FULL-TIME! Wales 54-9 Uruguay
Eight tries, the bonus point secured and Wales head to the top of Pool A on points scored against England. But there are causes for concern. The injuries to Liam Williams (dead leg), Paul James (calf), Dan Lydiate (unspecified but he limped off near the end) and Cory Allen (hamstring) are at the top of that list, while there were some basic skills lacking in execution. Uruguay leave the Millennium Stadium with their heads held high after a solid defensive performance. They even led 6-0! Thanks for reading! Chat soon!
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Conversion! Wales 54-9 Uruguay (Priestland)
80 min: That rounds it off nicely.
TRY! Wales 52-9 Uruguay (Davies)
80 min: The maul rolls and rolls some more. It falls just short before Davies picks the ball and sneaks over the line for his second.
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79 min: Uruguay penalised for a collapsing scrum. Guess what Priestland does? Oh he goes for the corner, of course.
77 min: Tipuric has been terrific. He wins a ball at the breakdown on Uruguay’s 22. Amos breaks but then passes back inside and it’s forward. A lot of the straightforward, elementary skills have not been executed well by Wales here.
75 min: Things are getting worse for Wales. Dan Lydiate has come off with an injury now. He’s gone down the tunnel and it might be a blood injury. But what have Wales done to deserve such terrible injury luck?
Conversion! Wales 47-9 Uruguay (Priestland)
72 min: Normal service is resumed by Priestland. Meanwhile, Oscar Duran comes on for Uruguay and slot in to the front row for Mario Sagario.
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TRY! Wales 45-9 Uruguay (Tipuric)
71 min: Wales get the maul going deep in to the Uruguay 22 and it’s another try, this time for Tipuric, who makes up for spilling on the line a few minutes earlier. It is not pretty but it’s simple and very effective.
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66 min: Uruguay are tiring now. Their defensive efforts has left them exhausted, understandably, but there is still a lack of cutting edge from Wales. They have a lot to work on.
65 min: Lloyd Williams breaks through and crosses the line but Poite whistles to haul play back. Williams cannot hear him and continues running. He thinks he has scored, but they are coming back for a scrum on Wales’ 22! His face is a picture when he realises play had stopped!
63 min: Changes for both teams. Baldwin is replaced by Ken Owens. And Uruguay’s Franco Lamanna is on for Zerbino, whose uncle Gustavo was one of the 45 passengers on a chartered plane that crashed into a mountain in the Andes in 1972, according to the Associated Press. Twenty-nine of the passengers died. Survivors, including Gustavo, were stranded for 72 days, with some of them resorting to eating human flesh of the dead to stay alive. Gustavo Zerbino was a member of Uruguayan rugby team The Old Christians, which was travelling to Santiago in Chile to play a match when the flight went down. Their story became the basis of a best-selling book and a Hollywood film.
I’ve waited 63 minutes to put that yarn in!
TRY! Wales 40-9 Uruguay (Davies)
60 min: That’s so easy for the scrum-half. The maul gets going from the lineout and Davies spots a gap, rips the ball from the maul and zooms over the line. That’s Wales’ sixth. Priestland mis-hits the conversion and it goes wide. Wales will miss out on qualifying by a one point difference now, won’t they?
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59 min: Berchesi gives another penalty away and Priestland goes to touch for the 21st time! Lydiate comes on for Warburton, who is NOT injured. At least that’s something.
56 min: Warren Gatland could well have quite a big selection headache when it comes to selecting his backs for the Twickenham trip now with Liam Willaims and Allen added to the list of those on the treatment table.
55 min: Oh no! Cory Allen is coming off injured. He twists awkwardly after being tackled and Lloyd Williams is coming on for him. Allen is in a lot of pain and looks quite upset.
53 min: Uruguay, who no matter what happens in the remaining 27 minutes will leave this feeling proud, have 12 phases of little gains but they are caught offside again when well inside the Wales 22. That’s been their greatest weakness. Their greatest strength has been some impressive defence, and Berchesi’s kicking.
Conversion! Wales 35-9 Uruguay (Priestland)
51 min: The extras added with no fuss.
TRY! Wales 33-9 Uruguay (Amos)
50 min: I’m losing count of Wales’ lineouts. Tipuric pulls it down again, he gives it to Davies. The scrum-half offloads to Amos and he breaks to go over for a well deserved try.
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48 min: Wales earn another penalty, and Priestland goes back to the corner. From the lineout they get another maul going, Tipuric carries at the back of it, spots a gap, peels off and dives over the line. We’re going to the TMO to see if he knocked on before … and he has, you know! The ball has spilled from his grasp. No try!
48 min: A couple of Wales changes before Baldwin sends in a lineout. Charteris and King are off, Day and Moriarty are on.
46 min: Priestland sends a teasing kick forward that Meres collects and sends back to the Wales fly-half. He runs forward but drops the ball. Sloppy. That’s their seventh handling error of the match so far and if that continues against England and Australia, they will be punished. Despite the comfortable nature of the scoreline now, there is quite a bit for them to work on.
44 min: Wales utterly dominant now. Uruguay are offside again but the hosts’ make gradual progress with advantage being played. On the seventh phase Amos makes a break but Francis is penalised for not rolling away afterwards and Uruguay clear their lines.
We have restarted!
41 min: Priestland gets us going again.
Half-time! Wales 28-9 Uruguay
And that’s the interval. Wales started slowly and were 6-0 down but they have shown they are a level above their South American opponents and will look to rack up an impressive score in the second period.
Conversion! Wales 28-9 Uruguay (Priestland)
40 min: A slightly more difficult angle but Priestland’s range is bang on.
TRY! Wales 26-9 Uruguay (Allen – a hat-trick)
40 min: Allen runs inside Amos, whose reverse pass sets the centre away for his third try. He had not scored for Wales before today. The real star of that move was Tipuric, though, whose sublime handling had set off Allen in the first place.
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39 min: Wales turn it over and Scott Williams passes to Allen and he then tries to set Cuthbert away on his right but the pass is awful and goes in to touch. No matter, Poite brings play back for a Uruguay knock-on.
38 min: Uruguay win their own lineout and get a maul going on their 10m line.
36 min: Liam Williams’ afternoon is over, replaced by Matthew Morgan.
34 min: Uruguay are offside as Wales work through the phases deep in their opposition’s 22. Amos, King and Cuthbert are all held up before Poite reels back to give the penalty. Priestland puts it in to the corner again – the lineout has been the greatest difference for Wales so far.
Conversion! Wales 21-9 Uruguay (Priestland)
31 min: Bread and butter for the fly-half.
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TRY! Wales 19-9 Uruguay (Allen)
30 min: Lovely move from Wales. Williams pops a pass to Allen after it’s worked across from another lineout. Allen breaks the Uruguay defensive line and zips over for the try. That’s his second and I think we can now say there will be no shock here.
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29 min: Wales get a penalty and head for touch, but there is no yellow card. Paul James is in trouble with an ankle injury and is replaced by Aaron Jarvis.
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27 min: Scott Williams knocks on for a second time. When play restarts there is a shout from the TMO to stop play so he can review dangerous play after a cleanout with no arms from the Uruguay flanker Gaminara.
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Penalty! Wales 14-9 Uruguay (Berchesi)
24 min: Berchesi puts it over. Williams’ injury has come from a ferocious Silva tackle. A dead leg, perhaps? He is back on and trying to shake it off.
22 min: Jake Ball is penalised for a high tackle and Poite tells Warburton to have a word with his second row. Next one will see him sent to the sin bin, you reckon. Berchesi is going to go for the posts. Meanwhile, Liam Williams is limping off the pitch and wants some attention. Worrying for Wales.
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21 min: Wales are doing their best to feed Amos as much as possible on the left wing.
That was fun while it lasted, eh?
Conversion! Wales 14-6 Uruguay (Priestland)
20 min: Easy for Priestland.
TRY! Wales 12-6 Uruguay (Allen)
19 min: Cory Allen is over after another move from the lineout. Tipuric collects Baldwin’s throw and knocks it down to Davies. He passes to Priestland who sends a chip over Uruguay’s heads. Allen runs on to it and slides between the posts. Poite checks for a double movement but there’s no doubt here. You may award the try!
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18 min: Now we’re seeing Wales dominate. They turn over the scrum and get moving forward before Uruguay’s captain, Santiago Vilaseca, is blown up for offside.
17 min: Wales run straight at Uruguay from the restart but Amos knocks on just as it looked like he was going to put his foot on the gas.
Conversion! Wales 7-6 Uruguay (Priestland)
16 min: Priestland converts.
TRY! Wales 5-6 Uruguay (Lee)
15 min: Charteris takes it down and Williams joins the maul to add another wave of physicality and over they go. Panic over, Wales fans, Samson Lee carries the ball across the line.
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14 min: From the lineout Wakes get a maul rolling. They stop moving a couple of metres from the line but have an advantage after the maul is pulled down again by Mario Sagario. Priestland goes back to the corner and they will attempt to get the maul over the line from this lineout.
12 min: Better from Wales as they turn possession over in the scrum. They are struggling to gain yards though, met by some impressive Uruguay tackling near their 22. Eventually Amos breaks with an advantage being played but his pass is intercepted and we will go back for a penalty for offside. Priestland takes it to the corner.
11 min: Uruguay win a penalty deep in their own half and go for the scrum. A roar goes up from the Welsh fans – it’s a little too early for them to worry, but it has not been a great opening.
Penalty! Wales 0-6 Uruguay (Berchesi)
9 min: And it’s good! This isn’t happening, is it? We’re not really watching this? Wales have not done anything so far. They are ponderous and have conceded three cheap penalties.
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8 min: Wales have not turned up yet! Uruguay, despite some unconventional handling, work through the phases and progress from their own half to the 22 and win another penalty for a high tackle from Charteris on Berchesi, who will try to make it 6-0. This is amazing!
4 min: Corey Allen gives away a soft penalty near halfway. Gatland looks disgusted in the coaches’ box and Berchesi decides to have a pop. The line is good but the kick does not have the legs and drops a few metres short. What a promising start from the unfancied South Americans though.
3 min: Wales win their first lineout and Uruguay are blown up for collapsing the maul. Priestland sends the penalty in to touch on halfway and that lineout is plucked from the air by Warburton.
Penalty! Wales 0-3 Uruguay (Berchesi)
2 min: Uruguay have a penalty inside Wales’ 10m line only 45 seconds in after Tipuric is penalised for going in off his feet. Romain Poite whistles. Berchesi goes for the posts and … it’s good!
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Off we go!
Uruguay’s Felipe Berchesi puts it up into the sky and we are underway.
Wow! The Uruguayans are in tears as they belt out their anthem. Real spine tingling stuff. We are moments away from kick-off. All set?
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Samoa defeated USA in today’s first game. Match report from Andy Bull in Brighton for your enjoyment before kick-off here.
The odds for today’s game? Wales are 1/950, Uruguay 100/1, the draw is no chance. I genuinely don’t think I have ever seen someone 1/950 before.
There is something quite fun and novel about minnows playing in World Cups. Sure, they will be hammered and it might not be comfortable viewing if you’re not a Wales fan. But isn’t it romantic? Unknown quantities, there are lawyers and doctors in the team, bring excitement. Plus, how can they ever improve unless they are playing the big teams? They need these games to close the gap even if they are likely to suffer during the games.
Wales were 10 minutes late arriving to the stadium due to supporters surrounding the bus and cheering them on. Warren Gatland says “it’s special” but soon resumes dourness and says he has not selected his team for England despite a “throwaway comments to a stupid question in a press conference”. Lovely!
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The lasting impression of the World Cup will almost certainly not be Japan’s famous win – the shock to end all shocks – but Paloma Faith’s eyebrows. Just look at them! I mean, how is that even possible?!
Welcome
Well, what a start! Been great, hasn’t it?
Now it’s time for Wales to get their tournament underway. Sure they are starting on their own patch but Warren Gatland’s team are facing a very different pressure to what England were met by on Friday evening. Not only is this just about making a big opening statement, a warning shot to Stuart Lancaster’s England and Australia, but a tight Pool means there is a chance that bonus points could come in to play at the end. Inflicting a hammering on Uruguay is what the doctor has ordered – so maybe have a little bit of sympathy for their South American opponents. And let’s face it, we have already had our big shock – Uruguay will not be able to do a Japan.
Ah yes, poor Uruguay. The biggest outsiders of all – available at 7,500-1 with some bookmakers to win if you fancy squandering your hard earned. Less fancied than Namibia, Canada and Romania. Before they are even involved in a ruck their mission is obvious: a return home with some pride left. Their squad is mostly made up of amateur players – ordinary Joe Soaps, making them the choice of many neutrals’ just for the hell of it.
The teams
Kick-off at the Millennium Stadium is 2.30pm!
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