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Wales open their Rugby World Cup campaign against Georgia on Monday, with Warren Gatland ’s men eager to make the strongest possible start to the competition.
With the Welsh squad still reeling from the “shock” and “disappointment” of the Rob Howley betting investigation, a convincing win in Toyota would be much welcomed by all those involved in the national outfit.
This will be Gatland’s final tournament in charge of Wales before he steps down from his position in November.
The Kiwi, who is set to return to his homeland to coach the Chiefs, will be hoping for a final swan song as Wales boss. That means going one better than the semi-final finish at the 2011 World Cup.
After Georgia, Wales take on Australia followed by Fiji and Uruguay.
Wales vs Ireland player ratingsShow all 30 1 /30Wales vs Ireland player ratings Wales vs Ireland player ratings Liam Williams - 7 With Anscombe and Biggar doing most of the kicking and playmaking Williams was jettisoned to the wing, where he saw little of the ball on a miserable, rainy day. No obvious errors.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings George North - 5 The wing's match was cut short due to injury. Started brightly, though.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Jonathan Davies - 7 Defensively solid as always. On a better day weather-wise his battle with Ringrose might have sparkled. Alas, they were largely bit-part players.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Hadleigh Parkes - 9 Two deciding moments in the game as it found its footing, the simpler task of catching and scoring followed by a try-saver on Jacob Stockdale when the Ireland winger seemed to be gone.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Josh Adams - 7 A touch lucky not to be yellowed for his trip, but took his chances to run when they opened.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Gareth Anscombe - 9 So, so close to a perfect rating. Utterly magnificent. Faultless from the tee, controlling in open play, magic touch for the try. Anscombe has added a little something extra to the Wales side.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Gareth Davies - 8 Won the battle of the nines with a varied kicking game. Peculiar decision to impetuously flop on Bundee Aki, but otherwise faultless and threatened the fringes.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Rob Evans - 8 Scrummaged well, particularly early on, enabling Wales to get off to a strong start territorially.
Wales vs Ireland player ratings Ken Owens - 8 Exceptional again. Owens is cementing himself as one of the premier hookers in world rugby.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Tomas Francis - 7 Solid as a rock at the scrum. Not quite as busy in the loose as his front row mates.
Wales vs Ireland player ratings Alun Wyn Jones - 9 Talismanic, herculean, outstanding. What more can be said about Jones?
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Adam Beard - 8 Dovetailed nicely with Alun Wyn Jones in all areas, showing real prowess in maul defence.
Wales vs Ireland player ratings Josh Navidi - 8 20 tackles, leading the team, and a number of powerful carries. Such an energetic player.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Justin Tipuric - 8 Disruptive at the breakdown, in the air and in the maul. Everything you want in an openside.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Ross Moriarty - 8 Threatened to lose his cool in the first half but the cooler heads in the side kept him under control, and Moriarty responded with another strong showing. Wales will have the unenviable task of trying to fit Navidi, Tipuric, Moriarty, Faletau, Lydiate and Jenkins into one back row at the World Cup – ridiculous quality.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Rob Kearney - 5 Showed well in a solitary counter-attack opportunity as Wales’ chase limited his chances.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Keith Earls - 5 Not a day for wingers, truly, though Earls’ scramble defence is ever a strength and his work under the high ball was solid enough.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Garry Ringrose - 5 A dropped ball in the Wales 22 with the game gone. Ringrose failed to involve himself in the contest with ball hard to come by.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Bundee Aki - 5 Somewhat anonymous in midfield as Ireland struggled for possession.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Jacob Stockdale - 5 Collected a grubber well late on to set up the position for Larmour’s consolation.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Jonathan Sexton - 4 See Conor Murray. One of Sexton’s worst performances for a long while. A nice touch to free Stockdale from the penalty, but otherwise insipid.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Conor Murray - 4 Ireland needed more from their halves throughout the tournament. Murray’s kicking was woeful against England and of a similarly low standard here, oddly. Just how bothersome was that neck issue?
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Cian - 4 A dropped ball, a silly off-ball penalty and a scrum generally in reverse. Not a great afternoon for Healy.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Rory Best - 5 Some curious lineout throwing as Wales managed to consistently disrupt at the set piece, and not hugely effective in the loose, though he battled well.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Tadhg Furlong - 4 Rob Evans put him on skates early on at scrum time. This wasn’t Furlong’s best. Six carries for no metres and two missed tackles, and none of the little touches in open play that make the tighthead special.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Tadhg Beirne - 5 Tremendous turnover on his own line early on, Beirne faded a little as the game continued.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings James Ryan - 5 Seemingly tireless, you can never fault Ryan for effort even if his involvements today failed to produce the impact he typically adds.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Peter O’Mahony - 5 Eight lineout takes is a strong number but that was the sum total of O’Mahony’s afternoon. He wasn’t alone in Irish green in his relative anonymity .
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings Sean O’Brien - 5 Perhaps a Six Nations farewell to O’Brien, who disappointed and did little to validate Joe Schmidt’s decision to select him over Jack Conan.
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Wales vs Ireland player ratings CJ Stander - 4 16 carries for eleven metres is not a figure Stander will be proud of, and his worst moment, the tap-and-no, if you will, came at a crucial time.
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When is it? Wales vs Georgia kicks off at 11.15am (BST) on Monday 23 September.
How can I watch it? ITV will be broadcasting the clash.
You can also live stream the match via ITV Hub on a range of devices, including laptops, smartphones and tablets.
Squads Wales: L Williams; North, Jonathan Davies, Parkes, Adams; Biggar, G Davies; Wyn Jones, Owens, Francis, Ball, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Wainwright, Tipuric, Navidi.
Replacements: Smith, Dee, Lewis, Shingler, Moriarty, T Williams, Patchell, Halfpenny.
Alun Wyn Jones will once again lead Wales at the World Cup (PA) Georgia: Matiashvili; Modebadze, Kacharava, Mchedlidze, Kveseladze; Abzhandadze, Lobzhanidze; Nariashvili (capt), Mamukashvili, Gigashvili, Nemsadze, Mikautadze, Tkhilaishvili, M Gorgodze, B Gorgodze.
Replacements: Bregvadze, Gogichashvili, Chilachava, Sutiashvili, Saginadze, Giorgadze, Aprasidze, Khmaladze.
Prediction Although Wales are firm favourites heading into this clash, Gatland’s men will need to keep an eye on their opponents at the set piece. Georgia have a reputation for being fierce scrummagers – Eddie Jones brought the side in to train against England’s forwards during the last Six Nations – and will no doubt look to target Welsh vulnerabilities in this area. Still, with an abundance of talent at their disposal and a world-class mentality to match, this has got a Wales win written all over it.
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