RWC 3rd PPO: Wales V Aus Fri 21st 8.30am

justsomebloke

Australia:

Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs); James O'Connor (Western Force), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies), Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs), Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds); Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds), Will Genia (Queensland Reds); James Slipper (Queensland Reds), Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs), Salesi Ma'afu (Brumbies), James Horwill (Queensland Reds, capt), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds), David Pocock (Western Force), Ben McCalman (Western Force).

Replacements: Saia Faingaa (Queensland Reds), Ben Alexander (Brumbies), Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds), Radike Samo (Queensland Reds), Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs), Anthony Faingaa (Queensland Reds), Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs).


Wales:

Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); George North (Scarlets), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues), Shane Williams (Ospreys); James Hook (Perpignan), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues, capt), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Paul James (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Cardiff Blues), Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Dan Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), Toby Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ryan Jones (Ospreys).

Replacements: Lloyd Burns (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Andy Powell (Sale Sharks), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets).

cgpg5

Think Wales will win this and third place would be a good reward for an outstanding World Cup campaign. Australia have been majorly disappointing throughout. Hopefully, it'll be an enjoyable and good open game of rugby also. Can't understand why it isn't played on the Saturday not just from a selfish point of view but I'd imagine a high number of Welsh people will be working etc. during the match. I know it was fixed before the tournament started but surely for television purposes they'd have factored in the possibilty of a Northern Hemsiphere team competing in this game.

Otacon

While I initially felt Wales would win this, I am now starting to think Australia have the advantage.

1. Warburton gone will be a huge blow, especially playing the best 7 in the world.

2. The scrum would have been one area Wales could have dominated, but the loss of Adam Jones will be massive.

3. Kurtley Beale back for Australia allows the rest of their backs to play in their best positions [AAC in center].

Fishooks12

Think Australia might sneak this

Fancy Cooper to finally have a good game now that the pressures off

Might be a cracker to watch given the two teams like to throw the ball around

jester77

Why is this on Friday? Surely Saturday would have made more sense as the majority of the northern hemisphere will be at work

Digifriendly

jester77 wrote: »

Why is this on Friday? Surely Saturday would have made more sense as the majority of the northern hemisphere will be at work

Good question as last time in France there was no day 'rest' between the 3rd/4th place play off and the final.

CatFromHue

Digifriendly wrote: »

Good question as last time in France there was no day 'rest' between the 3rd/4th place play off and the final.

I assume cos both the final and the "bronze" final are on the same pitch/arena. In 2007 the final was in Stade de France and the 3/4 match was Parc des Princess.

In 2003 both games were on the same pitch and the 3/4 game was two days before the final.

chupacabra

Yeah the Friday game is annoying but Its all down to TV numbers and Saturday is a higher audience for the final so more money.

Im looking forward to this game moreso than the final tbh. Wales will be deflated after the semi and without 2 of their key operators in the pack its going to be very tough. However if their defense remains as good as it has been all tournament I can see them sneaking it.

Burgo

chupacabra wrote: »

Yeah the Friday game is annoying but Its all down to TV numbers and Saturday is a higher audience for the final so more money.

Im looking forward to this game moreso than the final tbh. Wales will be deflated after the semi and without 2 of their key operators in the pack its going to be very tough. However if their defense remains as good as it has been all tournament I can see them sneaking it.

The Final is on Sunday just so you know :pac:

and I get to work from home on Friday so happy days for me!

thomond2006

I'd love to see Wales get third, I'm rooting for them.

Noffles

I'm hoping we'll steal this one, we've lost a couple of players that have made diffrences... but that's the nature of the game I suppose and at this late stage you're lucky if your original 15 are still there..

As above, Friday is a bit of a downer but I work from home and I can still view, the Millennium is also open but they'll get nowhere near the France game turnout... which is another shame.

.ak

Really hope Wales do this. Aus will have some serious egg to wipe off their face.

chupacabra

Burgo wrote: »

The Final is on Sunday just so you know :pac:

and I get to work from home on Friday so happy days for me!

Digifriendly

chupacabra wrote: »

Yeah the Friday game is annoying but Its all down to TV numbers and Saturday is a higher audience for the final so more money.

Im looking forward to this game moreso than the final tbh. Wales will be deflated after the semi and without 2 of their key operators in the pack its going to be very tough. However if their defense remains as good as it has been all tournament I can see them sneaking it.

Don't forget only 2 Australian forwards survive from Sunday - Horwill and Pocock so Wales might have the edge here. Let's hope for a feast of running rugby to light up what has generally been a turgid competition. These sides meet again at beginning of December in Cardiff - a game now being regarded as Shane Williams' swansong.

fryup

jester77 wrote: »

Why is this on Friday? Surely Saturday would have made more sense as the majority of the northern hemisphere will be at work

CatFromHue wrote: »

I assume cos both the final and the "bronze" final are on the same pitch/arena. In 2007 the final was in Stade de France and the 3/4 match was Parc des Princess.

friday sucks, why couldn't they hold it in Wellington instead, all the games are in auckland:cool:

CatFromHue

Eden Park in Auckland has a bigger capacity than the "Wellington Regional Stadium" of about 20,000. The ticket prices range from $97 for Cat D to $358 for Cat A tickets. So a quick calculation of approx average ticket of $200 x 20,000 = $4,000,000 extra cash for having the game in Auckland. If it sells put of course.

thomond2006

C'mon Wales!

justsomebloke

whoops posting in the wrong thread, nothing worse then havign to work while watching a match

come on wales!!!

thomond2006

Oz really should have taken 3 there. Beale off with a hamstring problem.

justsomebloke

ouch!!!

pickarooney

Nice fnish. So Cooper can actually pass.

justsomebloke

I think Aus picked the wrong time in the tournament to start playing rugby

Aus 7 - Wales 0

markc1184

Big hit on Williams there before that try! Been a scrappy game so far.

Hammer Archer

Looking ominous for Wales. Australia want tries today.

Big Nelly

Cooper gone, knee gone!!

Hammer Archer

Cooper does his cruciate. Not a nice way to end the tournament.

thomond2006

That looks very bad for Cooper. Tried to step and has done his right knee, he was in agony.

Fishooks12

Sad to see Cooper go, he was looking a bit more confident too

Disgraceful out of the crowd cheering when he pulled up, really want France to win now!

Big Nelly

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Sad to see Cooper go, he was looking a bit more confident too

Disgraceful out of the crowd cheering when he pulled up, really want France to win now!

Didnt hear that????? gave him a round of applause when leaving

Big Nelly

Where did Australia pick up a scrum???

Fishooks12

Big Nelly wrote: »

Didnt hear that????? gave him a round of applause when leaving

A fairly small one

When he first pulled yp they were cheering sarcastically

Fishooks12

Barnes is making some has of the scrum

justsomebloke

Fishooks12 wrote: »

A fairly small one

When he first pulled yp they were cheering sarcastically

probably didn't know how bad he was injured at that point

Hammer Archer

Fishooks12 wrote: »

A fairly small one

When he first pulled yp they were cheering sarcastically

I'd say they thought he slipped at first.

chupacabra

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Barnes is making some has of the scrum

Thats every ref in every game my friend.

chupacabra

That ball was always out. Bad call touch judge.

Fishooks12

Game's been really disrupted by injury

The form of James O Conner has really gone unnoticed by most people, he's not playing that well

Fishooks12

chupacabra wrote: »

Thats every ref in every game my friend.

Not recently tough, we saw it a lot a few months ago but it seemed to be sorted out for the WC

Hammer Archer

Ryan Jones is having a stormer.
Pretty poor that Hook didn't want to take that kick at goal.

thomond2006

Ugh terrbile kick by Davies, was a good idea though.

7-3 HT

chupacabra

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Not recently tough, we saw it a lot a few months ago but it seemed to be sorted out for the WC

From what I can see the refs are still clueless on the scrum. They are just quicker to penalize now.

Big Nelly

Wales crap kicking comes back, bet it is the ref's fault!!!!

andrewdcs

massively forward from Hook?

cruiserweight

Will the Welsh be complaining about the ref missing the forward pass there?

funky penguin

Lol! The aussie commentators on Fox....."Forward pass, but it's Wayne Barnes, so nothing's forward!"

Hammer Archer

That was shocking. The linesman was right in line and didn't see that was forward. That beggars belief.

Judgement Day

Between injuries, Barnes and Poite this is some mess.

cruiserweight

Hammer Archer wrote: »

That was shocking. The linesman was right in line and didn't see that was forward. That beggars belief.

Then gives a more marginal call on O'Connor a few minutes later

Hammer Archer

But it wasn't a malicious forward pass so it's OK

justsomebloke

wales 8 - Aus 16 just in case anyone needs to know

.ak

Some drop goal!