Wales ‘breathed a sigh of relief’ following the victory over Portugal and were ‘ecstatic’ about securing 10 points

Assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys stated on Sunday that Wales felt a sense of “relief” after securing a 28-8 victory over Portugal in Pool C and were “overjoyed” about attaining a perfect 10-point tally from their first two World Cup matches. When questioned about the team’s emotions following Saturday’s grueling contest, the former Wales hooker and captain succinctly described it as a combination of “relief and happiness,” especially considering Taulupe Faletau’s late fourth try that secured a bonus point three minutes into injury time.

“We are thrilled to have earned 10 points from the initial two matches. If you had presented this opportunity to us before our arrival here, we would have enthusiastically accepted it.

“Obtaining the bonus point in the dramatic fashion we did at the very end demonstrated our resilience and determination to secure victories.”

Jonathan Humphreys noted that the Wales team underwent 13 changes from the lineup that defeated Fiji 32-26 in the first match. He remarked that these changes were evident in a performance that not only struggled to dictate the game but also to manage the rapid pace of the Portugal team.

“We had several players who hadn’t been in action for quite some time, and we implemented numerous changes. It’s fantastic that we managed to secure a bonus point, and it also provided valuable playing time for those individuals,” remarked Humphreys.

Load of changes

“We implemented numerous changes to provide playing time for our squad members and also to position them for potential selection in the upcoming match against Australia in Lyon on September 24.

The clash with the Wallabies promises to be an intense contest, and there’s a lot at stake. I was impressed with Australia’s performance in their first game, where they defeated Georgia 35-15.

However, Australia’s immediate focus is on a crucial match against Fiji later today. It’s going to be an exciting game in St-Etienne, and I’m looking forward to watching it from the hotel room.

I must mention that Tommy Reffell had a ‘tight calf’ issue, which led to his withdrawal from the match after sustaining an injury during the warm-up. Jac Morgan stepped in to replace him and delivered an outstanding performance, earning the title of man-of-the-match, despite having participated in a morning training session even though he wasn’t initially part of the starting 23. He’s an incredible player,” commented Humphreys.