That was hardly a recipe for the sort of confidence some Welsh fans and pundits were displaying ahead of the clash with Australia, a team honour-bound by national tradition to do all in their power to redeem themselves in the eyes of a hyper-critical public and media.

BBC: Fans disappointed by Wales slump

Sunni Arab tribes in the west, bound by a strict honour code, are widely believed to be sheltering fugitives.

ECONOMIST: Iraq's post-war disorder