{"id":290803,"date":"2023-10-02T21:41:24","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T21:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=290803"},"modified":"2023-10-02T21:41:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T21:41:24","slug":"alex-king-wants-wales-to-keep-standards-high-as-they-chase-top-spot-in-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-union\/alex-king-wants-wales-to-keep-standards-high-as-they-chase-top-spot-in-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Alex King wants Wales to keep standards high as they chase top spot in group"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Alex King says that Wales are about maintaining high standards as they build towards a final Rugby World Cup pool game and potentially topping their group.<\/p>\n
Wales\u2019 appearance in a fourth successive World Cup quarter-final under head coach Warren Gatland was confirmed with a record 40-6 win against Australia.<\/p>\n
And they now need a point from next Saturday\u2019s appointment with Georgia in Nantes to guarantee winning Pool C.<\/p>\n
Gatland has named his starting line-up three days earlier than he needed to, making six changes from the Wallabies encounter.<\/p>\n
Hooker Dewi Lake will captain the team, with his co-skipper Jac Morgan rested from the matchday 23.<\/p>\n
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There are also starts for wing Rio Dyer, fly-half Gareth Anscombe, scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Tommy Reffell.<\/p>\n
Anscombe, who scored 23 points in the Australia match, starts instead of Dan Biggar.<\/p>\n
Biggar went off early during the Wallabies clash after suffering a pectoral muscle strain.<\/p>\n
Wales assistant coach King said: \u201cWe want to win the game and we want to carry the momentum of the last four weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have got high standards, and it is important we adhere to them whoever we are playing. It was a step in the right direction, great to qualify, but we have got unfinished business for the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand the threat Georgia pose, we understand what happened in Cardiff 11 months ago (Georgia beat Wales 13-12), the performance they put in against Fiji on Saturday.<\/p>\n
We want to win the game and we want to carry the momentum of the last four weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know one of their coaches (Joe Worsley) very well, and he will have them absolutely firing on Saturday afternoon, that is for sure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am going to try and meet up with him for a coffee on Friday and get some secrets out of him!<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is a good friend, and to nil Fiji at half-time was a fantastic effort with all the threats they\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anscombe is handed the number 10 shirt, being partnered at half-back by Williams, who replaces Gareth Davies, with Dyer earning a start instead of Josh Adams, Lake in for Ryan Elias, Jenkins taking over from Adam Beard and Reffell replacing Morgan.<\/p>\n
Wing Louis Rees-Zammit and number eight Taulupe Faletau will start their fourth successive games of the tournament.<\/p>\n
There are opportunities among the replacements, meanwhile, for prop Nicky Smith, lock Christ Tshiunza and fly-half Sam Costelow.<\/p>\n
On Biggar, King added: \u201cHe is just getting his recovery in after the slight injury he got against Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is at the recovery stage, and it is just important he gets back ready for selection for the quarter-final.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Gareth) was great (against Australia). He came on early, and guys on the bench have got such an important role to be ready to go straightaway.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou have got to know your role and be ready to step in at any moment, and that is the strength of this squad.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything has to be at a good score \u2013 attack, defence, kicking game, forwards \u2013 to win these games, and against Australia it all came together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n