Rugby World Cup 2019: Wales set up quarter-final against France after battling Uruguay win

Wales 35-13 Uruguay: A defeat to Uruguay was unlikely even with Warren Gatland making 13 changes, but few of those given an opportunity here will take on France after what was a poor, disjointed and thoroughly underwhelming team display

Wales’ focus can now turn fully to a World Cup quarter-final with France in Oita on Sunday.

It is a knock-out clash they should win given they have beaten Les Bleus in seven of their last eight matches. Warren Gatland has his team in a fine position to make the last four.

From there anything could happen.

Wins over Georgia, Australia, Fiji and this latest success over Uruguay mean Wales have done a fine job in topping Pool D and thus meeting a beatable France side and avoiding England.

A defeat to Uruguay was never on the cards for Wales even with Gatland making 13 changes, but few of those given an opportunity here will take on France after what was a poor, disjointed and thoroughly underwhelming team display.

This match will have next to no impact on the France game and it was still a fourth straight Welsh win, but the way Gatland’s fringe players constantly tuned over possession and made basic handling errors at key moments was at best frustrating and at worst incredibly disappointing.

In the end tries from Nicky Smith, Josh Adams, a penalty score and replacements Tomos Williams and Gareth Davies were enough for a bonus-point success, but Gatland will want to put this behind him and focus on getting his main men ready for France. To their credit Uruguay were impressive, never shirking in defence despite near constant Welsh possession and scoring a deserved late try of their own through German Kessler even with 14 men on the field.

Wales were dominant from minute one, but spilled the ball with the line gaping. Aaron Wainwright’s drop from a Hallam Amos pass was the most glaring of the missed opportunities.

Aaron Shingler had a try ruled out by the TMO for a foot in touch and it took until the 17th minute, but finally Wales broke through. Prop Smith was the one to burrow over from close range.

Leigh Halfpenny converted, but when his team were penalised from offside Felipe Berchesi put Uruguay on the board with a penalty.

Amos then had a try chalked off for a forward pass by the TMO.

Things weren’t sticking for Wales and Rhys Patchell inexplicably knocked on with the atmosphere at Kumamoto Stadium subdued given a Welsh win was always going to be inevitable.

It was bitty and messy and even though Wales never looked in danger, Gatland would surely have been disappointed with his team’s failure to turn constant pressure into points.

Uruguay did not go down without a fight (Getty)

Even with 13 changes Wales didn’t lack for cohesion or intent to play, they just produced errors at the worst times. Uruguay, to their credit, tackled relentlessly and just before the break Wainwright went off his feet at a ruck and Berchesi kicked the goal.

A 7-6 half-time lead would have been far from Gatland’s idea of a dream scenario and Uruguay captain Juan Gaminara seemed to revel in Welsh frustration as he ran off for the break screaming in the face of scrum-half Aled Davies.

There was a brief scuffle and Gaminara went flying following a playful Ross Moriarty shove.

Wales turned the ball over nine times in the first period and after Halfpenny surprisingly opted to kick for posts on the resumption, his long-range effort struck a post.

Wales have topped Pool D (Getty)

A second Welsh try finally arrived with wing Adams crossing for his fifth of the tournament. He was given a simple finish from a long Patchell pass. Halfpenny kicked the goal.

Wales’ inability to do even the basics well was then summed up to a tee. The ball was spread left and with numbers to spare out wide, Hadleigh Parkes somehow managed to pass forward to Amos for the second time in the game. Parkes – who normally does the nuts and bolts so well – continued his horror show by then knocking on.

Uruguay’s Santiago Civetta was yellow carded for a breakdown infringement and Patchell kicked to the corner where the South Americans sacked the Welsh driving maul.

The result was a penalty try and an automatic seven points.

By that stage Wales had shuffled their pack with the disappointing Aled Davies among the men to leave the field and in the last 10 Uruguay finally got the score they deserved as Kessler sent his team’s coaching box wild with delight. Berchesi kicked the conversion.

Replacement scrum-half Williams waltzed through for Wales’ bonus-point try, but Amos’ late dropping of the ball in the act of scoring summed up a night to forget for Wales despite Gareth Davies marauding clear for the game’s final act.

It made the final scoreline harsh on Uruguay and flattered Wales no end.