Good afternoon, folks. We should have a cracker ahead of us at Twickenham as Australia and Wales battle it out for the right to finish at the top of Pool A. Stay with us because we’ll keep you updated on everything you need to know throughout today’s game in south-west London. Kick-off is at 4.45pm.
Let us know your pre-match predictions and your thoughts during the game. Comment below, join us on Facebook or tweet us: @Rugby_ie.
What’s at stake today? Both teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals but a win here will be rewarded with top spot and a meeting with Scotland in the last eight. More specifically, avoiding South Africa is up for grabs.
Here’s the current state of play in Pool A…
This is the side Australia that head coach Michael Cheika has selected for today’s game:
AUSTRALIA
15. Israel Folau
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
13. Tevita Kuridrani
12. Matt Giteau
11. Drew Mitchell
10. Bernard Foley
9. Will Genia
1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Kane Douglas
5. Dean Mumm
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Sean McMahon
Replacements:
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau
17. James Slipper
18. Greg Holmes
19. Rob Simmons
20. Ben McCalman
21. Nick Phipps
22. Matt Toomua
23. Kurtley Beale
Wales have had no luck with injuries lately so Warren Gatland has been combing the valleys in search of young men capable of handling a rugby ball. The criteria for eligibility has been expanded. Basically, if you know the words to ‘It’s Not Unusual’ by Tom Jones, you’re available for selection.
Here’s how the Welsh are lining out:
WALES
15. Gareth Anscombe
14. Alex Cuthbert
13. George North
12. Jamie Roberts
11. Liam Williams
10. Dan Biggar
9. Gareth Davies
1. Paul James
2. Scott Baldwin
3. Samson Lee
4. Luke Charteris
5. Alun Wyn Jones
6. Sam Warburton (c)
7. Taulupe Faletau
8. Justin Tipuric
Replacements:
16. Ken Owens
17. Aaron Jarvis
18. Tomas Francis
19. Jake Ball
20. Ross Moriarty
21. Lloyd Williams
22. Rhys Priestland
23. James Hook
With Scotland beating Samoa 36-33 in a thriller, we’ll know half of the line-up for the quarter-finals as soon as this game is over. It’s Australia versus Wales. The winners will play Scotland a week tomorrow, the losers take on South Africa next Saturday. Both games are set for Twickenham with 4pm kick-off times.
Here are some of the Wallabies arriving at Twickenham earlier on…
And a big crowd to welcome the Welsh…
Australia 0-0 Wales
1 – It’s underway at Twickenham.
Australia 0-0 Wales
2 – Craig Joubert is the man in charge for this one.
Australia 0-0 Wales
3 – George North thinks he has a try! However, it was held up and it looked like a knock-on in the build-up too. Scrum…
Australia 0-0 Wales
4 – Kick to the corner from Biggar but it’s much too heavy for Cuthbert. Really positive opening from Wales here.
Australia 0-3 Wales
5 – Penalty: Wales get a reward for their early superiority as Dan Biggar kicks a penalty to give them the lead.
Australia 0-3 Wales
7 – Australia’s Michael Hooper watches on from the sidelines today after being cited for introducing himself to Mike Brown last week.
Australia 0-3 Wales
11 – All the early pressure is coming from Wales. They’re driving towards Australia’s line with purpose here.
Australia 0-3 Wales
14 – Five-metre scrum for Wales as they continue to knock at the door.
Australia 0-3 Wales
14 – Big scrum from Australia, however, and Wales are penalised. That could settle the Wallabies.
Australia 0-3 Wales
17 – Anscombe kicks to the corner from around halway for Wales but he’s got too much purchase on it so it’ll come all the way back.
Australia 0-3 Wales
18 – Big hit from Drew Mitchell on Gareth Anscombe…
Australia 0-3 Wales
20 – Turnover for Australia just inside their own half and Bernard Foley sends it deep into touch.
Australia 0-3 Wales
22 – Davies clears for Wales but Mitchell gets the Wallabies going forward again. However, it’s excellent defence again from Wales and they’ve got a scrum.
Australia 0-3 Wales
24 – Massive push from the Wallabies, they’re back on the attack and they’ve earned a penalty. Foley will go for the posts to level it up.
Australia 3-3 Wales
25 – Penalty: Bernard Foley makes no mistake from a tricky angle and the sides are even with 15 minutes to go until half-time.
Australia 3-3 Wales
26 – Australia’s David Pocock closes in on Wales’ Taulupe Faletau…
Australia 3-3 Wales
28 – Tipuric comes in from the side and it’s another penalty for Australia. Giteau puts it into touch and the Wallabies are inside the Wales 22.
Australia 3-3 Wales
29 – Luke Charteris penalised for collapsing the maul and Giteau goes for the corner again. Nervy moments for Wales.
Australia 3-3 Wales
31 – Wales defending valiantly and Australia have another penalty. This time they’re going for the posts.
Australia 6-3 Wales
31 – Penalty: Bernard Foley slots it over and the Wallabies lead.
Australia 6-3 Wales
32 – This feels like knockout rugby, says Stuart Barnes on TV3, and it’s hard to disagree. Serious level of intensity to this game.
Australia 6-3 Wales
33 – Penalty for Wales and Dan Biggar will aim to level the scores again.
Australia 6-6 Wales
34 – Penalty: It’s good from Biggar and it’s all square again.
Australia 6-6 Wales
35 – Sean McMahon on Dan Biggar. Ouch.
Australia 6-6 Wales
36 – Faletau penalised for kicking the ball out of Genia’s hands. ‘Final warning’, Craig Joubert tells Sam Warburton.
Australia 9-6 Wales
37 – Penalty: Bernard Foley takes the kick. You know the rest.
Australia 9-6 Wales
39 – A penalty for Wales as the Wallabies are pinged for offside. Biggar is going for the posts again to try and draw level before the interval.
Australia 9-6 Wales
40 – Biggar has missed. TV3′s Liam Toland points to the ‘swirling wind’ at Twickenham but that’s the first missed kick we’ve seen today.
Australia 9-6 Wales
40 – And now Australia have a penalty to extend their lead. It’s just inside their own half and Matt Giteau is going to chance it for the three points.
Australia 9-6 Wales
40 – It had the accuracy but it just came up short. It would have been a huge kick had it gone over. And that’s all she wrote for the first-half.
HALF-TIME: Australia 9-6 Wales
Australia 9-6 Wales
HT – We’ll be back with you shortly for the second-half. It’s shaping up very nicely indeed…
Australia 9-6 Wales
41 – Here we go for the second-half. Stay with us because this will be very, very good.
Australia 9-6 Wales
41 – As things stand, it will be Australia vs. Scotland and South Africa vs. Wales in next weekend’s quarter-finals.
Australia 9-6 Wales
46 – There’ll be a lot of sore bodies in the Australia and Wales camps tomorrow. Still no tries but this is pretty enthralling stuff.
Australia 9-6 Wales
48 – Australia are on the charge but Wales have been defending brilliantly. A wall of red bodies. Scrum to Australia on the Welsh 22.
Australia 9-6 Wales
49 – Jamie Roberts. David Pocock. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
Australia 9-6 Wales
50 – Faletau penalised again and it’s Foley time from the tee.
Australia 12-6 Wales
51 – Penalty: Bernard Foley makes it four out of four and Australia lead by six.
Australia 12-6 Wales
54 – The pressure is on Wales now and they know it. Scrum to Warren Gatland’s side deep in the Wallabies’ half.
Australia 12-6 Wales
55 – Turnover for Australia inside their own 22 and that’s a huge psychological boost for Michael Cheika’s men.
Australia 12-6 Wales
57 – Yellow card: Australia are temporarily down to 14 men after Will Genia’s infringement.
Australia 12-6 Wales
58 – Stephen Moore penalised for side entry. Wales are pushing towards the line.
Australia 12-6 Wales
59 – It looks like a try for Wales and Faletau but the TMO will have a look.
Australia 12-6 Wales
59 – No try! Faletau lost control of the ball just before getting over the line.
61 – Yellow card: Australia are down to 13 as Dean Mumm is also shown a yellow. It’s hard to keep up with the pace of this game!
Australia 12-6 Wales
63 – George North gets over again for Wales but again — for the second time today for North — it’s held up.
Australia 12-6 Wales
63 – This is incredible stuff. Heroic defending from Australia.
Australia 12-6 Wales
65 – Five-metre scrum for Wales. They’re still putting the pressure on but they need that try from this period of dominance.
Australia 12-6 Wales
66 – Wales are over the line again but yet again it’s held up. Former Leinster lock Kane Douglas with a crucial hit there. This really is incredible defending from Australia. Two men down yet they still haven’t left an overlap.
Australia 12-6 Wales
Australia 12-6 Wales
68 – Wales are still camped inside the Australian 22. The Wallabies are back to 14 men but Nick Phipps replaces Genia.
Australia 12-6 Wales
69 – Absolutely incredible from Australia. Huge hit from Adam Ashley-Cooper earns a turnover and the Wallabies clear their lines. They celebrated that as if it were a try.
Australia 12-6 Wales
Australia 12-6 Wales
71 – As Mumm comes back on, Gareth Davies is caught offside and Australia have a penalty from in front of the posts to increase their lead.
Australia 15-6 Wales
73 – Penalty: Bernard Foley does the job, as usual. That really was a remarkable period of rugby. Absolutely phenomenal from Australia. It’ll take something special from Wales now.
Australia 15-6 Wales
Australia 15-6 Wales
75 – Liam Williams is gone off injured for Wales. It looks like it could be another one for Warren Gatland’s long list of casualties.
Australia 15-6 Wales
76 – Australia’s scrum has been outstanding in this game. Heroic performances all over the pitch, from Moore and Pocock to Ashley-Cooper and Foley. The Wallabies are going to take some beating in this tournament.
Australia 15-6 Wales
77 – Jamie Roberts sums up how the entire nation of Wales must be feeling now.
Australia 15-6 Wales
77 – Deliberate knock-on from Alex Cuthbert as Australia were threatening on the attack and Wales will play the remainder of this game with 14 men.
Australia 15-6 Wales
78 – A rare miss from Bernard Foley with the penalty but this one looks like it’s in the bag for Australia anyway.
Australia 15-6 Wales
79 – Have you ever seen a more entertaining game in which no tries were scored?
Australia 15-6 Wales
80 – More bad news for Wales as Jamie Roberts goes off with what looks like a concussion. Australia scrum, Phipps sends it back to Foley and he puts it high into the stands to cap an outstanding performance by Australia.
FULL-TIME: Australia 15-6 Wales
