Wales' Jamie Roberts reveals his nerves in watching England's defeat to Australia
Tuesday 6 October 2015 16:07, UK
Wales star Jamie Roberts says he expended as much energy as he does during a match while watching England play Australia.
The Aussies' 33-13 win was enough to knock England out of the World Cup and ensure the tournament's pool of death claimed its inevitable high-profile victim.
It means that Wales and the Wallabies now meet in a group decider this weekend, with the winners facing a probable last-eight appointment with Scotland or Japan, while the losers can realistically expect to face two-time world champions South Africa.
Roberts, who watched the game with friends at Rosslyn Park Rugby Club in London, knows it could easily have been a different outcome and Wales would have found themselves potentially playing an eliminator on Saturday.
"I was shaking for 80 minutes," Roberts said. "It was like playing a game, expending as much energy.
"When it got to 20-13, I am sure Wales were panicking a bit, but Australia came through, so we are delighted to get through to the quarters.
"But it doesn't take the importance off this week. All is still up for grabs - it's a huge game."
By the time Wales begin their quarter-final preparations early next week, England's World Cup squad will have dispersed, their dream of global domination shattered just three games and 16 days into the competition.
"It is a brutal pool, and it was always going to be [one of] three teams missing out," Roberts added. "That's what makes the World Cup so exciting - they are such fine margins.
"The question is being asked of England not qualifying. We beat them by three points. We could have lost that game and England could have been going through and the questions asked of us.
"I feel sympathy with the difficulty of the group and how ruthless it has been. It is disappointing as the host nation, and not to see them through is hard for the fans as much as anyone."
