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Established 1961 25 Sports Tuesday, September 24, 2019 Wales open Rugby WCup campaign with six-try win over Georgia Victory sent out a signal of intent to main Pool D rivals Australia TOYOTA CITY: Six Nations champions Wales opened ‘OUT OF THE BOX’ their Rugby World Cup campaign with a bonus-point The sole bright spark for Georgia in a grim first-half 43-14 victory over Georgia in Toyota City yesterday. display saw a rare break into Welsh territory by hook- The victory not only sent out a signal of intent to main er Shalva Mamukashvili, Gareth Davies twice on hand Pool D rivals Australia, who beat Fiji in their opener, with tapdowns to halt the foray. Skipper Alun Wyn but also dispelled any doubts there might have been of Jones, matching Gethin Jenkins’ record of 129 Wales a hangover in the Welsh camp over the sending-home caps, and No 8 Josh Navidi were at the heart of the of assistant coach Rob Howley amid allegations of ille- effective Welsh rush defence to nullify the threat from gal betting. the ‘Lelos’. Four slick first-half tries from Jonathan Davies, Justin And it was instead Wales who had the last word Tipuric, Josh Adams and Liam Williams ensured the of the first 40 minutes, Liam Williams scooping up bonus point for Wales, who were given a stern exami- Jonathan Davies’ pass to dot down in the corner, nation by a strong Georgian scrum that came to life in Biggar making no mistake to stretch the score out the second period. “It was a good first half for us and to 29-0. we were pretty happy at half-time,” said Wales coach The Georgians opened the second-half exactly as Warren Gatland. coach Milton Haig would have liked them, hooker “A little bit messy in the second half but the ball was Mamukashvili bundled over from an attacking line-out quite slippery out there and it was hard to hold on to it. for a well-received try that Tedo Abzhandadze con- We scored a few nice tries and we’re happy with the verted. Wales roared back with their own driving maul, bonus point.” There were barely two minutes on the but fresh-on-the-field Jaba Bregvadze manipulated it clock when centre Davies was played in under the to a juddering halt, his dark art spotted by referee posts after a rocket of a pass by scrum-half and name- Luke Pearce who had no option but to yellow card to sake Gareth, decoys Dan Biggar and Hadleigh Parkes the replacement hooker. bamboozling a leaden-footed defence. A raft of replacements disrupted the flow of the Biggar’s conversion surprisingly came back off the game, enabling Georgia to weather the 10-minute sin- posts, but the fly-half redeemed himself with a penalty binning without conceding any points. Despite their far shortly afterwards. Another well-drilled midfield move more combative half, it was replacement scrum-half saw winger Adams split the defence before offloading Tomos Williams who chased down a George North to Gareth Davies. The scrum-half was brought down grubber for Wales’ fifth. short, but Tipuric was on hand to swoop for the ball Toulon prop Levan Chilachava responded Georgia and sidestep inside Giorgi Tkhilaishvili to run through when he bombed over from short range, but Wales had unmolested for Wales’ second try, Biggar converting. the last word when North finished well after some neat The third came soon after, Adams running in from footwork and an offload from Tomos Williams. almost halfway after an inside Biggar pass off a lineout, “I think we came out of the box as we went out into with the Georgian defence glaringly absent. Biggar hit the first half but I’m disappointed if I’m honest with the the extras and it was a point a minute after 22 minutes, second half,” said Jones. “We let a couple of tries in TOYOTA CITY: Wales’ wing George North scores a try during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D the 35,545-strong crowd at a sultry City of Toyota and we didn’t really continue in a similar vein. It’s a match between Wales and Georgia at the City of Toyota Stadium in Toyota City yesterday. —AFP Stadium scenting a rout. good result but it’s plenty to work on. —AFP the Tonga National Rugby League stood there will be a strong push by sacked. His firing proved hugely divi- Doubt cast on (TNRL) said on Facebook. members of the board of the Rugby sive. While many were outraged by his Folau, who was set to play a key role League International Federation to veto views, others, including the Christian shock Folau for Australia at the ongoing World Cup the move at an upcoming meeting”. lobby, defended his right to free in Japan before his fall from grace, said The NRL has previously made clear speech. Folau, who made similar he was excited by a return to the game. it was an inclusive sport and Folau offending comments last year, is pursu- England look to rugby league “I don’t want to bring any of my per- would not be allowed to play rugby ing court action for unfair dismissal and sonal matters into this and I am grateful league in Australia again. restraint of trade, with a hearing set for Mitchell for inside return with Tonga that the RLIF (Rugby League Folau, who grew up in Sydney, next February. He is seeking up to International Federation) have began his sporting career in rugby Aus$10 million (US$6.8 million) in SYDNEY: Sacked Wallaby star Israel endorsed my availability,” he reported- league, making his debut for compensation, an apology and the right knowledge of USA Folau plans a shock return to rugby ly said in a TNRL statement. “What I Melbourne Storm as a teenager in to play rugby union again. SAPPORO: England are set to call upon defence league, making himself available along- will do now is focus on playing great 2007, grabbing the winning try on his “These guys (Israel and John) are side his brother for Tonga in upcoming coach John Mitchell’s inside knowledge when rugby league and do my talking on the debut to telegraph his arrival. great footballers and bring size, pace they face the United States in their second Rugby Tests against Australia and Britain, the field.” Despite his optimism, RLIF During his meteoric rise, he broke and skill to the team,” Tonga coach World Cup match in Kobe on Thursday. The New Pacific nation said yesterday. deputy chairman Peter Beattie told the the National Rugby League’s record Frank Endacott told reporters. “They Zealander was Eagles head coach when they The devoutly Christian fullback, who Sydney Morning Herald the dual inter- for most tries in a debut season and will make a huge impact in the team qualified for Japan 2019. He then returned to club has Tongan parents, was fired by national had not yet been given clear- won rookie of the year. Folau played 90 and provide exciting attack options all rugby in South Africa before joining Eddie Jones’s Rugby Australia in May after he posted ance to play for Tonga. “As a current games in the sport with the Storm and over the park.” England set-up last year. online that “hell awaits” gay people and member of the RLIF board ... I can Brisbane Broncos between 2007 and Folau’s brother John also used to England opened their campaign with a 35-3 others he considers sinners, with court assure you that this has never been dis- 2010, making eight appearances for play for the NSW Waratahs but quit Pool C win over Tonga in Sapporo on Sunday but action for unfair dismissal pending. cussed or mentioned around the board Australia before switching to Australian after his sibling was fired. He previous- Thursday’s match in Kobe will be the United “The chairman of the Tongan table,” he added. Rules and then rugby union with the ly played league for the Parramatta States’ tournament opener. England scrum coach National Rugby League, Mr George Australia’s National Rugby League NSW Waratahs. Eels in Sydney. Tonga are set to play Neal Hatley said former All Blacks head coach Koloamatangi, today announced that (NRL) also cast doubt on whether he He made his Wallabies debut in 2013 Britain in Hamilton, New Zealand on both Israel and John Folau will play for would pull on a Tongan jersey. It said in against the British and Irish Lions and October 26 and Australia in Auckland a Mitchell’s inside knowledge would prove espe- Mate Ma’a Tonga in the Oceania Cup,” a report on its website that “it is under- went on to win 73 caps before being week later. —AFP cially useful given England have just a four-day turnaround between matches. “Obviously having Mitch is handy and his Emilie Heymans, who became the first female div- historical knowledge having worked with them Whitfield heads er in the world to win medals at four consecutive just a few short years ago. There are a lot of Olympics, and Christine Girard, who is Canada’s first players he brought through and knows well,” ever Olympic weightlifting champion, rounded out Hatley told reporters at England’s hotel in list of Canadian the four athlete inductees. Sapporo yesterday. Girard’s bronze medal from the 2008 Beijing “The analysis on the USA has already been Olympic Hall of Olympics and gold medal from the 2012 London done because this is their first match,” he added.