Wales will not 'risk it'

The under-fire Wales

management team are still

desperately seeking a blueprint

for winning rugby at this World

Cup, but they have abandoned

all hope of emulating the

fleet-footed Grand Slam-winning class

of 2005.

Noises emanating from the

squad following the 32-30 defeat

against Australia on Saturday

suggested the players are

becoming exasperated at the

structured gameplan apparently

stifling their attacking instincts.

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In response, there was a

predictable circling of the

wagons at the team hotel outside

Cardiff yesterday, with attack

coach Nigel Davies insisting

there was universal agreement

on all matters of a tactical

nature.

However, he admitted that Wales

are still a side searching for

direction, saying: 'We are finding

our game. It is a matter of

getting an effective, winning

game which suits the players we

have.'

The public — not to mention

several players — yearn for a

return to the free-running style

employed to such devastating

effect under Mike Ruddock two

years ago.

But Davies' comments

suggested that the current

coaching staff regard that

European conquest as a blip, an

unfair yardstick, even a millstone

around their necks.

'There was some really creative rugby played in 2005,' he said.

'But that was one year. When you

look at the Welsh performances

over the past 10 years, taking the

year 2005 out of it, we haven't

achieved much.

'Wales played some attractive

rugby in 2005 and it was a

fabulous achievement. It was

high-risk rugby and it paid off.

But we all realise the game

moves on.

'You are not going to play against

a team 100 per cent of the time

with that style of play because

they are going to work you out.

Having a mix in the game is

important — you can't play just

one style of rugby.'

Wales expect centre Sonny

Parker to have recovered from a

groin tear in time for their

crunch Pool B game against Fiji

in Nantes a week on Saturday.

Team physio Mark Davies said:

'Any greater damage would have

ruled him out of the rest of

the tournament, but this is good

news for Sonny and we anticipate

he will return in two weeks from

the time of the injury.'

A decision on captain Gareth

Thomas's participation in the

remainder of the tournament will

be made today after the results

of a scan on his rib cartilage

injury have been assessed.

South Africa lie in wait if the

Dragons reach the last eight, but

Davies sounded positive about

tackling the Springboks.

'Australia have a better attack

game all round than South

Africa and cause more problems,'

he said.