sports

Rugby World Cup 2023 - The Morning Of The Big Day

Ed Williams has been reporting for the Yorkshire Times, part of the p.ublished group of online newspapers, on his local club, Wharfedale RUFC. Today he becomes our international rugby correspondent and is in France for the Rugby World Cup 2023. Here is his next report...

And so, to another weekend of World Cup Rugby. The Welsh supporters group we are with sojourned in Marseille for a few days and are now preparing for today’s group deciding match against Australia.

Marseilles had some interesting points but all the group seem to be a lot happier in Lyon. Happier is not a word I should be using as there is tenseness and trepidation in the pack.

Monmouth supporters

There is an air of undefined confidence; a lot of analysis is being undertaken by rugby aficionados from the valleys and cognoscenti from the cities. Will Wales overcome the old enemy from down under? Will they survive the battering that defeated Australia? Will Gatland have one more piece of magic to reveal?

Having beaten Argentina, England are making laboured progress to the Quarters but made easy work of Chile yesterday.

On the domestic front Wharfedale played old rivals from over the Pennines and sneaked it by a point. A large crowd remembered Michael Harrison before the game.