TOYOTA: Six Nations champions Wales produced a tale of two halves as an electric start secured a deserved 43-14 bonus-point victory over Georgia in their Rugby World Cup Pool ‘D’ clash on Monday, before they wilted in the energy-sapping humidity at the City of Toyota Stadium.

The Welsh were rampant as tries from Jonathan Davies, Justin Tipuric, Josh Adams and Liam Williams effectively ended the contest, handing them a 29-0 advantage at halftime with the bonus-point in the bag.

That endeavour and accuracy deserted them in a largely forgettable second 40 minutes, though, as scores from Tomos Williams and George North papered over gaping cracks in the Wales performance.

Georgia are hoping to use this World Cup as an audition for entry into the Six Nations, but there were few signs to suggest they are ready for that level apart from tries by props Shalva Mamukashvili and Levan Chilachava.

“It was a good first half for us and we were pretty happy at half-time,” said Wales coach Warren Gatland. “A little bit messy in the second half but the ball was quite slippery out there and it was hard to hold on to it. We scored a few nice tries and we’re happy with the bonus point.”

Both teams are back in action on Sunday as Wales meet Australia in Tokyo in the potential decider for top spot in the pool, while Georgia clash with Uruguay in Kumagaya.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2019