22 with a defensive lineout, which they win but Dmitry Perov goes to offload only for George Horne to intercept and jump over the whitewash to score a third!
Scotland 21-0 Russia 23mins Hastings' kicking foot is perfectly in order too for the conversion; pretty sure the Scots did not anticipate it being so easy
Scotland 21-0 Russia 25mins Russia can't secure possession well enough from the restart, and before long, it's a Scottish scrum in the midfield, forcing another defensive lineout on Russia at their 10m
Scotland 21-0 Russia 27mins And it's time for Russia to shore up their defence again, Scotland forcing play deeper into Russian territory, another 22 lineout for the Russians - they shouldn't make the same mistake again...
Scotland 21-0 Russia 29mins They don't, but the clearance kick only goes a few metres for yet another lineout almost at their 22, but this time they can clear their lines as play is back over halfway...
Scotland 21-0 Russia 30mins Aerial football ensues before Horne pumps the ball back into touch for yet another Russian defensive lineout in their 22
Scotland 21-0 Russia 31mins Magnus Bradbury replaces Fraser Brown - likely tactical since it's so early and there are no obvious injuries; Russia force play back over halfway for an attacking lineout...
Scotland 21-0 Russia 33mins ...which they do secure, but the Scots are over that ball at the breakdown quickly and expend little time turning it over and shifting play back into Russian territory through the boot
Scotland 21-0 Russia 35mins Pace of play has finally slowed somewhat now, as it's been a full on bonkers first half so far, and it's time off for a water break before a 10m defensive scrum - setpiece that has been won by the attacking team...
Scotland 21-0 Russia 36mins ...equally so far. And it is again by Russia who clear the Scots away from the danger zone. But het, there's enough time to still cause some more havoc isn't there say the Sots - and they come straight back...
Scotland 21-0 Russia 38mins Hastings is bundled into touch by Gaisin for a Russian lineout outside their 22, and they win it but the Scots smother the Russians at the breakdown to win the penalty for an attacking scrum on the 22
Scotland 21-0 Russia 40mins The gong rings out as the Scots have gone 12 phases so far, and they're not giving up that ball for love nor money, recycling furiously, edging closer to the uprights but the ball goes forward under the posts for HT

Scotland 21-0 Russia HT T: Hastings (2), George Horne C: Hastings (3) | -

Scotland 21-0 Russia HT In all that furore, missed the formidable Yury Kushnarev replacing Vladimir Ostroushko who got a bit battered five minutes before the break
Scotland 21-0 Russia HT And of course brothers George and Pete Horne have both started for Scotland, so differentiation required - all the mentions so far are from George H, not Pete H

Scotland 21-0 Russia 40mins Blair Kinghorn kicks off the second half, while Simon Berghan has replaced Zander Fagerson in the front row.
Scotland 21-0 Russia 41mins First penalty to Russia as Kinghorn's KO didn't go 10m; they win it and Ostroushko has passed his HIA so has returned to the park
Scotland 21-0 Russia 42mins There are a lot of words being exchanged between Stanislav Selskii and the touch judge before the Russian attacking lineout inside the 10m is executed - not well either
Scotland 26-0 Russia 44mins It's a Scottish scrum which they deal with most efficiently, aerial football ensues but when it comes to Graham in his own 22, he charges like a 7s player the length of the pitch offloading to George H for the try!
Scotland 28-0 Russia 45mins That's the much required bonus point try in the bag for the Scots, and in the meantime , Hastings adds the extras
Scotland 28-0 Russia 46mins Graham's work is done and it's now Henry Pyrgos' time to show his wares for the rest of the match, while Russia wonder how to counter this 4-try assault so far
Scotland 28-0 Russia 48mins However, Scotland are 9 phases into their latest assault as they delve deeper into Russian territory to worry the opposition
Scotland 28-0 Russia 49mins But 14 phases and well into the Russian 22, Kinghorn pops out a pass wide to Tommy Seymour who misses it completely for it to fly into touch
Scotland 33-0 Russia 50mins However, the last hand to touch the ball was a Russian one, so Scotland are lucky to have an attacking lineout, which they don't just execute efficiently, but get the ball to George Turner who flies over the tryline
Scotland 35-0 Russia 52mins Another lovely conversion from the young Hastings; previously, Bogdan Fedotko replaced Evgeny Elgin
Scotland 35-0 Russia 54mins The Tier 2 team is getting annihilated by Scotland, not getting a look in with only 32% territory and so little possession, and the Scots are on the assault again...
Scotland 40-0 Russia 55mins The ball flies out from the back of the scrum at the 22, goes 3 pairs of hands to Kinghorn who chips ahead for Seymour to chase and score by the corner
Scotland 42-0 Russia 56mins Pretty boy Hastings adds the conversion as the Scots are charging ahead in every which they can, including on the scoreboard
Scotland 47-0 Russia 58mins Another high ball from Gaisin and it's collected by Scottish hands in their 22, and it's Pete H to Pyrgos to George H and the length of the pitch for George to secure a hat trick

 

Scotland 47-0 Russia 60mins Hastings doesn't convert this time, but the changes are a coming for Russia...
Scotland 47-0 Russia 61mins Sergey Chernyshev, Azamat Bitiev, Vladimir Podrezov & Kushnarev on for Selskii, Artemyev, Morozov & Gotovtsev
Scotland 47-0 Russia 62mins With Scotland on the attack yet again, Willem Nel & Grant Gilchrist have replaced Cummings and Reid
Scotland 52-0 Russia 63mins And Nel makes a bountiful break on arrival, aiding Hastings et all to have George H fly over in the corner for a fourth try 🙊
Scotland 47-0 Russia 64mins However, the conversion is halted as the officials finally realise what everyone else saw already that that final pass was forward - no try
Scotland 47-0 Russia 65mins Meanwhile, Sergey Ianiushkin comes on as Gaisin is sent off for an HIA, and Stuart McInally & Chris Harris replace Turner and George Horne - both having done their shirts proud today
Scotland 47-0 Russia 67mins Russia go 7 phases and make it over halfway, winning a penalty at the breakdown to set up a 5m attacking lineout
Scotland 47-0 Russia 68mins But the lineout is not straight and it's a Scottish defensive scrum in their 22...but Andrey Garbuzov comes on first for Andrey Ostrikov
Scotland 47-0 Russia 70mins Scotland run the ball out of their 22 and McInally who knocks the ball on, but with advantage being played, we're back for the penalty for Scotland to clear over halfway
Scotland 47-0 Russia 72mins However, the game is now getting scrappy on both sides, Scotland come away from a 10m Russian lineout with a penalty and set up a 5m assault from touch again...
Scotland 47-0 Russia 73mins The Scottish lineout is not straight, the Russians execute a defensive scrum rather well and belt out of the dangerzone to take play back to the midfield, the ball kicked high to Scottish 22...
Scotland 52-0 Russia 74mins ...Harris breaks from his 22 significantly, is shut down but the ball is recycled quickly to John Barclay who goes it alone to score under the posts
Scotland 54-0 Russia 75mins It's the simplest of conversions for Hasting from in front of the posts
Scotland 59-0 Russia 77mins Scotland waste no time reclaiming after the Russian restart, and they belt toward halfway, win the breakdown, charge into the 22, shut down one last time before the ball is wide to McInally to go over in the corner
Scotland 59-0 Russia 78mins It did look like McInally landed a foot in touch en route, but the tom has a look, doesn't put up replays and the try is given
Scotland 61-0 Russia 79mins So Hastings is free to hook over another conversion as Scotland reach the dizzy heights of the 60s on the scoreboard
Scotland 66-0 Russia 80mins In the last restart, it looks like Russia might just get a look in, but the ball is quickly taken by Scotland and they bolt back over halfway, and Seymour offloads long to Hastings who runs in for another score!
Scotland 61-0 Russia 80mins However, we're back up to the TMO to confirm that Seymour's pass was properly forward to so it's no hat trick for Hastings
Scotland 61-0 Russia FT And that's the game - heaps of encouragement for Scotland, but they must not get carried away - they ran in 9 tries against Russia - not a Tier 1, in fact barely a Tier 3 nation

REVIEW

• Scotland’s victory over Russia marks the first time a team has whitewashed the opposition in successive RWC matches. It is also the first time in RWC history a team has failed to score a single point in successive matches.

• Scotland scored nine tries in a World Cup match for the first time since 1995, when they scored a team-record 13 versus Ivory Coast. That is the only RWC match in which Scotland have posted more points (89) than they did today (61).

• Scotland crossed the 50-point barrier for the second time in a World Cup match since 1995. In 2007, they defeated Portugal 56-10.

• Adam Hastings scored his first RWC tries. They were the first RWC tries by a Scotland player named Hastings since 11 June, 1995, when Scott, Adam's uncle, scored against New Zealand.

• Hastings became the first Scotland No.10 to score more than one try in a Rugby World Cup match. It was only the seventh time in Rugby World Cup history that a starting No.10 has scored more than one try in a match. The last to do so was Bernard Foley for Australia against England at RWC 2015.

• Hastings is the first No.10 from a Six Nations team to achieve this.

• Adam Hastings finished on 26 points, surpassing the career total of uncle Scott (18) in one fell swoop. Father Gavin's total stands at 227. Before today, Adam Hastings had never registered more than five points in a test appearance.

• Only Gavin Hastings has posted more than 26 points representing Scotland in a RWC match. Adam's father achieved that on three separate occasions.

• In early World Cups (1987 to 1995), Adam's father Gavin also scored tries, including two multiple-try performances. He scored two tries against Romania in 1987 and four tries against Ivory Coast in 1995.

• George Horne crossed over against Russia. This marked only the second RWC match in history in which Scotland's numbers 10 and nine both scored tries. The first occasion was when Scotland played Uruguay on 8 October, 1999. Back then, Gregor Townsend and Gary Armstrong manned those positions.

• George Horne scored twice against Russia. It was the first time a starting number nine and 10 had scored multiple tries for a team in a RWC match. It was also the first time these starting positions had combined for at least four RWC tries in a match.

• George Horne became the fourth number nine to score a hat-trick in a RWC match following Rodolphe Modin (1987), Joost van der Westhuizen (2003) and Cobus Reinach (2019). Reinach achieved the feat yesterday.

• Horne became the first Scotland player to score a hat-trick in a RWC match since Ally Hogg on 18 September, 2007, against Romania.

• Tommy Seymour also scored in all of Scotland's four pool matches at RWC 2015. He became the second Scotland player to register tries in five different RWC matches, joining Gavin Hastings.

15 Blair Kinghorn 14 Tommy Seymour 13 Duncan Taylor 12 Pete Horne 11 Darcy Graham 10 Adam Hastings 9 George Horne 1 Gordon Reid 2 George Turner 3 Zander Fagerson 4 Scott Cummings 5 Ben Toolis 6 John Barclay (C) 7 Fraser Brown 8 Ryan Wilson BENCH: 16 Stuart McInally 17 Simon Berghan 18 Willem Nel 19 Grant Gilchrist 20 Magnus Bradbury 21 Jamie Ritchie 22 Henry Pyrgos 23 Chris Harris

SCORERS T: Hastings (2), George Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, McInally C: Hastings (8)

15 Vasily Artemyev (C) 14 German Davydov 13 Vladimir Ostroushko 12 Dmitry Gerasimov 11 Vladislav Sozonov 10 Ramil Gaisin 9 Dmitry Perov 1 Valery Morozov 2 Stanislav Selskii 3 Kirill Gotovtsev 4 Andrey Ostrikov 5 Evgeny Elgin 6 Vitaly Zhivatov 7 Tagir Gadzhiev 8 Nikita Vavilin BENCH: 16 Sergey Chernyshev 17 Azamat Bitiev 18 Vladimir Podrezov 19 Bogdan Fedotko 20 Andrey Garbuzov 21 Sergey Ianiushkin 22 Anton Sychev 23 Yury Kushnarev

Man of the Match: Adam Hastings

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU) Asst. Referees: Alex Ruiz (France), Federico Anselmi (UAR) TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

 

 

---

Oita Stadium - Wednesday, 09 October 2018
KO: 18:45 HT: 14-10 Att: 33,379

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

 

Wales vs Fiji Next we head over to #RWCOita...
Wales vs Fiji Wales make two changes from their starting XV against Australia, both in the back row, with Viliame Mata the sole change in the Fijian side. Kick-off is coming up in 10 mins
Wales vs Fiji The teams are out…time for the anthems, followed by the Fijian Cibi
Wales vs Fiji 1m Volavola get things underway, its gathered by Adams and Moriarty takes it on before Davies box kicks and Fiji are on the attack
Wales vs Fiji 2m Wales’ scramble defence finally manage to bundle the ball into touch, Wales secure the line-out but James Davies is pinged Fiji have a penalty deep in the Welsh 22, they opt for the scrum
Wales 0-5 Fiji 3m The men in white secure possession, before passing out to Josua Tuisova who powers over in the corner for the first try. Volavola is wide with his conversion attempt
Wales 0-5 Fiji 4m From the restart, Fiji continue their attack, but George North manages to get a hand to intercept following strong tackle from Parkes and it appears that Navidi has scored under the posts, but we head to the TMO
Wales 0-5 Fiji 5m It’s clear that the ball goes forward off Parkes and it’s no try
Wales 0-5 Fiji 6m But Fiji hit right back and Frank Lomani races over in the corner, but was that pass forward? We again to the TMO
Wales 0-5 Fiji 7m It is clearly forward, but the TMO is also checking foul play, resulting in Ken Owens shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Mata. Fiji opt to kick for the corner from the penalty
Wales 0-10 Fiji 8m Fiji secure possession and drive off the line-out, keeping the ball tight before spreading wide to the wing before Murimurivalu dives over in the corner for Fiji’s second try, the Welsh team defence appears to be in disarray
Wales 0-10 Fiji 10m Again, Volavola is wide with his attempt to add the extras. Fiji secure possession from the re-start but kick downfield, offering Liam Williams and Jon Davies the chance to attack, but Adams can’t gather and we have a Fijian line-out
Wales 0-10 Fiji 13m An aerial battle ensues, before Biggar clears after calling for the mark and Fiji have the throw-in at the line-out, but the ball in lost forward and we have our first scrum, so Elliot Dee is called on with James Davies making way
Wales 0-10 Fiji 14m James’ brother Jonathan takes his place in the scrum as Gareth Davies attempts a break but puts a foot in touch and we have another Fijian throw-in
Wales 0-10 Fiji 16m Fiji attack once more but are pinged for not releasing and Biggar kicks for territory, however, the TMO intercepts after spotting a shoulder charge
Wales 0-10 Fiji 17m Tevita Cavubati is shown yellow for his challenge. Biggar again kicks and Wales secure an attacking line-out in the Fijian 22
Wales 5-10 Fiji 18m Jake Ball secures the ball before off-loading, Parkes takes play forward through the crash ball before Biggar puts in a cross-field kick that’s gathered by Adams who crosses for the first Welsh try
Wales 7-10 Fiji 19m Biggar’s kick is superb to add the extras and Wales appear to be back in this
Wales 7-10 Fiji 20m Ken Owens and James Davies return as Wales launch an attack through Liam Williams, but a huge man and ball hit on Hadleigh Parkes forces the ball to fly forward and Fiji have the put-in at the scrum
Wales 7-10 Fiji 23m The ball is out quickly but goes loose and Wales hoof down-field but Mata is back to cover for Fiji, they kick down-field and it’s gathered by Sanjay who again launches an attack but the ball goes dead after a horrible bounce for Volavola – it’s a Wales line-out
Wales 7-10 Fiji 24m Wales secure possession and drive, they have the advantage and so Biggar puts in another chip, but it’s in the dead ball area before Parkes can gather and we go back for an attacking Welsh scrum
Wales 7-10 Fiji 25m Again, Garcès’ arm is raised for advantage for Wales as they have the upper-hand in the scrum. Another chip from Biggar comes to nothing and it’s back for a further scrum but this time Wales drive…#RWC2019 #WALvFIJ #Rugby
Wales 7-10 Fiji 26m Moriarty controls well before off-loading to Adams who squeezes over in the corner, but we go to the TMO – does he have a foot in touch or not?
Wales 7-10 Fiji 26m The on-field decision is no-try, but it’s a difficult one but eventually it’s decided that obviously a millimetre of Adams’ boot has brushed the touchline and we go back for the scrum
Wales 7-10 Fiji 27m Wales secure again and off-load to Adams, but he’s brought down short. The ball is recycled by Wales who work through the phases inches from the white-wash. Biggar puts some width on things and Fiji’s defence knocks things back before Fiji are pinged for off-side
Wales 7-10 Fiji 28m Garcès is obviously frustrated with the Fijian ill-discipline in the red zone and Semi Kunatani is shown a yellow card
Wales 12-10 Fiji 29m The decision is to go for the scrum again, Williams comes through on the crash ball but is held before off-loading to Parkes. They finally spread the ball wide and finally, Adams claims the try
Wales 14-10 Fiji 31m The tricky kick, out wide is perfection from Biggar as he adds the extras. Vatubua replaces Botia for Fiji
Wales 14-10 Fiji 33m From the re-start, Fiji attack and secure a penalty as Francis is pinged for not rolling away. Volavola kicks for the attacking line-out in the Welsh 22. James Davies attempts the turnover but the ball goes forward
Wales 14-10 Fiji 35m Fiji secure the scrum and run at the Welsh defence before picking and driving before attempting to spread the ball wide, but the men in red hold firm and Fiji are finding it difficult to break through
Wales 14-10 Fiji 36m They’re up to 12 phases before Volavola passes out wide, but the pass is way forward to Mata and despite him diving over in the corner, we’ll go back for a Welsh defensive scrum
Wales 14-10 Fiji 38m Davies feeds and Moriarty sets off, he’s up to halfway before being brought down. He off-loads, but Parkes loses the ball and Williams goes back to gather before setting off on a run
Wales 14-10 Fiji 39m The ball is recycled to Adams on the wing, but again he sneaks a toe in touch and it’s a Fiji line-out. Wales are pinged, and on the stroke of half-time, Fiji opt to just kick the ball dead for the end of the half

Wales 14 - 10 Fiji HT T: Adams (2) C: Biggar (2) Ken Owens | T: Tuisova, Murimurivalu Tevita Cavubati, Semi Kunatani

Wales 14-10 Fiji HT It was quite a start from the Flying Fijians, but possibly ill-discipline has cost them, and it appears that for Wales, having ridden the initial Fijian storm, things are going to plan…could be an epic second half!

Wales 14-10 Fiji 40m Biggar get things back underway, Eroni Mawi replaced Campese Ma’afu during the break
Wales 14-10 Fiji 41m Despite an initial attack from Fiji, Sanjay sets up a Welsh attack, but James Davies finds himself alone and is pinged for not-releasing
Wales 14-10 Fiji 42m Fiji secure possession but the ball is ripped in mid-field by Josh Navidi and Wales have the put-in at the scrum. Jon Davies kicks downfield and Fiji take it quickly for some typical Fiji rugby
Wales 14-10 Fiji 43m They recycle through the phases into the Welsh half, enjoying a long period of advantage for a high tackle as they continue their attack. They finally kick and we go back for the penalty
Wales 14-10 Fiji 45m Fiji are offered the choice of field position from two Welsh offences and Volavola kicks downfield for an attacking line-out
Wales 14-10 Fiji 47m They secure the ball and launch an attack but Wales secure the turnover at the breakdown through the jackalling of James Davies and Biggar puts a boot to the ball
Wales 14-10 Fiji 49m Fiji attack and put width on it, again the ball looks forward but play continues and it appears that Fiji could have try number 3…we go to the TMO
Wales 14-10 Fiji 49m It’s another let-off for Wales as the forward pass early on in the move is detected and it’s no try
Wales 14-10 Fiji 50m Wales secure possession from the scrum right on their 22, but kick it back to the men in white before Navidi turns the ball over.
Wales 14-10 Fiji 52m Peni Ravi replaces Manasa Saulo for Fiji
Wales 14-17 Fiji 54m Another penalty and Garcès is under the posts as Fiji are awarded a penalty try
Wales 14-17 Fiji 55m From the re-start, Wales launch an attack but mis-communication between Biggar and Williams in the air sees Biggar sprawled out and play is stopped immediately
Wales 14-17 Fiji 55m Biggar is moving his arms, and appears to be ok, but the stretcher arrives as he’s replaced by Rhys Patchell. He declines the stretcher and runs off the pitch, despite looking rather dazed
Wales 14-17 Fiji 56m Wales have the put-in at the scrum and attack through George North and Jake Ball before Fiji are pinged for off-side. Patchell steps up for the penalty kick
Wales 17-17 Fiji 57m A beautiful kick from Patch draws the game level
Wales 17-17 Fiji 58m Liam Williams chases his kick following the re-start but the ball is lost forward. Garcès plays advantage but Fiji kick just as advantage is over and Wales secure a penalty
Wales 22-17 Fiji 60m Wales recycle well, a break from Jonathan Davies in midfield and a sublime off-load to Josh Adams and it looks like that man may finally have his hat-trick…but again, we go to the TMO
Wales 22-17 Fiji 61m Somehow, Adams keeps the ball in play, and the grounding is spot on as he claims try number 3! Patchell’s conversion looks to be on target but it hits the posts and deflects. Meanwhile, Peceli Yato is on for Viliame Mata

Wales 22-17 Fiji 62m Owen Watkin replaces Jonathan Davies who limps off, just as his brother James returns from the sin bin and Ratuniyarawa replaces Cavubati
Wales 22-17 Fiji 64m Fiji have the put-in at the scrum just inside their half, Tuisova bursts through as Wales are back defending in their 22. Volavola loses the ball, it’s gathered by Williams and Wales opt to run from deep
Wales 22-17 Fiji 67m Elliot Dee replaces Owens while Nikola Matawalu is on for Frank Lomani
Wales 22-17 Fiji 68m James Davies is replaced by Wainwright as Wales secure the line-out and run at the men in white. Patchell puts in a kick to pin Fiji in their 22, and Wales are offered another chance
Wales 27-17 Fiji 69m Moriarty carries and somehow gets the ball away, Gareth Davies breaks through, and despite being able to get there himself, he passes to Liam Williams who dives over under the posts for the bonus point try
Wales 29-17 Fiji 70m Patchell adds the extras as Wyn Jones, Tomas Francis and Jake Ball are replaced by Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis and Aaron Shingler. Dolokoto replaces Matavesi at Hooker
Wales 29-17 Fiji 71m Tomos Williams has replaced Josh Adams for the final ten minutes of the match
Wales 29-17 Fiji 72m Fiji aren’t giving up but Fiji are pinged for being off their feet and Patchell hoofs downfield for a Welsh line-out in the Fiji 22, but the ball is lost to the men in white
Wales 29-17 Fiji 73m Wales are back in possession, but a forward pass from Hadleigh Parkes halts play just as Williams had put in a beautiful pass to George North
Wales 29-17 Fiji 74m Fiji secure the ball at the scrum and continue their passing game even from inside their 22. Wales are pinged for not moving away
Wales 29-17 Fiji 76m They kick for touch, and despite Wales’ attempts to disrupt the lineout, they secure the ball and drive forward, but they ball goes dead. Wales are back in control but lose the ball forward
Wales 29-17 Fiji 77m It's a Welsh defensive lineout on their 10m and they are very efficient with it, North reaching the Fiji 10m, but the whistle goes for a Fiji penalty on halfway
Wales 29-17 Fiji 78m Ref Garcès has a word with the Welsh front row before the scrum is reset
Wales 29-17 Fiji 79m The Flying Fijians do fly toward the 22, but the ball is ripped away and handbags threaten, but Ref Garcès has it under control
Wales 29-17 Fiji 80m It's a Wales defensive scrum coming as the gong rings out, and all the Europeans need to do is have the ball exit the scrum to kick it out for the win
Wales 29-17 Fiji The Six Nations Grand Slam Champions march on to the Quarter Finals, but Fiji have proved a very stern test, giving them quite a scare en route

REVIEW

• Wales and Australia have qualified for the quarter-finals. Fiji are eliminated.

• Wales have won nine of their 12 tests in 2019. They won their 12th Six Nations Grand Slam this year.

• Fiji were awarded a penalty try in a World Cup match for the fourth time, most for a Tier 2 side.  Josh Adams became the first Wales player to register an RWC hat-trick since RWC 2015, when Cory Allen scored a hat-trick against Uruguay.

• Adams has now registered seven tries in 2019. He only trails Japan's Kotaro Matsushima (8) and is now level with Jonny May and Makazole Mapimpi as players with most test tries this year.

• Alun Wyn Jones drew level with Gethin Jenkins as the Wales player with the most World Cup caps. Jones made his 18th World Cup appearance.

15 Liam Williams 14 George North 13 Jonathan Davies 12 Hadleigh Parkes 11 Josh Adams 10 Dan Biggar 9 Gareth Davies 1 Wyn Jones 2 Ken Owens 3 Tom Francis 4 Jake Ball 5 Alun Wyn Jones (C) 6 Josh Navidi 7 James Davies 8 Ross Moriarty BENCH: 16 Elliot Dee 17 Rhys Carre 18 Dillon Lewis 19 Aaron Shingler 20 Aaron Wainwright 21 Tomos Williams 22 Rhys Patchell 23 Owen Watkin

SCORERS  T: Adams (3), Liam Williams C: Biggar (2) P: Patchell Ken Owens, James Davies

15 Kini Murimurivalu 14 Josua Tuisova 13 Waisea Nayacalevu 12 Lepani Botia 11 Semi Radradra 10 Ben Volavola 9 Frank Lomani 1 Campese Ma'afu 2 Samuel Matavesi 3 Manasa Saulo 4 Tevita Cavubati 5 Leone Nakarawa 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu (C) 7 Semi Kunatani 8 Viliame Mata BENCH: 16 Mesulame Dolokoto 17 Eroni Mawi 18 Peni Ravai 19 Api Ratuniyarawa  20 Peceli Yato 21 Nikola Matawalu 22 Jale Vatubua 23 Josh Matavesi

SCORERS T: Tuisova, Murimurivalu, PT Cavubati, Kunatani

Man of the Match: Semi Radradra

Referee: Jérôme Garcès (FFR) Asst. Referees: Romain Poite (FFR), Karl Dickson (RFU) TMO: Ben Skeen (NZRU)

 

 

---

World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee announce an update regarding the predicted impact of Typhoon Hagibis on the upcoming weekend's pool matches. This includes the cancellation of two matches on safety grounds:

 

 

 

---

Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa - Friday, 11 October 2018
KO: 19:15 HT: 10-3 Att: 39,802

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

Wallabies v Georgia We're 10 minutes from KO at #RWCShizuoka where the rain is incessant, and Michael Cheika has made a couple of last minute bench alterations
Wallabies v Georgia The anthems are underway at #RWCShizuoka; post-match , we'll report back on the latest from Typhoon Hagibis as it now threatens #JPNvSCO

Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 1min As Matt Toomua kicks off the match under the watch eye of Ref Gaüzère, this is the first time these two have encountered each other 
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 1min The Aussies have the first lineout on the Georgian 10m and the opposition defence do frustrate the attack and kick the ball away to over halfway 
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 2min However, the Aussies do not hold back from resuming their assault, and they quickly make up the ground and breach the 10m again, reach the 22 but knock on 
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 3mins The scrum on the Georgian 22 is eventually set and they win it, heading toward the 10m but a knock on reverses possession
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 4mins As the Aussies resume their attack in Georgian territory, advantage is being played for Merab Sharikadze making a high tackle, but it's over and the Georgians have forced the Aussies back#RWC2019 #AUSvGEO #Rugby
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 5mins A penalty comes for Georgia and they have a midfield scrum , and with their pack and force, they win in it and are on the front foot, but...
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 6mins ...Captain David Pocock jackals over the ball at the breakdown back in his own half, and he wins it well to begin the comeback
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 8mins It's no easy ride for the Aussies to make ground, with the defence pinning them back and frustrating any forward gains...
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 9mins Eventually the Aussies go 12 phases and painstakingly slowly reach the Georgian 22, but Kurtley Beale spills it forward
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 11mins The Lelos clear their lines sending the Green & Golds back deep into their own half, losing all that hard-fought for territory in one fell kick
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 12mins But a knock from Georgia and the G&Gs are back on the front foot, a scrum on halfway...
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 13mins ...and they attempt to make some yards into Georgian territory, quite efficiently held back, but then time off as Beale goes down from a David Kacharava accidental tackle
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 14mins Beale's off for an HIA and Dane Haylett-Petty comes on as a suitable replacement, just as forceful and effective
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 15mins It's an Aussie penalty and the ball finds touch for a G&G lineout in the Georgian 22 and they catch and drive, but it's no easy ride as the Georgians frustrate the pack, forcing it to break up and attack alternatively
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 16mins The Aussies go 11 phases and are within a whisper of the tryline, but penalty goes to Georgia and that assault is smartly halted by The Lelos
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 17mins The defensive Georgian scrum collapses and has to be reset, and tie is taken in this miserable weather which is hindering fluidity in this game
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 18mins The scrum penalty is won by Georgia as the G&G front row folds, much to the incredulous ire of Aussie coach Michael Cheika
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 20mins Georgia clear their lines and have a defensive lineout inside their 10m, well won and cleared away again, forcing the Aussies back, but...
Wallabies 0-0 Georgia 21mins ...G&G find space and make the break from the midfield, good hands transporting the ball over the 10m, breaching the 22 and going 16 phases to reach the tryline - not over it yet though
Wallabies 5-0 Georgia 22mins The Georgian defence runs out of steam and Nic White led by his moustache sneak over the tryline to secure a first score for the Green & Gold
Wallabies 7-0 Georgia 23mins Toomua centres himself from out wide before splicing the uprights for the conversion
Wallabies 7-0 Georgia 25mins However, the restart doesn't go to plan for Australia as Isi Naisarani drops the high ball and hands over possession immediately
Wallabies 7-0 Georgia 26mins The Lelos kick into the 22 for an attacking 5m lineout which they win, but are then pinged at eh breakdown for an Aussie defensive scrum
Wallabies 7-0 Georgia 27mins White squirrels the scrum ball away but momentum is destroyed as Tolu Latu swings his arm high around the neck of a Georgian, and it's a penalty in the 22 for The Lelos
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 28mins That's an easy three points from Soso Matiashvili to get the Georgians on the board
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 29mins It's a Georgian scrum on halfway resulting from the restart, but it's the G&G who come away with a free kick and they clear to the 22 for an attacking lineout
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 31mins The lineout is well executed and Shalva Mamukashvili is pinged for his irreverent tackle on Pocock, G&G just a few metres short of the Georgian tryline
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 32mins Toomua kicks to the corner for another lineout which is fine, and the Georgians are pinged yet again for coming in from the side, repeatedly so Ref has a word with captain Sharikadze
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 33mins Former England Rugby coach Graham 'Wig' Rowntree has drilled his Georgian boys well in defence as they make a utter nuisance of themselves as the G&G attempt to assault the whitewash
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 34mins The Georgians repel the Aussies trying to maul forward with serious aplomb, forcing them back again and go 11 phases, but then the moment to score is gone for the G&G
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 34mins Play is halted, Naisarani sent to the naughty step for his entry in from the side and then whacking the man-monster legend Mamuka Gorgodze in the face
Wallabies 7-3 Georgia 35mins After Otari Giorgadze replaces Giorgi Nemsadze (blood or HIA), The Lelos clear the Aussies to halfway for a lineout, but G&G steal it and hope to make some territory back and quickly
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 37mins And they reach the 10m, Gela Aprasidze pinged at eh breakdown though the Aussies spill it forward simultaneously. Penalty to Australia and Toomua increases the lead to 7 again off his boot
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 38mins Kacharava disrupts the Aussies from winning the restart ball, the ball spilled forward for a Georgia attacking scrum on the 22
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 39mins The Georgians go 5 phases but have been pushed backwards outside the 22, the ball dropped for Rory Arnold to collect and Haylett-Petty to clear it
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 40mins The ball is kicked back and the Aussies know they need only wait for that gong to ring out for Toomua to kick it into the stands for HT

Wallabies 10-3 Georgia HT T: White C: Toomua P: Toomua Naisarani | P: Matiashvili

Wallabies 10-3 Georgia HT Australia really need to buck up their ideas - high tackles, indiscipline... 80% territory and possession and they're only 7 points clear of a formidable Georgia 🙄

Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 40mins Half a match to go and Nemsadze has returned for Giorgadze, and quickly the Georgians are pinged for being off their feet at the breakdown, Aussies kicking to touch for an attacking lineout outside the Georgian 22
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 41mins G&G are still a man down, and Latu's throw in is not straight, Georgia with a defensive scrum
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 42mins The scrum is reset and Georgia win it, Aprasidze clearing the ball deep into Aussie territory
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 43mins The Georgians get their hands on the ball and Kacharava makes an excellent break, the ball quickly recycled and Aussie tackles being shrugged off
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 44mins But the ball is knocked on 🙈 G&G grab and bolt in the opposite direction
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 45mins A moment is taken as Naisarani returns taking G&G up to a full complement, while Taniela Tupou replaces Sekope Kepu
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 46mins Australia infringe yet again outside the Georgia 22, and The Lelos have the scrum, only for the Aussies to knock on again
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 47mins Georgia lead another scrum and this time clear their lines well, back over halfway to put them in a solid attacking position
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 48mins G&G blow their lineout outside the 22 and Georgia have another attacking scrum
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 49mins The Aussies jackal that ball away as the ball goes loose from the scrum and they battle their way to the midfield
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 50mins But play is halted as Aprasidze goes down injured, and it doesn't look good for him, replaced by Vasil Lobzhanidze
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 50mins While the medics stabilise Aprasidze before taking him off, Will Genia replaces White, while Jaba Bregvadze, Guram Gogichashvili & Giorgi Melikidze come on for Shalva Mamukashvili, Mikheil Nariashvili & Beka Gigashvili
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 50mins Aprasidze is applauded off the pitch as he is driven off, and play resumes with an Assize penalty given again by Sharikadze
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 51mins However, the Georgian defence again smashes the G&G to spill the ball and they efficiently clear the Aussies back up to the midfield
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 52mins Are the Aussies rattled? Lobzhanidze takes the ball like a sweet from a baby at the breakdown and Izack Rodda is pinged for not releasing following the Aussie lineout
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 53mins Georgia clear to touch for an attacking 22 lineout on the 22 and have another huge opportunity here...
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 54mins ...but the setpiece doesn't go to plan, G&G come away with the penalty and have a defensive scrum
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 55mins Gogichashvili is pinged at the scrum and the Aussies clear their lines, sending the Georgians back over halfway
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 56mins However, despite being on their own 10m, Beka Saginadze steals the ball and the Georgians can clear the Aussies back over halfway yet again
Wallabies 10-3 Georgia 57mins And it's time for mass changes on both sides: James Slipper, Rob Simmons & Christian Leali'ifano for Scott Sio, Arnold and Jordan Petaia; Giorgi Tkhilaishvili & Tamaz Mchedlidze for Beka Saginadze & Kacharava
Wallabies 15-3 Georgia 59mins Aerial football ensues and it's an Aussie lineout on halfway; five phases in and a sublime try comes from Marika Koroibete who bolts from halfway and is almost under the posts
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 60mins Toomua adds the extras while Lukhan Salakaia-Loto replaces Pocock, and Giorgadze is back on for Nemsadze
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 61mins Georgia restart only for the Aussies to gain serious yards, Genia thumping the ball over halfway for a Georgia lineout
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 62mins Midfield play ensues with another Georgian lineout after Genia is hurled into touch from the previous one, this time on the Aussie 10m for Simmons to steal and run off over halfway
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 63mins Georgia pinged for not releasing at the breakdown outside the Georgia 22 and Genia takes it quickly, kicking the ball over the tryline...
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 64mins ...Tupou chases it hard but Alexander Todua reaches it first and clears the ball away promptly; Aussie lineout but quickly the Georgians have another defensive scrum in their 22 for G&G losing the ball in contact
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 65mins It's a 12th handling error for the Australians; Georgia can't retain the ball as soon as it's free from the scrum and G&G are all over it but have been forced back to the 10m
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 66mins The Aussies may be attacking Georgian strike territory repeatedly, but The Lelos are consistently repelling them and pushing them back, more from Aussie indiscipline than winning tactics
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 66mins Jordan Uelese replaces Latu ahead of another Georgian scrum outside their 22; they secure the ball but it's a long time coming
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 67mins Georgia clear for a short lineout just inside their half but it's stolen and the Aussies come back over from halfway for a fresh assault
Wallabies 17-3 Georgia 68mins The Aussies attack deeper, the Georgians wrestle back possession, it reverses toward the whitewash again, and this time it’s not indiscipline but uncoordinated players that lose that Aussie opportunity
Wallabies 17-8 Georgia 69mins Georgia clear the Aussies back up to the midfield; the Georgians can't cleanly win the lineout but the ball deflects back to them for a bountiful run, Lasha Khmaladze offloading to Todua to score magnificently!
Wallabies 17-8 Georgia 71mins Matiashvili can't find the uprights for the conversion, but what a try from Georgia, hugely appreciated by eh crowd who roar in glee
Wallabies 17-8 Georgia 72mins Georgian captain Sharikadze is replaced Lasha Malaguradze after a hard shift, while Tkhilaishvili is pinged for handling the ball incorrectly and the Hussies have possession again from the restart
Wallabies 22-8 Georgia 74mins Konstantine Mikautadze collapses the maul and the Aussies have a 5m attacking lineout to catch, drive and score a little too easily this time, the try awarded to Jack Dempsey
Wallabies 22-8 Georgia 76mins Toomua misses the conversion and the pace has finally slowed of this game of rhinos against lions, the rhinos not quite delicate enough to be nuanced
Wallabies 27-8 Georgia 78mins But it's not until the 78th minute that the Australians finally are playing and scoring like we expect, with the ball flying through numerous hands with skill to reach Genia to fly over the whitewash and score
Wallabies 27-8 Georgia 80mins From only 33m out and not a difficult angle, Toomua hooks the ball to miss the uprights completely as the gong rings out around the stadium for full time
Wallabies 27-8 Georgia FT Well that was disappointing from the Wallabies; the scoreline belies the effort of Georgia who held out for three quarters of that match while the Aussies were nothing short of scrappy and undisciplined

REVIEW

• Australia maintained their perfect RWC record against Tier 2 opponents, improving their record to W19-D0-L0 against Tier 2 opposition.

• Georgia are now winless in all of their 12 RWC matches against Tier 1 opposition.

• Georgia finished third in their pool at RWC 2015, and will now have to go through qualifying for RWC 2023, as they can finish no higher than fourth in Pool D.

• Nic White registered his third career test try. His first came in August 2015 and his second was in the 47-26 triumph over New Zealand in Perth in August this year, which contributed to the greatest amount of points ever conceded by the All Blacks in a test match.

• Marika Koroibete has scored six of his 11 test tries in the past 12 months. He scored a try in each of his past three appearances against Tier 2 sides: Samoa, Fiji and now Georgia. He failed to run in a try in his past four appearances against Tier 1 countries.

• Mamuka Gorgodze played his 15th RWC match for Georgia, matching the Georgian record held by Merab Kvirikashvili. He also made his 75th test appearance.

• Gorgodze started for the 14th time in a RWC match, a record for a Georgia player, one ahead of David Kacharava, who started in a RWC match for the 13th time.

• Alexander Todua scored his 13th career try and his first against Tier 1 opposition.

• Will Genia did not score a single try in his first 14 RWC appearances and has now crossed over in each of his past two.

15 Kurtley Beale 14 Jordan Petaia 13 James O'Connor 12 Samu Kerevi 11 Marika Koroibete 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 1 Scott Sio 2 Tolu Latu 3 Sekope Kepu 4 Izack Rodda 5 Rory Arnold 6 Jack Dempsey 7 DAVID POCOCK (C) 8 Isi Naisarani BENCH: 16 Jordan Uelese 17 James Slipper 18 Taniela Tupou 19 Rob Simmons 20 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 21 Will Genia 22 Christian Leali'ifano 23 Dane Haylett-Petty

SCORERS T: White, Koroibete, Dempsey, Genia C: Toomua (2) P: Toomua Naisarani

15 Soso Matiashvili 14 Giorgi Kveseladze 13 David Kacharava 12 MERAB SHARIKADZE (C) 11 Alexander Todua 10 Lasha Khmaladze 9 Gela Aprasidze 1 Mikheil Nariashvili 2 Shalva Mamukashvili 3 Beka Gigashvili 4 Giorgi Nemsadze 5 Konstantine Mikautadze 6 Beka Saginadze 7 Mamuka Gorgodze 8 Beka Gorgadze BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Guram Gogichashvili 18 Giorgi Melikidze 19 Otari Giorgadze 20 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili 21 Vasil Lobzhanidze 22 Lasha Malaguradze 23 Tamaz Mchedlidze

SCORERS T: Todua P: Matiashvili

Man of the Match: Izack Rodda

Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (FFR) Asst. Referees: Jérôme Garcès (FFR), Shuhei Kubo (JRFU) TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

 

 

---

City of Toyota Stadium - Saturday, 12 October 2018

TOKYO, 10 Oct - After extensive evaluation, World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee have announced an update regarding the predicted impact of Typhoon Hagibis on the last weekend of Rugby World Cup 2019 pool matches. This includes the decision to cancel matches on safety grounds.

Based on the latest detailed information from the tournament’s independent weather experts, Hagibis is predicted to be the biggest typhoon of the 2019 season and is highly likely to cause considerable disruption in the Tokyo, Yokohama and City of Toyota areas throughout Saturday, including likely public transport shutdown or disruption.

As a result, World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee have taken the difficult, decision to cancel matches in the affected areas on safety grounds. The impacted teams have been informed.

It is an exceptional, complex situation and team and public safety is the number one priority. This has been central in all decision-making in partnership with the tournament’s weather information experts, host cities, venues and teams.

Pool B match between New Zealand and Italy is cancelled.

Two points are awarded to each team in line with tournament rules, and the match declared a draw.

The decision to cancel matches has not been taken lightly and has been made in the best interests of public, team, tournament personnel and volunteer safety, based on expert advice and detailed weather information. While we have extensively explored all options, public and team safety was our utmost priority as well as ensuring a consistent, fair and equitable outcome for all teams.

Click here for the full official press conference from World Rugby:

 

 

---

International Stadium Yokohama - Saturday, 12 October 2018

TOKYO, 10 Oct - After extensive evaluation, World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee have announced an update regarding the predicted impact of Typhoon Hagibis on the last weekend of Rugby World Cup 2019 pool matches. This includes the decision to cancel matches on safety grounds.

Based on the latest detailed information from the tournament’s independent weather experts, Hagibis is predicted to be the biggest typhoon of the 2019 season and is highly likely to cause considerable disruption in the Tokyo, Yokohama and City of Toyota areas throughout Saturday, including likely public transport shutdown or disruption.

As a result, World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee have taken the difficult, decision to cancel matches in the affected areas on safety grounds. The impacted teams have been informed.

It is an exceptional, complex situation and team and public safety is the number one priority. This has been central in all decision-making in partnership with the tournament’s weather information experts, host cities, venues and teams.

As a result, the following decision has been taken and will not be reviewed:

Pool C match between England and France is cancelled.

Two points are awarded to each team in line with tournament rules, and the match declared a draw.

The decision to cancel matches has not been taken lightly and has been made in the best interests of public, team, tournament personnel and volunteer safety, based on expert advice and detailed weather information. While we have extensively explored all options, public and team safety was our utmost priority as well as ensuring a consistent, fair and equitable outcome for all teams.

Click here for the full official press conference from World Rugby:

 

 

---

Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium - Saturday, 12 October 2018
KO: 19:45 HT: 26-5 Att: 17,967

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

Ireland v Samoa 10 minutes to KO at #RWCFukuoka on the south island of Japan while Typhoon Hagibis is already causing havoc in and around Tokyo and Yokohama
Ireland v Samoa Anthems are underway, and we have the magnificent tribal Siva Tau to come too...

 

Ireland v Samoa Questions about the state of the pitch, and the excuses have been got in early, but World Rugby have assured the teams that it is safe since being re-laid, despite it looking like a bad patchwork quilt 🙄 
Ireland 0-0 Samoa 1min After the gauntlet has been laid down by Samoa, Ref Berry indicates the battle may begin with KO from Ulupano Seuteni and aerial football ensues... 
Ireland 0-0 Samoa 2mins From an Irish lineout, captain Rory Best has the throw in and Ireland first drive, then kick high while Logovi’i Mulipola is pinged for offside into the ruck 
Ireland 5-0 Samoa 3mins A kick to the corner gives Ireland a 5m attacking lineout on the nearside and it takes a second to catch and drive for Best to score the first try 
Ireland 5-0 Samoa 4mins However, as Johnny Sexton prepares to tee up, play is halted by TMO Kitt as it looks like maybe CJ Stander obstructs the ball from Samoa, preventing defence 
Ireland 7-0 Samoa 5mins Well that all amounted to nothing and Sexton converts almost from touch, as expected 
Ireland 7-0 Samoa 5mins Well, this is going to be an awfully stuttered match if they stop for every teensie play that is dubious. Someone want to let them know this isn't football 🙄 
Ireland 7-0 Samoa 6mins Seilala Lam absolutely correctly comes in really low to tackle Jacob Stockdale; Stockdale drops his knee and of course Lam is going to hit him on the chin; Seilala L is sent to the bin for 10 minutes 
Ireland 7-0 Samoa 7mins Seilala's brother captain Jack is next to be pinged for an off the ball tackle on Robbie Henshaw; penalty Ireland and Sexton kicks to the corner for a 22 lineout 
Ireland 12-0 Samoa 9mins It's not quite as straightforward this time, but Ireland do catch > drive > jiggle > this time it's Tadhg Furlong to ground the ball from the drive 
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 11mins Sexton adds the extras and Ireland could rack up quite a score here 
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 12mins Ireland find it hard to breach the Samoa defence who keep them pinned in the midfield; the ball comes loose and Alapati Leiua nicks it and runs but the whistle has gone 
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 13mins Deliberate knock on is penalised and Sexton kicks deep into Samoan territory, but a penalty comes for Manu Samoa.  Ray Niuia has been brought on and Filo Paulo sacrificed for the scrum
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 14mins Cian Healy is pinged and Samoa clear to touch
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 15mins Samoa have their first attacking opportunity from a 22 lineout, but the ball is stolen by James Ryan and he squirrels it away from his 22; the moment is gone for Samoa 
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 16mins Murray clears the ball deep into the Samoa 22 and it's recovered by Ed Fidow and the Samoans battle to get out of their own 22
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 17mins The Irish are back up to the midfield for a scrum and soon reach the Samoan 22, while Seilala has returned so Samoa back up to XV.
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 18mins The pitch is tearing up quite horribly while Samoa win another defensive scrum and prepare to shift closer to escaping out of their half…
Ireland 14-0 Samoa 19mins Another Irish lineout up at the 10m  and this one works perfectly…
Ireland 19-0 Samoa 20mins It's textbook setpiece from Ireland and well-practiced hands gets the ball out to Sexton who sprints over the whitewash, realising he won't get nearer to the uprights to touches down right there 
Ireland 21-0 Samoa 22mins Sexton takes his time with conversion, and it pays off as it splices the uprights for another 2 points 
Ireland 21-0 Samoa 24mins A blatant offside from the Irish & suddenly Samoa are back in a perfect attacking position with a 5m lineout 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 25mins Samoa's lineout is also well practiced from there, and they catch and drive and Jack Lam has secured the first score in excellent fashion for Manu Samoa 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 27mins However, the complimentary conversion does not arrive 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 28mins Samoa are in possession and Seuteni is bolting ahead when Bundee Aki comes in high, smashes him in the face with his shoulder, doesn't attempt to go low and Seuteni is out cold for a moment 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 29mins Tusi Pisi replaces Seuteni. This time the officials make the right call and Aki is sent off with a red card, Samoa with a penalty and they kick to touch for a 22 lineout which is secured 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 30mins But the ball is lost in the maul and Conor Murray secures the ball from the back of the ruck to clear, but not well enough and Samoa attack back quickly 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 31mins It doesn't quite work like Samoa would like it and play is back in the midfield, Ireland with a scrum on halfway 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 32mins Leiua steals the ball from the Irish and he makes a break; the whistle goes for the Irish knock on and Samoa have the scrum on halfway 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 33mins The scrum is well won but Samoa are struggling to make any ground, building phases but going backwards before Leiua rescues the ball to continue a forward momentum... 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 34mins ...but despite 9 phases, Samoa are back at their 22 so are forced to kick away possession; they make some ground but Jack Lam is pinged at the breakdown, despite Tadhg Beirne being off his feet 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 36mins Sexton clears to touch for a 22 lineout but Samoan defence is frustrating the attack well, preventing any easy scores after their lapse in minute 3 of the match 
Ireland 21-5 Samoa 37mins A penalty comes to Ireland and they have an attacking scrum deep in the Samoan 22 - and they execute it well 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 38mins Samoa hold up their end well too, but Dwayne Polataivao is flustered enough not to take advantage when he can, the Samoan defence fails as Sexton snakes through to slam that ball down over the whitewash near the corner 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 40mins The half time gong rings out just as the ball flies up from the tee, Sexton hoping it's heading for the uprights, but the ball has other plans 

Ireland 26-5 Samoa HT T: Best, Furlong, Sexton (2) C: Sexton (3) Aki | T: Jack Lam Seilala Lam 

Ireland 26-5 Samoa 40mins Unless Samoa make a huge comeback, Ireland have done enough to secure a Quarter Final berth; the game resumes and Ireland have the lineout on halfway from kick off 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 41mins Lineout is well won and Seilala Lam is pinged for not releasing the player for Ireland, despite him having no idea his knee was down while he was ripping the ball away 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 43mins Best throws into the resulting 22 lineout, and Samoa are again pinged from coming in from the side to the breakdown - 5m lineout again for Ireland 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 44mins Ireland think they've scored; Ref Berry thinks the ball is both short and held up > TMO 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 45mins Ref Berry was correct and it's no try; back for 5m attacking scrum for Ireland after Andrew Porter replaced Furlong in the front row 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 45mins The scrum has to be reset and Ref Berry changes sides to have a look at how far apart the packs are... 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 46mins Scrum goes down but Murray has the ball out; Earls is blocked and the ball flies forward - it's penalties dished out all round from Samoa 
Ireland 26-5 Samoa 47mins Niuia and Jordan Lay replace Seilala Lam and Mulipola before the scrum is set and the Samoan defence is huge, the ball held up over in the corner 
Ireland 31-5 Samoa 48mins The setpiece is better this time from Ireland and the ball is out, they're not straight through but the ball finds Jordan Larmour and he finds the goal area to score 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 49mins Sexton adds the extras from the acutest angle, and his work is done as Joey Carbery replaces him 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 50mins Niall Scannell replaces captain Best in the front row while Samoa take the kick off and Tim Nanai-Williams clears to touch (badly) for a 22 rather than 5m lineout 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 51mins Lineout is won but the ball is deftly stolen at the breakdown and Ireland can put some space between Samoa and their 22; Kieron Fonotia has come on for Ed Fidow 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 52mins Luke McGrath has replaced Murray while Paul Alo-Emile and Piula Fa'asalele  replace Michael Alaalatoa and Paulo
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 54mins Ireland set up another 22 attacking lineout and they secure the ball firmly, slowly drive, battle, jiggle, jink, pick n go, and have to shift along the tryline as the Samoan defence is impressive yet again... 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 55mins ...Ireland keep banging at the line in close range, when they really could quite easily chuck the ball out wide and score easily 🙄 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 56mins Eventually a penalty comes and Ireland can reset themselves during a time off, then McGrath kicks to the corner for the 5m lineout 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 57mins Jean Kleyn and Dave Kilcoyne have replaced Ryan and Healy while Ireland don't bother to vary their play, banging ahead to the line, Samoa holding them out still... 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 58mins Ireland finally go wide, but it doesn't work and they have to recycle again and again till the ball is flung out to Larmour but he can't get close to the whitewash 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 59mins 8 phases are blown but Ref Berry calls back for another penalty, sending TJ Ioane to the naughty step for not releasing - though he was trapped in the ruck with a player holding him in and down 🙄 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 60mins The justification was likely that there were multiple infringements from Samoa and Ioane just bore the brunt; Peter O'Mahony on for Beirne 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 61mins Another Irish scrum, another Samoan monster defence, but it looks like the Irish might be over from a drive... > TMO 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 61mins TMO confirms there is no grounding and the ball is held up, and Kane Le'aupepe is pinged for a late tackle but it's just a penalty 
Ireland 33-5 Samoa 62mins Déjà vu on an Irish attacking 5m scrum - which goes down and had to be reset... Andrew Conway has replaced Henshaw 
Ireland 38-5 Samoa 64mins that Samoan defence - despite the penalties of frustration - has really been quite immense, but eventually Stander collects from the base and bulldozes over the tryline to score 
Ireland 40-5 Samoa 66mins The conversion comes from Carbery and Samoa restart and attack toward the Irish 22... 
Ireland 40-5 Samoa 68mins ...and they make some yards, Irish pinged for offside but a chip ahead flies to Irish hands and subsequently a penalty comes for Ireland to clear 
Ireland 40-5 Samoa 69mins Samoa have a defensive lineout outside their 22 and they secure the ball, but only momentarily as it's ripped away and Ireland are looking for another score already... 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 71mins ...which comes from Carbery chipping ahead and the ball chased by Conway for the score; Carbery adds the extras 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 72mins Josh Tyrell & Pele Cowley replace Ioane and Polataivao so that's the benches all emptied at as Samoa have the scrum on halfway following the restart 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 74mins Samoa win the scrum, win the forward battle, and win a penalty to clear for a 5m attacking lineout...the fans wait with bated breath... 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 75mins ...the throw in is good, the drive is solid, the pack heaves and Fonotia looks to have scored! ...but... > TMO 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 76mins The penalty is for Ireland to clear the Samoans away as Fonotia dropped the ball backwards and placed it on the line in a double movement - not try 🙈 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 77mins It's an Irish lineout on their 10m and they steadily work their way over halfway, breaching the 10m before the ball is nicked... 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 78mins ...and Samoa break back into Irish territory with that delightful fluidity we've not seen but Ah See Tuala's spills it forward and that's the final chance blown 🙈 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 79mins Larmour is rewarded with Man of the Match as the defensive scrum is set for Ireland... 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 80mins The gong must have rung out (didn't hear it though), the scrum is reset a second time and then Ireland are in no rush now for another reset... 
Ireland 47-5 Samoa 80+1mins ...and finally Conway collects the ball from the back of the scrum to kick it directly into touch, having far too easily secured their Quarter Final spot 

* * * * * * *

RWC2019 NEWS: Typhoon Hagibis has hit the Tokyo area, and Yokohama is currently under water. It's not looking too good for the #JPNvSCO match since the typhoon hasn't been at its worst yet. Further updates as they come in...
RWC2019 NEWS: If Typhoon Hagibis does prevent #JPNvSCO from going ahead, #JapanRugby will be awarded 2 points, matching Ireland's 16 in Pool A, but the hosts will top the table for beating Ireland, facing the #Springboks in QF4 & #IRE to face the #AllBlacks in QF2
RWC2019 NEWS: #NAMvCAN at #RWCKamaishi is under threat from Typhoon Hagibis tomorrow as the city is in the path of the typhoon. Namibia Rugby & Rugby Canada have been appraised; confirmation of the match will follow an assessment of the venue/infrastructure early on Sunday JST.

REVIEW

 

• Ireland have qualified for the quarter-finals.

• Johnny Sexton has now registered 78 points in the World Cup, surpassing Ralph Keyes (68) and David Humphreys (70) and trailing only Ronan O'Gara (93) among Ireland players.

• Sexton registered 18 points in this match, one fewer than his personal record of 19 set in November 2012.

• Rory Best became the second Ireland captain to score multiple tries in a single World Cup after Brian O'Driscoll in 2007 (2).

• Jordan Larmour (22 years -123 days) is the youngest player in this squad. He became the second-youngest player to score a World Cup try for Ireland after Brian O'Driscoll (20-254), on 2 October 1999 against USA.

• The red card shown to Bundee Aki was the first shown to an Ireland player in an RWC match. And the first in any test match since 25 June, 2016, when CJ Stander was sent off against South Africa.

• Jack Lam became the fourth Samoa captain to register a World Cup try after Pat Lam (1995, 1999), Semo Sititi (2003) and Ofisa Treviranus (2015).

• The previous RWC match in which both captains scored tries also involved Samoa. At RWC 2015, Ofisa Treviranus scored for Samoa, and Chris Wyles crossed over for USA in a 25-16 Samoa win.

 

15 Jordan Larmour 14 Keith Earls 13 Robbie Henshaw 12 Bundee Aki 11 Jacob Stockdale 10 Johnny Sexton 9 Conor Murray 1 Cian Healy 2 RORY BEST (C) 3 Tadhg Furlong 4 Iain Henderson 5 James Ryan 6 Tadhg Beirne 7 Josh van der Flier 8 CJ Stander BENCH: 16 Niall Scannell 17 Dave Kilcoyne 18 Andrew Porter 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Peter O'Mahony 21 Luke McGrath 22 Joey Carbery 23 Andrew Conway

SCORERS T: Best, Furlong, Sexton (2), Larmour, Stander, Conway C: Sexton (4), Carbery (2) Aki

15 Tim Nanai-Williams 14 Ah See Tuala 13 Alapati Leiua 12 Henry Taefu 11 Ed Fidow 10 Ulupano Seuteni 9 Dwayne Polataivao 1 Logovi’i Mulipola 2 Seilala Lam 3 Michael Alaalatoa 4 Filo Paulo 5 Kane Le'aupepe 6 Chris Vui 7 TJ Ioane 8 JACK LAM (C) BENCH: 16 Ray Niuia 17 Paul Alo-Emile 18 Jordan Lay 19 Piula Fa'asalele 20 Josh Tyrell 21 Pele Cowley 22 Tusi Pisi 23 Kieron Fonotia

SCORERS T: Jack Lam Seilala Lam, Ioane

Man of the Match: Jordan Larmour

Referee: Nic Berry (ARU) Asst. Referees: Romain Poite (FFR), Brendon Pickerill (NZRU) TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)

 

 

---

Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium - Sunday, 13 October 2018
KO: 12:15 HT: tbc Att: tbc

STATEMENT FROM WORLD RUGBY

TOKYO, 13 Oct - Owing to the level 5 evacuation order remaining operational following Typhoon Hagibis, World Rugby and the Japan 2019 Organising Committee have cancelled Rugby World Cup 2019 Pool B match between Namibia and Canada in Kamaishi on safety grounds.

Typhoon Hagibis was one of the most powerful storms to hit Japan in decades and safety considerations are at the heart of the decision. Kamaishi is situated in a highly mountainous area, including mountains directly behind the main stand of the stadium. There have been landslides and flooding in the vicinity of the stadium and along access roads to the venue following torrential rain throughout the night.

The safety of all involved in Rugby World Cup 2019 is our primary consideration and fans are advised not to travel to Kamaishi or the venue, which will be closed. Ticket holders will be entitled to a full face-value refund.

Fans should keep monitoring official Rugby World Cup social and digital channels, including the @Japan2019_ENG fan information Twitter account for any further information and updates.

World Rugby Chief Operating Officer and Tournament Director Alan Gilpin said: “The safety of teams, fans, volunteers and workforce is our number one priority. Following strong direction from the Prefecture of Iwate and the City of Kamaishi, we were left with no option but to cancel the match on safety grounds.

“We have been liaising closely with the city and the venue over the past 24 hours and have informed the teams. In line with the direction of the local authorities, we are making the difficult, but right decision to cancel the match.

“Our hearts go out to the teams and also their fans, but also the people of Kamaishi, who have been incredible during what has been a special journey in recent years. Nobody will be more disappointed than them, but also nobody would have better empathy with the decision.

“We remain optimistic that Sunday’s remaining matches will go ahead as scheduled in Kumamoto, Hanazono and Yokohama, which are much further south and therefore outside of the impact of the storm conditions this morning.”

Detailed venue inspections at Hanazono and Yokohama are currently underway, and an update will be published when that important process has been completed. Our message to fans is to exercise due caution today as the country recovers from the storm and to keep monitoring official Rugby World Cup social and digital channels for further updates.

Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee CEO Akira Shimazu said: “Following extensive discussions with World Rugby, Kamaishi City and Iwate Prefecture, during which we considered every possibility to make this game happen, in the end we had no option but to cancel the match to ensure the safety of the fans, team, volunteers, and all others involved. It was both a difficult and emotional decision to make, however I feel it’s the right decision and firmly believe both domestic and foreign fans will understand the decision was made to ensure safety."

 

 

---

Hanazono Rugby Stadium - Sunday, 13 October 2018
KO: 14:45 HT: 19-31 Att: 22,012

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

USA vs Tonga The teams are out at #RWCHanazona – time for the anthems and the Sipi Tau
USA vs Tonga But first, a minute's silence for the tragedy of Typhoon Hagibis and he lives lost and devastated across Japan...

USA 0-0 Tonga 1m Faiva gets things underway, Tonga secure an early turnover and offer the Eagles’ defence an early test
USA 0-0 Tonga 2m The phases mount up to double figures before Tonga are pinged for coming in from the side and all that work is for nothing as the USA clear, secure the line-out and kick downfield
USA 0-0 Tonga 4m Tonga clear allowing the Eagles to drive off the line-out on halfway but a forward pass and we have our first scrum
USA 0-0 Tonga 5m Sonatane Takulua feeds and the men in red launch an attack, spreading the ball across the line as they inch towards the USA 22
USA 0-0 Tonga 6m Tonga are looking dangerous as the attack continues but the ball is knocked on, offering the USA a defensive scrum and the ball is cleared quickly off it
USA 0-0 Tonga 8m Both teams embark on an aerial battle before USA kick to touch, the Tongans secure the ball, and we have another line-out but the Eagles lose the ball and Tonga attack
USA 0-0 Tonga 10m The USA defence holds firm and Tonga are pinged for not releasing, AJ MacGinty kicks but lacks any real distance as he finds touch
USA 0-0 Tonga 11m But Tonga steal the line-out with ease, again attack but are beaten by the touchline and the Eagles have another lineout
USA 0-0 Tonga 13m A dummy from Sam Lousi sets up a promising attack deep in the USA 22, but the ball is lost. The Eagles’ line-out again doesn’t go to plan and a couple of knock-ons result in a defending USA scrum
USA 0-0 Tonga 15m The men in white keep the ball tight before kicking downfield, they secure the ball at the breakdown and the attack rolls on to halfway
USA 0-7 Tonga 16m Tonga do well under the high ball and rampage, the forwards take control and drive to within inches of the line before Siegfried Fisi’ihoi dives over from close range for the first try
USA 0-7 Tonga 18m Takulua adds the extras while Olive Kilifi replaces Eric Fry
USA 0-7 Tonga 19m USA restart which Tonga attempt to run out of their half, but Nick Civetta is pinged for a high tackle on Viliami Lolohea so It's a good clear for a 10m attacking Tonga lineout; Mike Te'o is on as an early replacement for Blaine Scully
USA 7-7 Tonga 20m And what a start for Te'o as he races over for a brilliant response for the Eagles as he dabs down for the try after kissing the ball on the way down!
USA 7-7 Tonga 21m MacGinty adds the conversion while injured skipper Scully will not be returning to the field of play
USA 7-7 Tonga 22m It’s a long re-start from James Faiva allowing the USA to clear but Tonga do well at the line-out and set up the maul but the USA secure a penalty at the breakdown
USA 7-7 Tonga 24m Tonga defend well as the Eagles set up an attack with a 5m lineout
USA 7-7 Tonga 25m  The USA forwards do well, a lovely pass from Will Hooley is gathered by super sub Te’o and he runs over unopposed
USA 12-7 Tonga 27m However, MacGinty’s conversion from out wide attempt remains wide
USA 12-7 Tonga 28m Malon Al-Jiboori knocks-on from the restart which allows the men in red an attacking scrum in the USA 22
USA 12-7 Tonga 30m The scrum collapses and has to be reset; captain Siale Piutau launches an attack but the ball is knocked forward in the ruck and the USA win their ensuing defensive scrum to clear Tonga outside the 22
USA 12-7 Tonga 32m Tonga build a convincing assault from the lineout back into the 22 to go 12 phases but the ball goes loose into USA hands and is cleared well over halfway
USA 12-7 Tonga 34m Another turnover from the USA allows MacGinty to kick downfield, Zane Kapeli is back there and offloads to Faiva who finds touch just outside the 22
USA 12-7 Tonga 35m Tonga manage to secure the ball through Takulua and it looks like Tonga are set to equalise but great defending from Ruben de Haas who manages to dislodge the ball from Fisi'ihoi on the tryline
USA 12-7 Tonga 37m From the scrum de Haas feeds Lasike before the ball is cleared for a line-out on halfway
USA 12-7 Tonga 39m The USA line-out woes continue but they manage to secure possession,  but lose the ball in midfield but Tonga do the same as play becomes very scrappy
USA 12-7 Tonga 40m Hooley clears and Faiva puts in a kick but MacGinty is there and does well but the USA knock on and Tonga have a final chance of the half
USA 12-7 Tonga 40+1m A huge shove from Tonga at the scrum secures the penalty. Faiva finds touch just outside the 22
USA 12-7 Tonga 40+2m Tonga drive off the line-out, the ball goes wide to Telusa Veainu but he’s well tackled by Te’o. The ball finally goes forward and Owens blows for the end of the half

USA 12-7 Tonga HT T: Te’o (2) C: MacGinty | T: Fisi’ihoi C: Takulua

USA 12-7 Tonga HT This is the USA and Tonga’s Cup Final, and it shows as both teams are giving it their all. Despite the USA set piece not functioning effectively, they have taken their opportunities

USA 12-7 Tonga 40m The teams are back out and MacGinty gets the second half underway
USA 12-7 Tonga 41m Tonga clear to touch on half-way, the Eagles secure possession off the line-out and kick, handing the ball back to Tonga and an aerial battle commences…
USA 12-7 Tonga 42m Before a superb kick from de Haas gives the USA a defending line-out deep in the Tongan 22. the men in red clear, but the Eagles launch an attack before the ball goes forward
USA 12-7 Tonga 44m A superb break from Veainu sees Tonga come close as he races towards the try-line but again the final pass isn’t good and another chance goes begging; Ma'afu Fia replaces Siosiua Halanukonuka for Tonga
USA 12-7 Tonga 45m Ben Landry and Paul Mullen replace Greg Peterson and Titi Lamositele
USA 12-7 Tonga 46m The ball is lost forward offering the men in red an attacking scrum in the USA 22, they recycle the ball well, inching ever closer to the whitewash
USA 12-7 Tonga 48m The phases mount up as Tonga continue attacking the USA line, but the ball goes loose and de Haas clears to just outside the 22; a time off while MacGinty gets attention for a dislocated finger and  David Halaifonua is on for Viliami Lolohea
USA 12-7 Tonga 49m Again, Tonga attack off the line-out, Owens is playing advantage and eventually blows up for the penalty….they opt for the simple penalty attempt
USA 12-10 Tonga 50m Takulua slots over the penalty from in front of the posts. Cam Dolan is replaced by Hanco Germishuys for the USA
USA 12-10 Tonga 52m We have another aerial battle, centred around half-way, before the ball goes dead and the Eagles have the throw-in. De Haas again sets up the attack, MacGinty kicks over the top but the ball is kicked into touch
USA 12-10 Tonga 54m Tonga secure the ball and clear to half-way for another USA line-out. They attack into the Tongan half, greeted by a sea of red
USA 12-10 Tonga 56m 17 phases and the Eagles are still chipping away as play reaches the Tongan 22
USA 12-15 Tonga 57m But the ball is ripped, Veainu kicks downfield and finds a huge gap;  it’s a foot race that Malietoa Hingano wins as he dives over the whitewash for the try
USA 12-17 Tonga 59m Again, Takulua is spot on with adding the extras before being replaced by Leon Fukofuka; also Nasi Manu is on for Kapeli
USA 12-22 Tonga 61m Tonga are truly on the front foot as they race towards the USA 22, the forwards recycle the ball well before Captain Piutau races over to dab down under the posts
USA 12-24 Tonga 62m Faiva adds the extras as the men in red appear to now be in control
USA 12-24 Tonga 64m From the re-start the Eagles attack, showing character as the phases mount up to double figures as they drive towards the Tongan 22, but the ball is lost and we have a Tongan defensive scrum
USA 12-24 Tonga 65m Nate Augspurger and Ben Pinkelman replace de Haas  and Al-Jiboori, while try scorer Fisi'ihoi is replaced by Siegfried Fifita for Tonga
USA 12-24 Tonga 68m Tonga win the ball and kick to the 22 for an USA throw-in. The Eagles secure the ball but it's knocked on and it’s another scrum
USA 12-24 Tonga 69m The USA secure the ball off the scrum and drive, but again the ball is knocked on. Another scrum is won by the Eagles and suddenly they’re inches from the line, but they are pinged for not releasing
USA 12-24 Tonga 72m Tonga win the line-out on the 22, attack, the ball is stolen by the Eagles, but they run out of space. James Hilterbrand replaces Joe Taufete’e
USA 12-24 Tonga 73m Despite their attacking efforts, the USA are back in defence as Tonga run at the USA, but the Eagles secure possession at the line-out and despite obvious tired bodies, they attack again
USA 12-24 Tonga 75m They spread wide as play comes towards the try-line but Tonga manage to get back as they manage to keep their defensive structure
USA 12-24 Tonga 76m Siua Maile, Daniel Faleafa and Latiume Fosita have replaced Paula Ngauamo, Leva Fifita and Faiva
USA 17-24 Tonga 77m The Eagles set up the drive from the line-out and are inches from the try-line, we go to the TMO to check whether Lamborn has grounded the ball for the try… It’s confirmed!
USA 19-24 Tonga 78m MacGinty slots over the extras quickly to set up an interesting final couple of minutes, but Campbell loses the ball and Tonga could have the final word here
USA 19-24 Tonga 80m Faleafa is almost through but the pass was forward. We go back for a Tongan scrum, They secure a penalty and instead of kicking out, they opt for the scrum despite the clock already being in the red…
USA 19-31 Tonga 80m +1 The gamble pays off! Fosita puts in a lovely kick that’s gathered by Veainu who dives over. Again we go to the TMO, but eventually the try is awarded. Piutau slots over the conversion to seal the victory

REVIEW

• For the third time (1995, 2011, 2019) Tonga concluded a RWC campaign with a victory. USA have never bowed out of a World Cup with a win.

• USA have lost four pool-phase matches at RWC 2007, RWC 2015 and RWC 2019. The US equalled a team record with their 10th consecutive defeat in World Cup matches.

• Siegfried 'Ziggy' Fisi'ihoi scored Tonga's 50th try in RWC history.

• Mike Te'o's 21st-minute try was the second earliest by a replacement player in a World Cup. On 7 June, 1987, Australia's Brian Smith scored an 18th-minute try after coming off the bench.

• Mike Te'o also became the 15th replacement in RWC history to score a pair of tries and the third at RWC 2019, following Fiji's Nikola Matawalu (against Uruguay) and New Zealand's Brad Weber (against Canada). No replacement player has ever scored a RWC hat-trick.

• No USA player had ever scored a pair of tries in a RWC match before RWC 2019. With Blaine Scully doing a double against Argentina last Wednesday there has been two in the space of less than a week.

• Blaine Scully featured in a record equalling 11th RWC match for USA. He now shares the Eagles record with Mike MacDonald and Chris Wyles.

• Sione Kalamafoni and Siale Piutau played their 12th RWC match, breaking the previous Ikale Tahi record of 11 (shared by Soane Tonga'uiha and Vunga Lilo).

• Sonatane Takulua has scored points in each of his 24 test appearances since RWC 2015.

• Malietoa Hingano also scored a try against France last week. He joins Telusa Veainu (three) as Tonga players on multiple tries at RWC 2019.

• Telusa Veainu became the first Tonga player to score three tries in a single World Cup.

• Siale Piutau became the fifth Tonga captain to score a RWC try and the first since RWC 2003, when Benhur Kivalu and Inoke Afeaki both achieved that feat.

15 Will Hooley 14 BLAINE SCULLY (C) 13 Bryce Campbell 12 Paul Lasike 11 Marcel Brache 10 AJ MacGinty 9 Ruben de Haas 1 Eric Fry 2 Joe Taufete’e 3 Titi Lamositele 4 Greg Peterson 5 Nick Civetta 6 Tony Lamborn 7 Malon Al-Jiboori 8 Cam Dolan BENCH: 16 James Hilterbrand 17 Olive Kilifi 18 Paul Mullen 19 Ben Landry 20 Hanco Germishuys 21 Ben Pinkelman 22 Nate Augspurger 23 Mike Te’o

SCORERS T: Te’o (2), Lamborn C: MacGinty (2)

15 Telusa Veainu 14 ‘Atieli Pakalani 13 Malietoa Hingano 12 SIALE PIUTAU (C) 11 Viliami Lolohea 10 James Faiva 9 Sonatane Takulua 1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi 2 Paula Ngauamo 3 Siua Halanukonuka 4 Sam Lousi 5 Halaleva Fifita 6 Sione Kalamafoni 7 Zane Kapeli 8 Maama Vaipulu BENCH: 16 Siua Maile 17 Vunipola Fifita 18 Ma'afu Fia 19 Dan Faleafa 20 Nasi Manu 21 Leon Fukofuka 22 Latiume Fosita 23 David Halaifonua

SCORERS T: Fisi’ihoi, Hingano, Piutau, Veainu C: Takulua (2), Faiva, Piutau P: Takulua

Man of the Match: Siale Piutau

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU) Asst. Referees: Wayne Barnes (RFU), Alex Ruiz (FFR)TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

 

 

---

Kumamoto Stadium - Sunday, 13 October 2018
KO: 17:15 HT: 7-6 Att: 27,317

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

Wales v Uruguay Next we head to #RWCKumamoto for the penultimate match of the pool stages
Wales v Uruguay Warren Gatland has made 13 changes from the side that beat Fiji last Wednesday, meanwhile Uruguay have made 9 from the XV that lost to Australia
Wales v Uruguay The teams take the pitch, but before the anthems we have a minute’s silence for those that lost their lives to Typhoon Hagibis in the awful weather conditions that Japan has faced
Wales v Uruguay Passionate anthems from both teams before the start of the game
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 1m Rhys Patchell gets things underway, Santiago Arata puts in a box kick that’s gathered well by Halfpenny, it’s recycled but Hallam Amos can’t gather and we have the first scrum
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 2m Uruguay clear and again Leigh Halfpenny shows safe hands offering the Welsh the chance to attack, but despite the Welsh ambition, the ball again goes forward
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 3m Uruguay secure possession off the scrum and drive, but Wales win turnover ball and Aaron Shingler carries forward before Patchell spreads wide
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 4m Justin Tipuric breaks and offloads to Aled Davies, the ball is recycled well, but when it looks like Wales will have an early try, their third handling error gives another Uruguayan defensive scrum
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 6m They clear but again Halfpenny does well and the Welsh are back in attack, but Shingler loses the ball in contact and despite the possession, it’s very disjointed from the men in red
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 8m Arata feeds and picks up from the base of the scrum, he offloads but the attack is halted through a forward pass and Wales have the put-in
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 9m A powerful scrum from Wales and they secure the penalty, Patchell kicks for the corner…
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 10m Wales secure the ball, with Aled Davies putting in a great off-load to Shingler who touches down in the corner, but we go to the TMO…is he in touch?
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 11m Clearly from Shingler’s reaction he knew he hadn’t scored, it’s confirmed by the TMO and we go back for the penalty. Patchell kicks for the corner
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 12m Again Ref Gardner is playing advantage and we go back to the line-out. It’s secured by Wales with Josh Adams coming close and Uruguay again concede in the red zone. Wales opt for the scrum
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 14m Another powerful Welsh scrum and the men in red inch closer to the line, but the Uruguayan defence is firm. The men in blue are warned as they are pinged for off-side. Wales again opt for the scrum
Wales 0-0 Uruguay 15m The Welsh forwards continue the drive towards the line as they work towards the whitewash but Uruguay certainly aren’t making it easy
Wales 7-0 Uruguay 16m Again, Uruguay stray off-side and we play advantage and finally Wales get the try with Nicky Smith driving over from close-range. Halfpenny adds the extras
Wales 7-0 Uruguay 18m Wales win the line-out on halfway, but another handling error offers Uruguay the scrum. They secure the ball and it looks like they’re through but the pass is forward so we go back for the penalty
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 20m They opt for the posts. Up steps Felipe Berchesi and he’s on target with his effort
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 22m Arata puts in a great kick for a Wales line-out inside their own half, but a poor throw from Ryan Elias offers Uruguay the chance to attack
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 24m Andres Vilaseca kicks downfield into the Welsh 22, but the ball had gone forward and Wales have the put-in at the scrum just inside the Uruguayan half
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 25m They secure the ball and a great off-load from Hadleigh Parkes sees Amos dive over, but we go to the TMO….and it’s no try due to a forward pass
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 26m Uruguay have the put-in in a defensive scrum and run from deep before kicking down-field. Amos takes the ball back in the 22 so the line-out is back in the Welsh 22
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 29m Adam Beard steals the ball and Wales are on the attack again, Patchell kicks back into the Uruguay 22, keeping the ball in play before Arata puts in the box kick offering Halfpenny the chance to counter
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 31m Tips is pinged for off-side but the men are red continue their attack, but the frustration continues as Patchell loses the ball forward on half-way
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 33m Arata breaks from the scrum and attack the Welsh defensive wall, but the handling errors mount up and Wales have the scrum put-in just inside their half
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 34m Aled Davies finds some space before offloading, Patchell does well to get his pass in before being bundled into touch as the Welsh attack continues
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 35m Another powerful carry from Parkes as Wales go through the phases but the ball is turned over at the breakdown and another Welsh attack comes to nothing as Uruguay clear
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 36m They drive off the line-out, Elias is pinged and Uruguay kick down-field for a line-out in the Welsh 22
Wales 7-3 Uruguay 37m Uruguay secure possession and again Wales transgress, we’re playing advantage until Ref Gardner blows up; Berchesi lines up the penalty attempt
Wales 7-6 Uruguay 38m It sails through the posts and you have to say that Uruguay thoroughly deserve to be just a point behind
Wales 7-6 Uruguay 39m Uruguay clear from their half and Wales decide to kick the ball out for the end of the half

Wales 7-6 Uruguay HT T: Smith C: Halfpenny | P: Berchesi (2)

Wales 7-6 Uruguay HT A hugely frustrating first 40 for Wales with a combination of their own errors coupled with effective defending from Uruguay making for a very lack-lustre display from Wales. There’ll be a few stern words from Gatland at half-time

Wales 7-6 Uruguay 40m The teams are back out and it’s Berchesi who gets things back underway
Wales 7-6 Uruguay 41m Parkes gathers sets up the platform as Aled Davies again box kicks offering Uruguay the chance to counter on half-way
Wales 7-6 Uruguay 42m Uruguay are pinged as Tips turns over and Halfpenny steps up for the penalty. It has the distance but it bounces off the posts
Wales 7-6 Uruguay 44m Wales attack through the phases and finally find themselves in the Uruguayan 22, but Wales are pinged and the men in blue have a line-out midway between half-way and the 22
Wales 7-6 Uruguay 45m They kick, and Nicolas Freitas is pinged for his challenge on Adams. Wales secure the line-out but again the ball is lost forward as Uruguay counter
Wales 7-6 Uruguay 47m It’s Uruguay that knocks on this time, and we play advantage, but Uruguay are pinged at the breakdown and Patchell kicks. Wales secure the ball and look threatening
Wales 12-6 Uruguay 48m A great floating pass from Patchell and the Welsh backs are lining up to score. It’s Adams who secures and dives over for his fifth World Cup try
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 50m Superb kicks from Halfpenny adds the extras. Meanwhile Juan Echeverria comes on for Mateo Sanguinetti
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 51m Diego Arbelo Garcia is replaced by Juan Rombys to complete Uruguay's a double replacement of props. Rhys Carre and Elliot Dee replace Elias and Nicky Smith
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 52m A break from Adams again sees play deep in the Uruguay 22, but the ball goes forward and securing the scrum clears the lines
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 53m Wales attack off the line-out, again mounting up the phases, showing more control than they have done as play reaches the Uruguay 22
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 55m But Uruguay turnover and counter. The ball is ripped and its Wales who are back on the attack but Wales secure a penalty for a high tackle on Halfpenny
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 56m Patchell kicks for touch. The line-out is secured and Wales launch another attack, inches from the try-line a huge tackle on Aled Davies halts proceedings but we were playing advantage and Wales have a second opportunity
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 57m They’re lining up out wide but for the second time, a forward pass from Parkes denies Amos the try
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 57m Manuel Diana, Agustín Ormaechea and Diego Magno replace Alejandro Nieto, Arata and Ignacio Dotti
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 58m Ormaechea feeds and Uruguay clear. James Davies and Ross Moriarty replace Tipuric and Aaron Wainwright for Wales
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 59m From the line-out Aled Davies feeds Hadleigh Parkes who knocks on. Tomos Williams replaces Aled Davies at Scrum Half
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 60m Ormaechea clears to half-way. Wales secure possession and launch an attack with James Davies carrying
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 62m A grubber kick from Halfpenny offers Uruguay the chance to counter, but Wales are soon back in attack until Amos is stripped
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 63m Leandro Leivas gets hands to the ball but it goes forward as the errors continue. Wyn Jones replaces Dillon Lewis while Rodrigo Silva is on for Gaston Mieres
Wales 14-6 Uruguay 64m Uruguay are pinged at the scrum and Wales launch yet another attack. A culmination of penalties sees Santiago Civetta shown a yellow card
Wales 21-6 Uruguay 65m Wales secure the line-out and drive forward through Dee, advantage is being played as the maul is collapsed by Uruguay but Dee is denied the score as Ref Gardner is under the posts awarding the penalty try
Wales 21-6 Uruguay 68m The skillset of Wales continue to let them down in attack; Freitas chips over and gathers his kick, James Davies tackles but is pinged and Uruguay kick for the corner
Wales 21-6 Uruguay 69m Uruguay secure the ball and test the Welsh defence as they pick and go, inching closer to the whitewash
Wales 21-11 Uruguay 70m Wales are pinged for off-side and Uruguay take full advantage of the advantage as German Kessler dives over from close range; Gareth Davies replaces Josh Adams
Wales 21-13 Uruguay 72m Berchesi adds the extras and despite being man down, Uruguay are back to within 8 points; Tomas Inciarte is on for Juan Manuel Cat
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 73m A superb break in midfield from Halfpenny sets up another Welsh attack, the ball is recycled well and Tomos Williams dives over for the bonus point try. Halfpenny adds the conversion with a great kick
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 75m Uruguay make an error from the re-start with the ball not going 10, we have a scrum on half-way as Kessler is replaced by Guillermo Pujadas for the men in blue
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 77m A break from Carre and the Prop shows his pace, the pass to Amos appears to be forward but play continues and Amos dives over in the corner
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 77m We go to the TMO but Amos has lost the ball and Uruguay have a defensive scrum. Vilaseca is off for a HIA so Cat is back on
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 78m Wales look for another try as Williams keeps the ball in play, but Carre spills the ball forward. Leigh Halfpenny is named man of the match
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 80m As the gong gongs for the end of the match, Uruguay show their character. They secure the penalty and kick for touch
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 80+1m The throw-in isn’t straight and Wales have a final scrum
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 80+2m Wales have the penalty and Williams decides to take the tap penalty, they spread the ball wide and launch a final attack
Wales 28-13 Uruguay 80+3m Moriarty knocks on, it’s gathered by Freitas and it’s a comedy of errors but neither team seem to want the game to end…
Wales 35-13 Uruguay 80+4m Uruguay are pinged, Gareth Davies takes the quick tap and puts the foot on the gas to scamper over and grab a last gasp try under the posts. Halfpenny adds the conversion to finally end the game!
Wales 35-13 Uruguay And so Wales march on to a Quarter Final against France. It was far from convincing in an error-strewn encounter but it’s a clean sweep from Gatland’s men. Uruguay have to be commended for their superb effort against a Tier 1 nation

REVIEW

• Wales finished top of their RWC pool for the third time after 1987 and 1999. They set up a quarter-final against France at Oita on Sunday, 20 October.

• Before this year, only in 1987 did Wales have a perfect record after the RWC pool phase when they won all three matches. This resulted in them finishing third, their best finish in the World Cup.

• Wales became the first team to win four pool matches at RWC 2019. All previous world champions won all of their pool matches.

• Uruguay have never won two matches at a single Rugby World Cup. They previously won one match in 1999 and one in 2003.

• Uruguay scored 60 points at RWC 2019 - their team record was 56 in 2003.

• Before this World Cup, Uruguay had scored only one try in all of their RWC matches against all Tier 1 opposition. In this World Cup alone, they scored in both of those encounters.

• This is also the first World Cup in which Los Teros scored a try in all of their matches.

• Leigh Halfpenny was named Player of the Match. His eight points off four conversions are a personal record for a World Cup match. Twice before he had posted five points in an RWC match.

• Nicky Smith registered his first test try in his 34th test appearance for Wales. Smith joined Gethin Jenkins (v Namibia at RWC 2011) as the only players wearing the No.1 jersey to record an RWC try for Wales.

• Felipe Berchesi is Los Teros' leading all-time points scorer in RWC matches on 45 points. His 30 at this World Cup are a team record for a single World Cup.

• With his fifth try at RWC 2019, Josh Adams became the tournament's leading try scorer, leaving Julian Montoya and Kotaro Matsushima on four.

• Adams joined Shane Williams (six in 2007) and Gareth Davies (five in 2015) are the only Wales players to score at least five tries at a single World Cup.

• Today's was the seventh try in Gareth Davies's World Cup career. Only Shane Williams registered more for Wales in his World Cup career (10). Ieuan Evans and Gareth Thomas also scored seven RWC tries for Wales.

• Wales earned their first penalty try in a World Cup match since 1999. At RWC 1999, they were awarded penalty tries against Japan and Samoa.

15 Leigh Halfpenny 14 Josh Adams 13 Owen Watkin 12 Hadleigh Parkes 11 Hallam Amos 10 Rhys Patchell 9 Aled Davies 1 Nicky Smith 2 Ryan Elias 3 Dillon Lewis 4 Bradley Davies 5 Adam Beard 6 Aaron Shingler 7 JUSTIN TIPURIC (C) 8 Aaron Wainwright BENCH: 16 Elliot Dee 17 Rhys Carre 18 Wyn Jones 19 Jake Ball 20 Ross Moriarty 21 James Davies 22 Tomos Williams 23 Gareth Davies

SCORERS T: Smith, Adams, Williams, Gareth Davies, PT C: Halfpenny (4)

15 Gaston Mieres 14 Leandro Leivas 13 Juan Manuel Cat 12 Andres Vilaseca 11 Nicolas Freitas 10 Felipe Berchesi 9 Santiago Arata 1 Mateo Sanguinetti 2 German Kessler 3 Diego Arbelo 4 Ignacio Dotti 5 Manuel Leindekar 6 JUAN MANUEL GAMINARA (C) 7 Santiago Civetta 8 Alejandro Nieto BENCH: 16 Guillermo Pujadas 17 Juan Echeverria 18 Juan Pedro Rombys 19 Diego Magno 20 Manuel Diana 21 Agustin Ormaechea 22 Tomas Inciarte 23 Rodrigo Silva

SCORERS T: Kessler, C: Berchesi P: Berchesi (2) Santiago Civetta

Man of the Match: Leigh Halfpenny

Referee: Angus Gardner (ARU) Asst. Referees: Luke Pearce (RFU), Karl Dickson (RFU) TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)

 

 

---

International Stadium Yokohama - Sunday, 13 October 2018
KO: 19:45 HT: 21-7 Att: 67,666

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

Japan v Scotland Right then, despite all the best efforts of Typhoon Hagibis, this monumental match is moments from KO; a moment's silence for the fallen, the anthems are done, and it's Japan's biggest match on history! 

Japan 0-0 Scotland 0min And Japan has kicked off & Scotland can't cope... 
Japan 0-0 Scotland 1min Scotland fight back quickly though and win the ball from the Japanese and have a well-won lineout... 
Japan 0-0 Scotland 2mins ...but the ball is stolen back quickly and Timothy Lafaele chips through as the host nation bolts back into Scottish territory 
Japan 0-0 Scotland 3mins Tommy Seymour halts the assault and the ball finds touch for a Japan attacking lineout which they execute well and make some yards, approaching the 22... 
Japan 0-0 Scotland 4mins Scotland clear their lines and set up an attacking lineout of their own from inside the Japan 10m on far touch, securing it well and coming infield to nearside touch before flying back the other way... 
Japan 0-0 Scotland 5mins ...breaching the Japan 22 and battling the formidable Japan defence who are stopping them from getting close to the whitewash for numerous phases 
Japan 0-5 Scotland 6mins But eventually Finn Russell finds a gap and he sprints through it to score the opening try of this monumental match on so many levels 
Japan 0-7 Scotland 7mins Greig Laidlaw adds the conversion and the Scots are on the board; expect a fierce retaliation from Japan to come 
Japan 0-7 Scotland 9mins The restart gives Japan an attacking scrum inside the 10m, and they deftly put in, extract it and bulldoze their way forward, to the 22, breaching it and they recycle though 5 phases so far... 
Japan 0-7 Scotland 10mins ...but the 8th phase has Jamie Ritchie illegally jackalling the ball back, missed by the officials as he is not supporting his body weight at the ruck; Scotland clear the Japanese out of their 22 
Japan 0-7 Scotland 11mins Japan win their 22 lineout, but Fraser Brown strips the ball out in the maul and it's a Scots defensive scrum outside their 22, which has to be reset 
Japan 0-7 Scotland 13mins Eventually the scrum is executed and Scotland do clear their lines, play returns to the midfield and Shota Horie is poorly double-tackled by Ritchie and Willem Nel who goes in with a no arms tackle 
Japan 0-7 Scotland 15mins Horie is checked out before Yu Tamura tees up for only a penalty, which frankly should have at least one yellow for that tackle 
Japan 0-7 Scotland 16mins The wind is still blowing, and Tamura's kick doesn't curve back in toward the uprights 
Japan 5-7 Scotland 17mins The restart is superb for Japan and they find the spaces inbetween the Scottish defence, leaving them in their wake and through delightful hands, the ball flies from Kenki Fukuoka to Kotaro Matsushima to score! 
Japan 7-7 Scotland 19mins Tamura's conversion is perfect and it's all square at #RWCYokohama... this is going to be an incredible spectacle 
Japan 7-7 Scotland 20mins Bar the Scottish fans, it seems the world is behind this Tier 2 Japan to win this match and go down in the history books; the stadium is roaring in anticipation 
Japan 7-7 Scotland 21mins Scrum to come, but time off as Jiwon Koo has hurt possibly his ribs, and the pain is too much; Asaeli Ai Valu replaces Koo prior to the Scottish put in 
Japan 7-7 Scotland 22mins The scrum is low, the ground is cutting up a little, the packs engage and the Scots front row is pinged for a Japan free kick 
Japan 7-7 Scotland 24mins Japan have an attacking lineout over halfway which they do secure, but again they get turned over at the breakdown and the ball is kicked back over halfway 
Japan 7-7 Scotland 25mins But Japan come back hard, back into Scottish territory and it's Matsushita again who breaches the 22 before he is shut down by Seymour and the ball is recycled from nearside to far quickly and efficiently... 
Japan 12-7 Scotland 25mins ...and they go 12 phases for the ball to be carried toward the uprights by James Moore who offloads as he's taken down to Keita Inagaki who scores under the posts! 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 27mins Tamura makes light work of the conversion 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 28mins From the restart, Japan have a defensive scrum from which they bulldoze back over halfway, further into Scottish territory... 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 29mins ...and Jonny Gray clashes heads with Horie and play is halted; blood is coming from Horie's ear, but Gray is not penalised for his arm round Horie's neck in the aftermath of the initial hit. 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 31mins It's a penalty to Scotland and a defensive scrum, and surprisingly, Gray is not sent off for an HIA. Scotland win the scrum to clear Japan back, but they don't hang around, breaching halfway then the 10m... 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 32mins ...and the ball flies to touch for a Scottish defensive lineout in their 22. The Scots win it, but can't cleanly clear the ball away, the Brave Blossoms frustrating the maul 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 34mins Eventually the ball is cleared but not far, still in Scottish territory, and Japan have an attacking scrum , which has to be reset 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 36mins Japan win their scrum ball, despite the Scottish pack's best shoving effort, and they steadily build toward the 22, offloading carefully till Russell knocks on the ball from Yutaka Nagare 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 37mins It's a Japan scrum and they win the penalty, the Scots front row having a hissyfit, especially Allan Dell, who engaged early - again 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 37mins Tamura tees up the penalty kick at the uprights from outside the 22 and wide, but not as far as touch as silence falls in the stadium... 
Japan 14-7 Scotland 38mins ...but it bypasses the far upright by a whisper 🙊 
Japan 19-7 Scotland 39mins However, it's Japan who win the battle of the restart and hurtle the ball from closer to nearside all the way to the far side in the midfield, Lafaele chipping it ahead, Fukuoka chases and scores in excellent fashion 
Japan 21-7 Scotland 40+1mins Tamura steadily tees up his kick, taking due care and attention, and this time he splices the uprights for the conversion 

Japan 21-7 Scotland HT T: Matsushima, Inagaki, Fukuoka C: Tamura (3) | T: Russell C: Laidlaw 

Japan 21-7 Scotland HT This is simply brilliant from Japan, and they so deserve the top of the table spot and their Quarter Final spot as they are busy showing up Scotland's inaccuracies; Hopefully they can keep it up...🇯🇵🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

Japan 21-7 Scotland 40mins The final half of the final match of the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup is underway, and boy do we have a game on our hands... 
Japan 21-7 Scotland 41mins Looks like there were no HT changes while Scotland have set up an attacking lineout at the Japan 10m... 
Japan 26-7 Scotland 42mins ...the lineout is just about won but a huge hit from Michael Leitch, and the Japan defence is utterly immense, Fukuoka stripping the ball in midfield and he charges to the whitewash completely unhindered to score! 
Japan 28-7 Scotland 44mins Tamura adds the extras and Japan are immediately on the attack again after ruining Scotland's restart... 
Japan 28-7 Scotland 45mins Kazuki Himeno is shut down once, the ball is wrestled, Japan makes more ground, Scots do turnover in the 22 and Laidlaw clears but it's poor and not far at all, Himeno attacks again... 
Japan 28-7 Scotland 46mins Japan are pushed back to the Scottish 10m and the scrum is readying for a Scottish put in - but it has to be reset 
Japan 28-7 Scotland 47mins Scotland win the scrum and Russell kicks the ball wide to far touch toward Seymour who has to collect himself before he can make a break, but he does... 
Japan 28-7 Scotland 48mins Quick hands and the Scots breach the 22 for the first time in a long while, but get turned over and Japan clear over halfway for Darcy Graham to run it back... 
Japan 28-12 Scotland 49mins ...and the Scots find a way through this formidable defence, Ritchie bursts into the 22 and trips but the Scots keep going and Nel heaves over the whitewash from close range under the posts 
Japan 28-14 Scotland 50mins Laidlaw adds the extras, but Scotland have a long way to come back from... 
Japan 28-14 Scotland 50mins Fumiaki Tanaka & Ryohei Yamanaka are on for Nagare and William Tupou 
Japan 28-14 Scotland 51mins Scotland make wholesale changes...Stuart McInally, Gordon Reid, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, George Horne & Blair Kinghorn on for Brown, Dell, Nel, Grant Gilchrist, Laidlaw & Seymour
Japan 28-14 Scotland 52mins Uwe Helu replaces Moore while Scotland prepare to make their comeback with a huge assault with all these fresh legs... 
Japan 28-19 Scotland 54mins Too much of a kicking game until the Scots decide to stop and run from their own 22, steadily building their way forward, halted a couple of times but into the 22 for Zander Fagerson to find the tryline and score! 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 56mins Russell adds the conversion and suddenly it's game back on in Yokohama! 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 57mins Isileli Nakajima replaces Inagaki while Japan begin their comeback, also keeping the ball and tight and surging forward to toward the Scottish 22... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 59mins Scotland defence is being tested hard but for the first time they are holding their own - 20 phases build into the 22 but Japan can't find a way through... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 60mins Japan's efforts are halted at 21 phases, Scotland turning them over deep in their own 22 and they clear back up to the 10m for a defensive lineout 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 61mins But not before Pete Horne replaces Graham; the lineout is won but when the ball is kicked to Japan, they wallop it back for another Scottish lineout, back almost at halfway 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 62mins The line out is won, Pete Horne takes a hit and Chris Harris thinks he's off for an equalising score but the pass was forward and it's a halfway, midfield Japan scrum 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 64mins Japan make some significant ground, but the ball is wrestled away and the Scots place it back over halfway for Japan to have to start again with their assault 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 65mins The players are unsurprisingly blowing hard on both sides as another scrum is to be set, Japan having battled their way back over halfway, forcing Scotland to their 22, and fight back to the 10m 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 66mins Ryan Wilson replaces Magnus Bradbury and the players take a break, Scotland winning the scrum and bolting over halfway in attack... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 67mins ...but Japan are so proficient over the ball and turn it over. But time off as Ritchie is petulant in his attack on Tamura - half his height almost - and handbags are drawn. Ref has a word with the captains 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 68mins Time is back on and the ball is cleared by Japan for a lineout outside the Scottish 22 and it is secured... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 69mins ...but the ball is intercepted in the offload and the Scots battle out of their half, this time not kicking it away but running it over halfway, but the defence drags them back 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 70mins Ten minutes to go and Japan are again in possession, holding the ball in from the Scottish 10m and they almost reach the 22 before they are turned over again... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 71mins ...and the Scots head toward the halfway line, chipping over the top, knowing a penalty is coming and it's an attacking scrum 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 72mins Atsushi Sakate and Hendrik Tui on for Horie and Leitch as the Scots battle their way forward through this insane defence from Japan 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 74mins It's not that traditional solid wall of defence, but a rush defence that is not allowing Scotland through, and then a pass pings off Harris and forward for a Japan defensive scrum 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 75mins Rikiya Matsuda replaces Ryoto Nakamura while the scrum has to be reset before it can get underway... And Fagerson breaks Nakajima in the front row for a Scotland penalty 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 76mins Scotland have a 22 lineout and the secure it well from the nearside, the ball offloaded well across the pitch wide to the far side before coming back in... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 77mins ...and then the ball is oddly chipped ahead over the goal line; Matsushima chases it and knocks it on before grounding it 🙈 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 77mins It's an attacking Scottish scrum 5m from the tryline, and Japan obviously want to take their time but the Ref halts the clock until the scrum is set... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 78mins Time's back on and the Scots retain their ball and attack - over and over and over - but the defence from Japan is not going to let them through as they push the Scots to the back of the 22...
Japan 28-21 Scotland 79mins The crowd is deafening as Japan turn over the ball and only have to hold out for a minute to win this immense contest... 
Japan 28-21 Scotland 80mins ...and they do, having to recycle twice but hold that ball in the ruck until the gong gongs magnificently and the ball is thumped into the stands for Japan's well-earned QF place 

Japan 28-21 Scotland FT Well that was perfectly insane, and edge of seat for the second half with Scotland's comeback, but it was never enough. Congrats to Kenki Fukuoka on his Man of the Match award. 
Japan 28-21 Scotland FT And look out the Springboks - the Brave Blossoms are coming for you again! And we all remember with crystal clarity what happened on Saturday 19 September 2015... Boks 32 - 34 Japan 🙊 
#RWC2019 #Rugby Quarter-Finals 2019:
M41 Sat 19-Oct 16:15 QF1: ENGLAND vs AUSTRALIA Oita Stadium
M42 Sat 19-Oct 19:15 QF2: NEW ZEALAND vs IRELAND Tokyo Stadium
M43 Sun 20-Oct 16:15 QF3: WALES vs FRANCE Oita Stadium
M44 Sun 20-Oct 19:15 QF4: JAPAN vs SOUTH AFRICA Tokyo Stadium

REVIEW

• Japan win 28-21 and progress to a Rugby World Cup quarter-final as pool winners. They will face South Africa next Sunday.

• Japan reached the quarter-finals at RWC 2019, having won all their pool matches. All previous World Cup winners won all their pool matches in the given tournament.

• Japan became the first Tier 2 country to reach the knockout stages at the World Cup since 2007, when Fiji made it to the quarter-finals.

• Japan became the first Tier 2 country to win all their pool matches at a World Cup. At RWC 2015, they became the first side in RWC history to be eliminated despite three-pool phase wins (their lone defeat was against Scotland).

• Thanks to Japan, RWC 2019 is the first World Cup in which a Tier 2 side has defeated two current Tier 1 teams. In 1991 and 1995, Samoa earned two wins over sides that did not have Tier 1 status then, but do now.

• Finn Russell's only other try at the Rugby World Cup was on his debut in the competition - against Japan at RWC 2015 (45-10).

• Kotaro Matsushima returned to the top of the try-scorers table with his fifth try of Rugby World Cup 2019. He is level on five with Josh Adams (WAL), who scored his fifth try earlier today.

• Matsushima now has six tries at Rugby World Cups having also scored one in 2015. This brought him level with DTH Van der Merwe as the joint-second highest try scorers at World Cups from a current Tier 2 nation. Brian Lima (Samoa) is the top RWC try scorer amongst these nations with 10 tries.

• Keita Inagaki became the first No.1 jersey to register an RWC try for Japan. That number was the only one from 1 to 15 still missing for Japan in terms of RWC try scorers. Japan become the 10th country in RWC history to complete the set and became the first Tier 2 country to perform this feat. England is the only Tier 1 country that is not part of this exclusive club.

• At 38 years and 180 days old today, Japan second-row Luke Thompson became the second oldest player to play in a Rugby World Cup match. He overtook South Africa's Victor Matfield.

• Thompson is around a year and a half younger than Uruguay's Diego Ormaechea who was over 40 (40 years and 26 days old) when he played his final match at RWC 1999.

• Thompson also played his 13th Rugby World Cup match, a record for Japan, going ahead of Hirotoki Onazawa (12).

• Yu Tamura extended his points total to 48 at RWC 2019. That makes the Japan fly-half is the tournament leader.

15 William Tupou 14 Kotaro Matsushima 13 Timothy Lafaele 12 Ryoto Nakamura 11 Kenki Fukuoka 10 Yu Tamura 9 Yutaka Nagare 1 Keita Inagaki 2 Shota Horie 3 Jiwon Koo 4 Luke Thompson 5 James Moore 6 MICHAEL LEITCH (C) 7 Pieter Labuschagne 8 Kazuki Himeno BENCH: 16 Atsushi Sakate 17 Isileli Nakajima 18 Asaeli Ai Valu 19 Uwe Helu 20 Hendrik Tui 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Rikiya Matsuda 23 Ryohei Yamanaka

SCORERS T: Matsushima, Inagaki, Fukuoka (2) C: Tamura (4)

15 Stuart Hogg 14 Tommy Seymour 13 Chris Harris 12 Sam Johnson 11 Darcy Graham 10 Finn Russell 9 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 1 Allan Dell 2 Fraser Brown 3 Willem Nel 4 Grant Gilchrist 5 Jonny Gray 6 Magnus Bradbury 7 Jamie Ritchie 8 Blade Thomson BENCH: 16 Stuart McInally 17 Gordon Reid 18 Zander Fagerson 19 Scott Cummings 20 Ryan Wilson 21 George Horne 22 Pete Horne 23 Blair Kinghorn

SCORERS T: Russell, Nel, Fagerson C: Laidlaw (2), Russell

Man of the Match: Kenki Fukuoka

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZRU) Asst. Referees: Mathieu Raynal (FFR), Matthew Carley (RFU) TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

 

 

---