Six Nations champions Wales took a massive step towards topping Pool D with a thrilling 29-25 victory over Australia in the Rugby World Cup in Tokyo on Sunday. The Welsh led 23-8 at halftime, but they had to withstand a second-half onslaught when Australia fought back to within a point late in the game.
Meanwhile, Georgia was too good for Uruguay as they thumped the South Americans 33-7 in Kumagaya.
Wales went into this encounter with a lot of confidence after their 43-14 win over Georgia in their opening match.
The almost 48 000 strong crowd had barely taken their seats after the anthems when Wales were on the scoreboard, Gareth Davies finding Dan Biggar in the box for a straightforward drop-goal with just 37 seconds on the clock. Hadleigh Parkes, the Kiwi-born centre, got the first try of the match for Wales.
The Wallabies veteran, Adam Ashley-Cooper, got a deserved try for Australia in the 21st minute. Gareth Davies pounced to intercept a deep pass from a stuttering Will Genia to sprint home from sixty metres two minutes before the break. It was 23-8 at halftime.
But Australia was far from over staging a comeback in the second stanza with Dane Haylett-Petty scoring the Wallabies’ second try.
Australia camped in the opposition’s half and captain Michael Hooper eventually scored a try.
Games between the two sides are always tight, a penalty by Matt Toomua in the 69th-minute reduced Wales’ lead to just one point. Wales saw out a tense final five minutes to set themselves up as likely Pool D winners.
Meanwhile Georgia’s forwards brought Uruguay back down to earth with a 33-7 bonus-point victory in their World Cup Pool D clash in stifling heat in Kumagaya.
HIGHLIGHTS: @georgianrugby v @rugbyuruguay at Rugby World Cup 2019 #RWC2019 #GEOvURU pic.twitter.com/M5iGLUQXRe
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 29, 2019
Uruguay caused a major upset when they beat Fiji in the World Cup opening match on Wednesday. Uruguay finished the game with 14 men after replacement hooker Facundo Gattas was red carded by referee Wayne Barnes for a high, no-arms tackle with just three minutes remaining.
Georgia scored the first try in the eighth minute and had secured the bonus point by the 51st minute after scoring four tries.
