Wales momentum could take them to Rugby World Cup final
If you’d have asked me two months ago whether Wales would get out of their Rugby World Cup pool, I’d have been sceptical.
But having watched them in Lyon on Sunday as they dismantled Australia by a record score, I genuinely think there’s a possibility of them making the final this year.
Their quarter-final will see them take on against Japan or Argentina, which I think they’ll win, before a semi-final against one of Ireland, France, New Zealand or South Africa.
Wales in final two?
And at that stage of a Rugby World Cup form goes out of the window.
I was talking to Wales attack coach Alex King before the game and he mentioned how they were going to target Australia in the centre channel.
With rugby league-style No10s and No12s who step out of the line, alongside No13s who stay square, there was always going to be space down the centre of the pitch.
And boy was he right. Wales’s opening try saw them burst through the middle of the partnership while that part of the field was fruitful for Warren Gatland’s men throughout their match.
It was a case of destruction by analysis, and the team hotel afterwards was unsurprisingly euphoric.
The side have a week off now, with a number heading to Disneyland and others off to Cannes, before their 10-day preparation ahead of Georgia.
Wales are in a run of form at the moment, with the momentum of their narrow win over Fiji launching their campaign.
Special era
And Wales, should they reach the last four this year, could be part of a special World Cup whereby all semi-final spots are held by Six Nations teams.
It is in fact possible that we could see England, Wales, Ireland and France in the final four, which would be astonishing for the northern hemisphere.
It may not be good for the sport, but it would represent a huge shift in the balance of power from Down Under up to Europe, and could strengthen calls for the continent to open up the Six Nations to more teams such as Georgia and Portugal.
But if I were to make a bold claim about the coming few weeks over in France, it would be that Fiji could make the semi-finals.
It is looking like they will qualify second in Pool D and take on England in the quarter-finals, a team they beat last month at Twickenham.
Steve Borthwick and his men have so far topped Pool C with precise play and pragmatism, the antithesis of what Fiji are about, and I think the Pacific island could cause England real problems going forward.
And from an objective point of view, how amazing would it be for the world of rugby to see Fiji make the semis? It would vindicate the decision to provide them with their own Super Rugby team and allow them to select players who once represented other nations.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips cycled from London to Lyon in time for the Wales v Australia game to raise money for Head for Change, a charity aspiring to achieve positive change for brain health in sport. Follow Ollie on Twitter to donate.