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Wales player ratings vs Wallabies | Rugby World Cup 2023
Wales were simply brilliant. They made an admittedly ropey Australian side look an absolute mess as they dominated from front to back and from start to finish in their 40-6 win.
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A famous night that will go down in Welsh rugby folklore. Here’s how the players rated:
15 – Liam Williams – 8
Gave his opposite number, Andrew Kellaway, a lesson on how to control the backfield. Assured and composed, he put in a stellar fullback’s shift.
14 – Louis Rees-Zammit – 6
Largely quiet but ran his trams with intent all night. One nifty step and another toe showed off his gas. Just not to be this evening. Replaced by Rio Dyer with nine minutes to play.
13 – George North – 8
Made 34 metres and each one seemed to matter. Great at the ruck when asked to clean out and held firm in defence. A player in top form.
12 – Nick Tompkins – 9
Everywhere. There wasn’t a blade of grass he didn’t cover. Samu Kerevi will look under his bed this evening to make sure Tompkins isn’t hiding there. Capped it off with a wonderful score as he steams through to dive over Anscombe’s dink.
11 – Josh Adams – 7
Performed his job well and chased enthusiastically. Went looking for work as most of the action was in midfield.
10 – Dan Biggar – N/A
Sadly had to leave the field with an injury and was replaced by Gareth Anscombe after just 12 minutes.
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9 – Gareth Davies – 9
Scored a wonderfully typical scrum-half’s try by running a superb support line after Jac Morgan broke through a gap. But it was his control from the base of the ruck and his accurate box-kicks that kept Wales in the ascendency. Some brave tackles made this a near complete performance. Subbed for Tomos Williams on the hour.
1 – Gareth Thomas – 8
Made a mighty 14 tackles and even won a turnover. That’d be a decent haul for a back-rower. It’s a stellar contribution from a front-rower who made up for his struggles in the scrum. Part of a triple sub on 67 minutes and replaced by Corey Domachowski.
2 – Ryan Elias – 8
Accurate at the line-out and a key cog in the rolling maul. Wales’ front row was just immense. Switched for Elliot Dee on 67 minutes.
3 – Tomas Francis – 7
Struggled at the scrum early doors but came out of the blocks and won a penalty at the first time of asking in the second half. Missed four tackles but ticked the right boxes elsewhere. Off for Henry Thomas on 67 minutes.
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4 – Will Rowlands – 7
A totem at the line-out and a menace over the ball. Is there a better fetching lock in the game? Played 71 minutes before being replaced by Dafydd Jenkins.
5 – Adam Beard – 8
A stellar performance. He marshalled the Welsh line-out that was such a potent weapon all night. Made 14 tackles and only missed one. A rock.
6 – Aaron Wainwright – 7
Relatively anonymous as others around him shone. Kept things ticking along when asked to get involved.
7 – Jac Morgan – 9.5
If it wasn’t too indulgent he’d be getting a 10 here, A captain’s performance. Broke the line with a wonderful cut back off a set move from the line-out for Davies’ try but was immense throughout. Even hoofed a monstrous 50-22 kick that put Wales in a position to bag three points from a penalty. Score a try at the end. Bloodied, bruised, an absolute colossus.
8 – Taulupe Faletau – 8
Big carries and meaty returns from the restart. Another impressive show from one of Wales’ greatest of all time.
Replacements
16 – Elliot Dee – 8
Kept momentum with accurate line-out throws and helped shove over Morgan at the end.
17 – Corey Domachowski – 8
Maintained dominance at the scrum.
18 – Henry Thomas – 8
South Africa isn’t the only side with a Bomb Squad. Thomas ensured Wales kept hammering the Aussie scrum and maul.
19 – Daffyd Jenkins – 7
Picked up on the good work that came before him at set-piece.
20 – Taine Basham – N/A
21 – Tomos Williams – 7
Fizzed with the same energy as Davies. Gatland is fortunate to have two talented nines at his disposal.
22 – Gareth Anscombe – 9
A remarkable performance. Perhaps his best ever in a Welsh shirt. Missed his first shot at goal but was then perfect until the very end. Landed a dropped goal, dictated the tempo and was unnervingly accurate when kicking out of hand or passing down the line. A truly sensational show.
23 – Rio Dyer – N/A
Rugby World Cup
Pool A
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
France
3
3
0
0
13
2
Italy
2
2
0
0
10
3
New Zealand
2
1
1
0
5
4
Uruguay
2
0
2
0
0
5
Namibia
3
0
3
0
0
Pool B
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Ireland
3
3
0
0
14
2
South Africa
3
2
1
0
10
3
Scotland
2
1
1
0
5
4
Tonga
2
0
2
0
0
5
Romania
2
0
2
0
0
Pool C
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Wales
3
3
0
0
14
2
Fiji
2
1
1
0
6
3
Australia
3
1
2
0
6
4
Georgia
2
0
1
1
2
5
Portugal
2
0
1
1
2
Pool D
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
England
3
3
0
0
14
2
Samoa
2
1
1
0
5
3
Japan
2
1
1
0
5
4
Argentina
2
1
1
0
4
5
Chile
3
0
3
0
0
Comments on RugbyPass
No question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
95 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
95 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
95 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
147 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
95 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
95 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
95 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
95 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
95 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
95 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
95 Go to commentsHonestly, it doesn’t matter a whole lot. RSA has a ton of experienced talent in its leadership group. I am more interested in who is the new 8 man/8 men and the younger props. The captain may change but the system does not
1 Go to commentsBen, you are one of the most arrogant and self opionated rugby critics I have ever come across (next to Keohane). I hoped that after SA beating the best ranked teams in the world on their way to the WC (something not done before) that you might have the grace to admit that this is a special team that deserved the accolades coming their way. You have no humility and as has been been already pointed out, merely a troll to attract audience numbers. Count me out in the future.
95 Go to comments‘War of independence’. Such a grand name for a few skirmishes. Where were all the great battles of this ‘war’ ? Smith got goosebumps as he was being emotionally manipulated, another mushroom.
1 Go to comments