World Cup 2017: Wales

Wales were the fourth team to exit the WC, one of the six that didn't get past the pool play. So how did the Principality do? It has a successful history but recent times haven't been kind, as we shall see.

Report card: This is the fifth WC, the first was in 1975 and the first time a fifth nation was invited. It won 3 of its 8 games and points negative of just 20. The next invitation was the centennial one in 1995. It won its group and went straight into the semi finals but lost to England. 2000 was the best with a 2nd in the group, a quarter final victory over Samoa before giving Australia a scare. It didn't qualify for 2008 but did in 2013 but it was a disaster, losing all three games and a points differential of -28.

Then 2017 arrived and a first up loss to PNG by 50-6. Then it got worse when Fiji overwhelmed them 72-6. Partial redemption with Ireland, just losing by 34-6. By far the worst effort ever, yet things are being done back home that would indicate the corner has been turned. This was a WC where top players didn't play and some young local players stepped into the breach. Great for the future but not for 2017.

The chart below points plus or minus is for group games only. The win/loss record is the whole tourament.

			75			95			00			13			17
			W	D	L	W	D	L	W	D	L	W	D	L	W	D	L
			3		5	2		1	3		2			3			3
			-20			+34			-6			-28			-138

Final ranking for the tournament: 12th to 14th (out of 14 teams).

Other teams ranked at the 2017 WC. Click on the nation to go to that article.

12th - 14th: Scotland, Wales, USA.
9th - 11th: France, Italy, Samoa.
5th - 8th: Ireland, Lebanon, New Zealand, PNG.
1st - 4th: Australia, England, Fiji, Tonga.