WALES ARE GUARANTEED a World Cup qualifying play-off spot, at least, after Spain won 1-0 against Greece.
The Spain victory saw Luis Enrique’s men secure a top-two finish in Group B.
And that confirmed Wales, currently third in Group E, as being guaranteed qualification for the play-offs by virtue of their efforts in the Nations League.
Rob Page’s side will now only not be in the play-offs if they win their pool for automatic Qatar 2022 qualification, which is still mathematically achievable with two games to go but appears unlikely.
Spain’s winner in Athens came via a Pablo Sarabia penalty in the 26th minute as they moved to the top of their group.
They are now a point clear of Sweden, who lost 2-0 away in Georgia, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia notching twice in the second half.
Elsewhere, there were braces for Leroy Sane and Thomas Muller as already-qualified Group J table-toppers Germany thrashed 10-man Liechtenstein 9-0 in Wolfsburg.
The visitors had Jens Hofer sent off in the ninth minute as he gave away a penalty that Ilkay Gundogan converted to open the scoring.
As well as four between Sane and Muller, the goals that followed included efforts from Marcos Reus and Ridle Baku, and two own goals, scored by Daniel Kaufmann and Maximilian Goppel.
North Macedonia moved into second place in the group with a 5-0 win at Armenia, Enis Bardhi registering a hat-trick that featured two penalties, replacing Romania, who were held 0-0 at home by Iceland.
In Group H, leaders Russia and second-placed Croatia each recorded big victories.
Russia won 6-0 at home against Cyprus, with Aleksandr Erokhin scoring twice, and Croatia won 7-1 away against Malta, Lovro Majer hitting a double and Ivan Perisic and Luka Modric also among the scorers.
Meanwhile, Slovakia and Slovenia battled out a 2-2 draw in Trnava.
Bernard Jackman, Niamh Briggs, and Ciarán Kennedy join Murray Kinsella to discuss Ireland v All Blacks and the latest big story in Irish women’s rugby:
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Hup outta that… Happy days the Olympic torch is coming to Ireland! This is bbrriilliiaanntt!
and it will be burning Corrib gas Yehahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Great,we can burn the banks and bondholders with it
Barry, because WE ARE NOT HOSTING THE GAMES ………………………
So, it’s no harm in it coming through our country
The Brits are having a laugh on us.
Why should the torch come we Ireland. We’re not hosting the Games. This fecking bandwagon crap will be the death of us !
Why wouldn’t you want it to come to Ireland??
How is wanting something positive considered a bad thing and “jumping on the bandwagon”?
The Brits have done enough torching
in the past already!
A nice gesture from the British, but I cant help thinking that the world will be even more confused as to whether or not we are still in the UK???
Last time I looked, Dublin was in Ireland. Have a look yourself there Alan – it’s on the east coast of Ireland just north of Bray and south of Drogheda. Here endeth the geography lesson.
So will it be coming to Ireland or just Dublin?
Oh god, here we go…..
Well said Eddie, it is fantastic news to see that the Olympic Torch will be coming to Ireland, north and south. We will always have the objectors and detractors of anything positive but lets rejoice in a bit of good news which is long overdue.