Wales v Georgia live: Rugby World Cup – score updates, reaction and analysis

Summary

Wales score bonus-point six tries in their opening World Cup Pool D match
Jonathan Davies, Tipuric, Adams & Liam Williams scored in first half
Tomos Williams and North touched down in second half
Mamukashvili & Chilachava went over for Georgia after the break
Around 15,000 Wales fans in humid Toyota Stadium

Live Reporting

Mantej Mann

Postpublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
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'Chomping at the bit'published at 11:11 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Speaking to ITV, Wales head coach Warren Gatland said: "Watching the games over the last few days, the boys have been chomping at the the bit to get going.
On the disruption of Rob Howley leaving the camp: "We have just concentrated on the rugby and the players have stepped. The senior players have taken up a huge amount of responsibility.
"We know how string Georgia have been up front and their scrum is their weapon so we have been doing some hard work in training, but are just concentrating on ourselves."
Image source, Reuters
Injury scare? No? Phew!published at 11:09 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Toyota Stadium
Just for a second there, Wales' fans at Toyota Stadium might have felt their hearts skip a beat.
Fly-half Dan Biggar had to momentarily sit out of the warm-up to receive treatment from one of Wales' physios.
Luckily, it seemed only to be a minor cut on his face and Biggar was fine to rejoin the team as they headed for the changing room.
Just as well. He's a key player and one of only two fly-halves in the Wales squad.
Welsh Language coveragepublished at 11:09 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
BBC Cymru Fyw
If you would like to follow Wales opening World Cup match against Georgia in Welsh our colleagues at BBC Cymru Fyw are live now.
Click here to visit their live page.
Fan watchpublished at 11:08 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
The atmosphere is building nicely in Toyota...
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, Getty Images
Parkes' Japanese culture trippublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Toyota Stadium
It's not all training and protein shakes for Wales' rugby players at the World Cup.
As Hadleigh Parkes explains in his BBC Sport column, the squad have also been making use of their free time to take in all that Japan has to offer in terms of food, culture and history.
Image source, Tomas Francis on Instagram
Image caption,
(L-R) Jonathan Davies, Dan Biggar, Wyn Jones, Tomas Francis and Hadleigh Parkes enjoy a meal out in Hiroshima
get involved
Get Involvedpublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
#bbcrugby
Image source, Twitter
Tune in!published at 11:00 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
BBC Radio 5 Live
As well as following our live text updates, you can also listen to all of the build-up and full match commentary over on BBC Radio 5 Live now. Just follow the link at the top of the page.
Happy listening!
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Stat checkpublished at 10:58 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
- Wales come into this fixture having lost their last two World Cup games - but they have never lost three or more in succession at the tournament.
- Georgia have lost all 10 World Cup games against Tier 1 opposition
- Wales finished with the best tackle success rate (90%) of any team in the 2019 Six Nations
History favours the Welsh then..?
Image source, Getty Images
Who stands in Wales' path to the final?published at 10:57 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Wales are ranked amongst the favourites, despite a string of set-backs that in previous tournaments would have had them written off as contenders.
Warren Gatland's side are without first-choice number eight Taulupe Faletau and fly-half Gareth Anscombe through injury, and had backs coach Rob Howley sent home from Japan for an alleged betting infringement - just six days before their opening game against Georgia.
BBC Sport Wales looks at the teams and their star players who stand between Wales and the Webb Ellis Cup.
Image source, Rex Features
Matt Dawson looks at Wales' World Cup chancespublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
"Wales are intriguing.
"Their main issue will be around their strength in depth. For one-off games, where everyone is fit, they are going to challenge anyone."
BBC Sport columnist and World Cup winner Matt Dawson has been taking a look at how Wales and the other competing nations will fare in Japan.
You can find out what he thinks of Warren Gatland and who he sees as Wales' world-class players here.
Image source, BBC Sport
Toyota turning red for Walespublished at 10:51 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Toyota Stadium
Welsh fans have travelled to Toyota in their thousands for today's World Cup opener against Georgia.
Toyota, named after the car manufacturer, is usually a relatively quiet and sleepy place, particularly compared to some of Japan's huge, bustling cities.
But today it is buzzing. Wales have waited longer than most to get their World Cup campaigns started, so the players and the fans are all itching for the game to start.
Image source, BBC S
The scene is setpublished at 10:50 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
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Home from home?published at 10:47 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Steep stands with red seats. Welsh flags lining the streets. Sound familiar?
Wales have been able to create a fear factor playing at the Principality Stadium in recent years, and although the city of Toyota is 6,000 miles from Cardiff, Warren Gatland's men may just feel at home for their opening game...
Image source, Getty Images
'Some big units'published at 10:42 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
The only previous meeting between Wales and Georgia took place in November 2017, when Wales earned a closely fought 13-6 win in Cardiff.
Georgia have never beaten a Tier 1 nation. Toulon forward Mamuka Gorgodze will play his 12th World Cup match after coming out of retirement.
Georgia are also coached by a New Zealander in Milton Haig, with two former England forwards Graham Rowntree and Joe Worsley in his backroom staff.
For the full lowdown on Wales's opponents, Flats & Shanks have all the information you might need!
Media caption,
David Flatman and Tom Shanklin's guide to Georgia
get involved
Get Involvedpublished at 10:38 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
As always, you can share YOUR thoughts on today's World Cup Pool D match.
Tweet using #bbcrugby or send us a text on 81111 (UK only).
We'll be sharing your best comments throughout the morning...
Troubled build-uppublished at 10:34 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
It has been a troubled build-up for Wales after backs coach Rob Howley was sent home from Japan for an alleged betting breach.
He has been replaced by former Wales fly-half Stephen Jones, who has had only two training sessions with the squad.
Will the disruption hamper Wales today?
Media caption,
Warren Gatland says Rob Howley's departure left him shocked
Alun Wyn Jones to equal Welsh recordpublished at 10:30 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Warren Gatland's side will be led on the field by captain Alun Wyn Jones, who will equal Gethin Jenkins' record of 129 Wales caps.
With an average age of 28 years 331 days, Gatland's selection is the oldest Wales starting 15 at the Rugby World Cup.
Flanker Aaron Wainwright and prop Wyn Jones have been selected to start, while Josh Navidi lines up at number eight.
You can read more on the team news here.
Image source, Getty Images
Team newspublished at 10:26 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
Just in case you missed the team news over the weekend, here is a reminder of the teams...
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.
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.
'Inherent pessimism'published at 10:21 British Summer Time 23 September 2019
Wales v Georgia (11:15 BST)
"Confidence does not sit well with some in Wales, where there is an inherent pessimism, a nagging sense that something will always go wrong.
"That is because, when it comes to Wales and World Cups, something always does go wrong..."
BBC Sport Wales' Dafydd Pritchard has been looking back to some of Wales' World Cup nightmares and speaking to those on the pitch when it all went wrong, asking whether the current Wales crop can finally put the past to bed?
You can read his full report here.
Image source, Rex Features