“President Bush set to watch Wales”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[Wales poised to play their make-or-break clash with Italy in front of the most powerful man on the planet – President George W Bush. The game is a 25,000 sell-out and Steve Hansen’s men know they simply HAVE to win it]
“Charvis, we’ll be ready for England”
– News of the World, 19 Oct 03
[Wales are already preparing for the quarter-final match against England]
“Adam looks pie and mighty”
– News of the World, 19 Oct 03
[Adam Jones sheds 4 stones to become one of the world’s most potent props- due to the help of fitness guru Andrew Hore and WRU dietician Dan Kings]
“Iestyn Time!”
– News of the World, 19 0ct 03
[Neil Jenkins’ view of their forth-coming game against Tonga. Neil believes it was never a matter of whether Iestyn would silence his critics, but always a question of when]
“Alix praise for Phil”
– News of the World, 19 Oct 03
[Alix Popham will be texting his inspirational coach Phil Davies – Leeds Tykes – to get his thoughts on matters while he is away in Australia]
“Relief as timid Wales hang on”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[The Western Mail felt Wales put in “an unconvincing, disappointing performance that frustrated their loyal supporters”, and blames the lack of continuity in the team selected for each game]
“We must do better”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[“But there’s no need to panic” says Hansen, after Tongan World Cup scare. Admitted his team would need to improve dramatically in order to win Saturday’s crucial Pool D clash with Italy]
“Mart’s got will to win”
– The Sun, 20 Oct 03
[“Supersub drops in to stop a tonkin” Martyn Williams came off the sub bench to push Wales closer to the quarter finals – by performing the first drop goal of his career]
“Hansen’s meddling could cost us dear against Italy”
– The Sun, 20 Oct 03
[feels the policy of chopping and changing team results in lack of fluency or pattern to Welsh play]
“Harris: We can beat the Italians”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[Iestyn “convinced Wales have the firepower” to beat Italy]
“Tongans take pride in their team”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[“Wales can rest assured that it was the Tongan fans who felt uplifted by their side’s display”]
“Wales must lift game for showdown against Italy”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[Gareth Edwards comments on the Welsh performance in their first two World Cup games. “Wales are achieving what they need – winning – but time for their performance to go up a notch or two”. He felt they must be suffering from a severe lack of confidence due to their last performance, and also believes that Stephen Jones tried too hard to impress]
“Wales singin’ in the rain – but only just”
– Daily Post, 20 Oct 03
[Wales coach Steve Hansen “remained defiant” despite the team’s poor performance, saying “If we can play poorly and win it’s a big step”]
“Martyn gets drop on Tonga”
– Daily Post, 20 Oct 03
[In this article, Hansen insists all is not lost, despite the result against Tonga]
“Charvis: We’ve got to iron out mistakes”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[Colin Charvis believes Wales and Italy will go into their winner-takes-all World Cup decider as joint favourites]
“Love: Error count cost us the game”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[Tonga coach reflects on what might have been after going down to a narrow defeat]
“Tonga display was real wake-up call for the challenges ahead”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[Martyn Williams’ view from inside the camp. He states that Wales will be looking for revenge after being defeated in Rome during the Six Nations]
“South Sea trouble send the Welsh stock crashing”
– Western Mail, 20 Oct 03
[This article believes that Wales may kiss goodbye to their hopes of making the quarter-finals if they play in the same manner against Italy as they did against the Tongans]
“Williams rescues shaky Wales”
– Daily Telegraph, 20 Oct 03
[Believes that Wales may well have lost if Martyn Williams had not been brought on from the substitutes bench]
“Wales only just survive rain-soaked shambles”
– The Independent, 20 Oct 03
[Feels that “if any one of the supposed established nations were there for the taking in this World Cup it was Wales yesterday”]
“Tinkering Welsh are in danger of losing their way”
– The Independent, 20 Oct 03
[Jonathan Davies used one word to sum up the performance of Wals against Tonga: “sloppy”, feeling this was due to the “wholesale” team changes]
“Hansen is Tonga-tied and twisted”
– The Guardian, 20 Oct 03
[“The reaction of the teams at the final whistle spoke volumes”. Tonga did a lap of honour, whilst Wales “slunk off to the comfort of warm showers”]
