RugbyRebels

Bar injuries and Owens perhaps being in some trouble that's a decent outcome for Wales. But dear god the passing in the Wales midfield is woeful, which is such a shame with that back three

How bad does Davies' knee injury appear?

Well that was an uncomfortable start to a match but we got in the game and won the last 70 minutes 29-7. Our composure and fitness saw us through there and Fiji have the tools to hurt anyone.

No doubt much of the reporting will be doom and gloom, but we shouldn’t take away the contribution Fiji made to that game. If you can starve them of possession then you win but you often have to smoother them to keep their dangerous players in check.

Injuries aside, and thankfully we can use replacements vs Uruguay, we did what we had to do and won the game with a bonus point.

I’ll take that.

Mikey Brown wrote:They biffed so many chances before you switched on. The noble thing to do would be to hand over your 6 nations trophy.

Who should we give it to? Lousy Ireland, droopy Scots, dismal England, tier 2 Italy or faffing France.

Seriously, a superb display by the Fijians and a more disciplined approach could have given them the spoils.

All credit to Wales for hanging on and sealing the game at the death.

I think we knew a four try bonus point would be elusive but to get it says a lot about Wales’s character and never say die (or Dai) attitude.

normanski wrote:

Mikey Brown wrote:They biffed so many chances before you switched on. The noble thing to do would be to hand over your 6 nations trophy.

Who should we give it to? Lousy Ireland, droopy Scots, dismal England, tier 2 Italy or faffing France.

Ignore the troll, one look at the SMB will tell you that the jocks really have an ax to grind with Wales, jealousy is ugly.

I’m not sure it was a sincere enough attempt to classify as a troll. The World Cup is all about rooting for the underdogs against your rivals and then being bitter when they lose.

I would love to see what Fiji would do in the 6 nations though.

Mikey Brown wrote:I’m not sure it was a sincere enough attempt to classify as a troll. The World Cup is all about rooting for the underdogs against your rivals and then being bitter when they lose.

Well in that case

That’s the spirit.

Unfortunately for us Japan are just as lovable as Fiji, if not more.

Mikey Brown wrote: Unfortunately for us Japan are just as lovable as Fiji, if not more.

Japan became immesurably more likable as soon as they sent that loathsome toad to England, where he fits in perfectly

Mikey Brown wrote:That’s the spirit.

Unfortunately for us Japan are just as lovable as Fiji, if not more.

Not sure that Japan count as underdogs anymore, they're favourites for me.

Mikey Brown wrote:I’m not sure it was a sincere enough attempt to classify as a troll. The World Cup is all about rooting for the underdogs against your rivals and then being bitter when they lose.

I would love to see what Fiji would do in the 6 nations though.

They deserve a better crack then they are getting. With all their eligible players and time to prepare, they can be a really dangerous team.

Japan really need to be playing in regular competition as well.

switchskier wrote:

Mikey Brown wrote:That’s the spirit.

Unfortunately for us Japan are just as lovable as Fiji, if not more.

Not sure that Japan count as underdogs anymore, they're favourites for me.

I don’t think the Bokke will fancy playing Japan if they qualify.

29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

Meanwhile, the England:France game is off, owing to the typhoon threat.

.

Graigwen wrote:29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

Meanwhile, the England:France game is off, owing to the typhoon threat.

.

So it’s definitely France for us then. I did wonder if Eddie might try to throw that game.

Sandydragon wrote:

Graigwen wrote:29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

Meanwhile, the England:France game is off, owing to the typhoon threat.

.

So it’s definitely France for us then. I did wonder if Eddie might try to throw that game.

Happy with this. Agreed, it would have seemed to be in England's interests to throw the match (to avoid NZ in the semi).

Sandydragon wrote:

Graigwen wrote:29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

Meanwhile, the England:France game is off, owing to the typhoon threat.

.

So it’s definitely France for us then. I did wonder if Eddie might try to throw that game.

No national side is ever going to throw a game, it's basically admitting weakness.

Graigwen wrote:29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

I watched it again quickly last night and it did seem Wales were largely in control for the last 65 minutes.

Watching it first time live was nerve wracking because you don’t know the outcome and this game, up to the last ten minutes, could have gone either way.

While our boys were puffing and blowing at the end Fiji looked out on their feet.

A great result to reach the quarterfinals. Pity about the injuries but I hope everyone can recover quickly to play France.

Numbers wrote:

Sandydragon wrote:

Graigwen wrote:29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

Meanwhile, the England:France game is off, owing to the typhoon threat.

.

So it’s definitely France for us then. I did wonder if Eddie might try to throw that game.

No national side is ever going to throw a game, it's basically admitting weakness.

There was talk of a number of fringe players being given a run out against France. Whilst not throwing the game in the strictest sense, it may have been a weakened team which could still have won but was perhaps less certain to. Bit of a win win for Jones either way.

Irrelevant now of course.

normanski wrote:

Graigwen wrote:29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

I watched it again quickly last night and it did seem Wales were largely in control for the last 65 minutes.

Watching it first time live was nerve wracking because you don’t know the outcome and this game, up to the last ten minutes, could have gone either way.

While our boys were puffing and blowing at the end Fiji looked out on their feet.

A great result to reach the quarterfinals. Pity about the injuries but I hope everyone can recover quickly to play France.

There were pictures of Fijian players cramping up at the 60 minutes point. I started to get confident then.

Although I’ll be honest and say that I’m very relieved that Owen didn’t get a red card.

Sandydragon wrote:

normanski wrote:

Graigwen wrote:29-17 feels a much better result this morning than it did yesterday.

There were pictures of Fijian players cramping up at the 60 minutes point. I started to get confident then.

Although I’ll be honest and say that I’m very relieved that Owen didn’t get a red card.

I agree. He was lucky because it could have been red with a different ref and that would have made a hard task nearly impossible with 14 men.

It certainly seems the Wales coaches have got the squad to peak at the right time with the ability to play the full eighty minutes against really strong teams like Fiji and Oz and come through with something still left in the tank.

We’re battle hardened for France and the worries I would have had in yesteryears are not just there today for that game. I’m quietly confident for the quarter finals and if we get through, would have no qualms about taking on the Bokkes or Japan. I think on our day we could beat any team left in the RWC barring NZ and even then we could give them a bloody good game.

It’s a strange feeling going into matches without the nagging doubts. Long may that last.

It’s wierd not having those doubts before a game, will we get utterly slaughtered or just be valiant losers again.

Hopefully we can keep momentum going against Uruguay and not pick up any injuries before facing France.

Indeed, this confidence lark feels so weird.

At 10-0 down and 17-14 down against Fiji, I honestly didn't ever think we were going to lose. I'm used to the weary certainty of defeat when we're 10 points ahead, FFS.

Of course, this will make eventual defeat all the harder to take. But I guess that can't be helped. I couldn't honestly pretend that I expected to lose to Fiji, and I can't honestly pretend that I expect to lose to Uruguay or France. Even SA I'm looking at as loseable but... winnable. Strange times.

Sourdust wrote:Indeed, this confidence lark feels so weird.

At 10-0 down and 17-14 down against Fiji, I honestly didn't ever think we were going to lose. I'm used to the weary certainty of defeat when we're 10 points ahead, FFS.

Of course, this will make eventual defeat all the harder to take. But I guess that can't be helped. I couldn't honestly pretend that I expected to lose to Fiji, and I can't honestly pretend that I expect to lose to Uruguay or France. Even SA I'm looking at as loseable but... winnable. Strange times.

That must be Gatland and Co’s legacy- loseable but.....winnable!