Warren Gatland is confident his Welsh team will be desperate to play at Twickenham next weekend as the fight for spots in his Rugby World Cup team heats up. Gatland, for the second time as Wales boss, will announce a 33-man roster for an exhibition tournament later this month.
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Wales kicked off their warm-up campaign with an encouraging 20-9 win at home to England in Cardiff on Saturday, making two well-practiced attempts and not allowing their main rivals to score a single one. Several senior Wales players did not start the match, but both sides could be stronger after the return warm-up in south-west London, with England manager Steve Borthwick to name his team for the Rugby World Cup today.
But Gatland, who led Wales to fourth place at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan where England finished second, was pleased with the options at his disposal ahead of an exhibition in France next month. There is a lot of competition in the team, said the New Zealander.
“In 2019, when we won the Grand Slam (Six Nations), we had a stable team and we knew what the majority of our team would be like at the World Championships.”
Fierce Competition Signals Promising Start
Gatland added: I can say that there is a lot of competition in this team right now. It’s a good start, and the nice thing is that next week there will be a group of players who are desperate to perform. I think the guys have shown off the work we’ve done in the last eight weeks or so, so physically we’re in pretty good shape.
Wales left England scoreless in the second half, losing 9-6 at half-time, with goal attempts from scrum-half Gareth Davies and center George North, both converted by full-back Lee Halfpenny, who also marked his 100th match for Wales with two penalties. .
Midfielder Sam Costelow was among the players who shone for Wales in front of a crowd of 65,000 at the Principality Stadium on Saturday. I will learn a lot from this, Costelow said. It showed me where I want to be and what I can achieve.
I worked a lot with Neil Jenkins during training week, helping me with my kicking and game management. It’s about continuous improvement. Wales kick off their Rugby World Cup Group C campaign against Fiji – the team that knocked them out of the 2007 draw in France – in Bordeaux on 10 September.
Warren Gatland says the reason Wales beat England and wales will do something special at Rugby World Cup
Walking through the mixed zone at the back of the Principality Stadium late Saturday night, Warren Gatland couldn’t help but reiterate his belief in why Wales had the upper hand over England. Too good for them, Gatland said, sipping an ice lager with a wicked grin on his face. Finally, after months of suffering, the Welsh may be on the mend.
Yes, it was only one game. And besides, a warm-up before the Rugby World Cup. And yes, we have to admit the paucity of England second tier results. But after a poor season dominated by off-field chaos and poor play, Wales’ latest result was much more like it. Ahead of a 20-9 victory over England, Gatland said his team was capable of something special at the Rugby World Cup in France.
Against the backdrop of a nightmarish campaign, it seemed like a bold statement. But, judging by the results of Wales’ first three preparatory matches, there was reason to believe that the Gatland players could back up the words of their head coach.
There is no doubt that the team has been through a lot. Six Nations was challenging, Gatland said, with the last part of that statement being a massive understatement. Then I made the decision to let it go and then build on with my own stamp. It was a good start. It definitely was. And Gatland seems to have definitely made its mark this summer.
Wales beat England in the second half with a goal through Gareth Davies and George North. What would certainly delight Gatland the most would be the return of the Welsh traits that characterized the team’s past successes under his leadership. For more to know about Rugby World Cup Final Tickets.
Impressive Fitness and Unyielding Attitude
They included impressive physical fitness, an uncompromising attitude and, as a result, the ability to stay in the competition. When they are at their best, Wales never quits. This stubborn stance – understandably absent from the Six Nations, given the circumstances – was evidence against England.
Wales scored two accurate runs, their set piece was dominant and their defense was hungry. England failed to score in the second half after Marcus Smith’s three penalties in a substandard first 40. Wales rookie captain Jake Morgan, 23, was man of the match and fellow back-court Aaron Wainwright also scored. Both played key roles in Davis’ attempt.
Henry Thomas and Thane Plumtree, among the five Welsh debutants, have been strong influences off the bench. At the other end of the experience scale was Lee Halfpenny, a 34-year-old cornerback who made his 100th appearance for Wales. Halfpenny would have reached a century long ago for his country had it not been for a serious injury, but he finally hit the mark against England. Halfpenny scored 10 points and defended flawlessly.
It was an incredibly special day for me and my family, he said, his fiancée Jess and two young daughters have gone through the mixed zone before him. The Halfpenny children wore shirts with his name and the number 100 on the back.
Honestly, I couldn’t even dream of it, Halfpenny added. Winning one game for Wales was a dream come true and it’s surreal. He hasn’t fully absorbed yet. Of course, there were ups and downs along the way. Because of the injury, there were really difficult moments – times when you were not too sure if you would play for Wales again. It makes this day proud.
Continued Passion for the Game
I would like to continue playing. You never know when your last game might be, but the goal is definitely to keep going. You never take it for granted. I would like to go to the Rugby World Cup in France. Jess and my two girls – to be honest, they were my mainstay. They supported me and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped me achieve this.
Halfpenny showed why he should go to France with his trademark defense and kicks. So how did he celebrate his 100th birthday? With a song, of course. It was a Silver Dollar, Halfpenny said, his eyes wide and red with emotion after a day to remember and a 100th anniversary commemorative cap on his head.
We sang this song at the Gorseinon Rugby Club. As a child, you see older boys sing it and you learn. This is the favorite song of my friends and the rugby club, so it is close to my heart. It felt right to me to sing it. It was a pretty full locker room, so there were a few nerves!
Gatland is poised to make massive changes to his side for Wales’ rematch with England at Twickenham on Saturday. Another young man from Devi Lake claims to be the captain of Morgan. Wales did lose strikers Ryan Elias and Dafydd Jenkins to hamstring and knee injuries, but both players stated after the match that their problems were not too serious.
Rugby World Cup – Eddie Jones wants uncapped Australia flanker to play on the wing
Jones wants to use Josh Kemeny in an alternate role to reprise his hybrid player theory. Eddie Jones, head coach of Australia, echoed the theme of his time in charge of England by promising to teach a capless rower how to play on the wing. For more to know about Australia Rugby World Cup Tickets.
Josh Kemeny of the Melbourne Rebels is the man to switch positions, evoking Jones’ theories about how Jack Nowell and Ben Earl could become hybrid players by switching back and forth between pack and defensive end.
Ahead of the first test of his latest role, against South Africa on 8 July, Jones announced the 34-player Wallabies squad for the Rugby Championship on Sunday. Michael Hooper and James Slipper were named co-captains, the first time two players shared primary responsibility for an Australian team. Elsewhere, Jones selected five overseas players: Will Skelton, Richie Arnold, Quaid Cooper, Marika Koroibete and Samu Kerevi. Carter Gordon is up for his linebacker debut, while Taniela Tupou looks set to return from injury.
Kerevi is part of a rehab group separate from the 34-man team, which was divided into three groups: forwards, defenders and, less traditionally useful. Flanker Kemeny and a pair of Waratahs Ben Donaldson and Dylan Pitch ran the last banner. Donaldson, the only member of the trio who plays in a cap, plays half with a defender, while Pitch plays as a winger.
Embracing Adaptability Jones’ Vision
The meeting with reporters gave Jones the opportunity to reiterate that he places great value on adaptability in an era of head injury assessments and frequent cards. We want Kemeny to play seven, six and wide, Jones said. He is fast enough to play on the wing, which is why he is listed as a utility player. He is a tall, fit guy, he flies well.
“We need to create a multidisciplinary team because with HIA, yellow or red cards, you need to be able to adapt on the field. Nothing is impossible and we need to develop that adaptability as a team.”
Nowell was forced to join the back row scrum against Ireland during the 2022 Six Nations after an early red card from Charlie Ewels. Three years earlier, in a match against Italy, Joe Kokanashiga and Billy Vunipola switched places in a scrum. Earle, however, suggested that he did not spend much time training with the defenders, despite the fact that he was planned to be used as a potential flank.
Away from England, Sekou Makalu, a fast rower in the background, covered the flank for France in a match against South Africa last November. It’s very important [to have adaptability] and that’s why we called them utility players, Jones added. We have not chosen this squad for the Rugby World Cup, but we are creating a team structure that will take us to the RWC.
Countdown to the Rugby World Cup 2023
We need a back rower who can play on the wing and I’m serious about that. Hoops probably could have done it at a younger age, he was faster than most wingers. Australia welcomes Argentina after returning from South Africa ahead of a double home-and-away match against New Zealand between 29 July and 5 August.
Their first test before the RWC 2023 will be against the hosts at the Stade de France on 27 August. Jones described the Rugby World Cup campaign as a rout and a takeover for Australia, which shares the group with Wales, Fiji, Portugal and Georgia.
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