1
'If anyone has an A-Z on how to tackle Josua Tuisova, please send me it'
Shaun Edwards accepts that Wales need to tighten up defensively as they build towards the World Cup quarter-finals. The Six Nations champions have conceded eight tries in three Pool D games, while official statistics revealed a high missed tackle count against Fiji on Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I realised we missed 25 tackles, then I thought to myself, ‘who did we miss those tackles on?’ Then I looked, and there were 16 missed tackles on both of their wingers (Josua Tuisova and Semi Radradra) who, let’s be honest, are not the easiest human beings to tackle,” said Wales defence specialist Edwards.
“If anyone has an A-Z on how to tackle Josua Tuisova, please send me it. They are incredible athletes. Obviously, there were too many (missed tackles). But we only missed nine tackles on the rest of the team. Those two wingers are exceptional.
“Having said that, looking at the rest of the competition, France (Wales’ likely quarter-final opponents) also have incredibly talented individuals, similar athletes, and we do need to improve that situation.”
Wales are back in action on Sunday, tackling Uruguay at Kumamoto Stadium. A fourth successive win would make it the first time since 1987 for them to go unbeaten through a World Cup pool phase. And they will be red-hot favourites to post a third bonus point victory from four starts, setting them up for a showdown with Les Bleus.
(Continue reading below…)
“They [Uruguay] are a good attacking unit, but we just have to turn up with the right attitude and put in a performance that we can be proud of,” added Edwards, who will again set the players a target of points conceded – they hit it against Fiji.
“I set realistic targets because you have to realise there has never been as many points scored in rugby union as there is now. If teams get near your try line, it’s pick-and-go after pick-and-go. It is incredibly hard to get the ball. It’s important I set realistic targets, which I feel like I do.
ADVERTISEMENT
“In the first two games (against Georgia and Australia) we didn’t hit them – we were one score off – but against Fiji we hit it. When you are playing teams who are in the top twelve-ranked teams, it would be very unusual not to concede a try. But all I know is that a lot of the rules – and I am not saying it’s a bad thing, it’s probably good for the game – are pro-attack.”
Experienced loose forward Justin Tipuric will captain his country for the first time in his 69-test career. #RWC2019 #WALvURU https://t.co/juZvRTXr9K
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 11, 2019
Edwards, meanwhile, delivered a positive update on centre Jonathan Davies, who suffered a knee injury in the Fiji match. “The medics are working on him. We don’t feel like it’s as bad as we first feared. There will be more news in a couple of days, but the medics are working hard on him and we are in a positive frame of mind with regards to him being involved further down the line.”
Wales lock Adam Beard will complete his comeback from appendix surgery a month ago when he lines up against Uruguay. The Ospreys forward had an operation in Cardiff on Wales’ departure day to Japan, and he eventually linked up with the squad 10 days later.
“The road to recovery started when I flew to Japan, and I am fighting fit and ready for Uruguay,” Beard said. “It was obviously a massive drama, but I was lucky enough that I had good people around me who supported me a lot. I am buzzing to get back out there with the boys, and we want to finish this group on a high with four wins.”
ADVERTISEMENT
– Press Association
WATCH: A guide to the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments