Next 1) Injuries finally took their toll Rugby is a physical game and players inevitably get injured. There is no denying that. But this tournament saw Wales lose 12 players at some point during or before the World Cup. That is an incredible, incomprehensible number, almost laughable if it was not so cruel. But the sound bite from the squad always remained the same. There was no blaming anything on injuries – they just got on with the task at hand. And they got on with it well. Even when their back line was being reworked between every game, and during many, they still managed, to an extent, to play cohesive and winning rugby. It was only in the last 40 minutes on Saturday that the injuries truly caught up and when they did, Wales still fought resolutely to the end. It took South Africa a moment of magic to break the Welsh wall which had been limping to a second successive semi-final with an empty tank. Even then, after all they had been through, the loss of 12 players was a fact but never an excuse.

Previous Next 2) Wales’ back row is back to its very best In a match where the back row triumvirate made a record seventh World Cup appearance together – overtaking the Webb Ellis Cup-winning trio of Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dalaglio – Wales’ six-seven-eight combination further asserted themselves as a force in world rugby. All three of the back row have performed at this tournament. Dan Lydiate has continued his reputation as a deadly chop-tackler. The blindside flanker’s 21 tackles on Saturday were vital to nullifying the South African attack for so long. Meanwhile Taulupe Faletau has rediscovered the form of 2011 as he has once again been the leading number eight at the World Cup – four years after bursting onto the international scene. Faletau so often does not get the praise he deserves due to his consistent level of play but in this tournament he has stepped his game up once more, carrying with purpose from the back of a retreating scrum. And in Sam Warburton, Wales have one of the most respected captains and opensides in the world. Against South Africa, Warburton led by example as he made 17 tackles as well as doing his usual work at the breakdown. The British Lion has been a lesson in humility and class as the tournament has progressed and even after such a defeat, Warburton still spoke with dignity. Unfortunately there will be no eighth appearance for this back row at this World Cup, but with all three still relatively young, you would not bet against them extending their record in Japan in four years time.

Previous Next 3) Creativity is needed but not as much as we like to think Anytime Wales lose, there is a public outcry for more creativity in the team as many question the rugby philosophy of Gatland. Every time, the idealistic consensus is to rip up the game plan of ‘Warrenball’ and throw it about with the flair and abandon of a sevens team. But it is not as simple as that. Gatland has built his Welsh empire on percentages. Keep the opposition from scoring, keep your discipline and usually victory will follow. Creativity has always been a by-product rather than a main aim in the process. This style of play is what keeps Wales competitive against the big teams. They had Australia and South Africa on the ropes as they backed their fitness and physicality. But still there were calls for more creativity to break these sides down – something they struggled with. The truth is Gatland will not be changing his style of play anytime soon. He does not need to. Play an open, wide game against the best of the Southern Hemisphere and you will get cut to shreds. We are not New Zealand or Australia. We have to nullify these teams, not outplay them. The important fact for this particular debate on creativity is that Wales’ X-factor players were all out injured. If Gatland had Rhys Webb, Leigh Halfpenny, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams and Liam Williams at his disposal, then Wales are a different prospect who would have put a 13-man Australia to the sword.

Previous Next 4) Wales finally have strength in-depth To suffer so many injuries would affect most teams in the tournament, but for Wales it did look to be a killer blow. So often, the problem with the Welsh has been a lack of players who can readily come into a test environment. The mixture of Gatland continually being accused of picking the same players – his so-called favourites, and a small player pool have seen only a select amount of players really familiarise themselves with test rugby with the fear of what happens if they are not available always lurking. But that fear was realised in this World Cup as several established stars missed out on the tournament through injury and Gatland’s hands was forced as several inexperienced players were, at some point, thrown into the starting XV. The likes of Gareth Davies and Tyler Morgan would have been cast as understudies in the first draft of this rugby showpiece – while Gareth Anscombe was not even in the script – but through the nature of sport, they became featured players in the rewrite – slotting into Gatland side with relative ease. A fact that bodes well for the future.