Bok's score and North's brace not enough as Wales edge Baabaas

MATCH REPORT: Wales received a timely confidence boost with a thrilling 33-31 victory over the Barbarians ahead of the Nations Championship.

Both sides crossed for five tries apiece in front of 20,000 spectators at a humid Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in an entertaining contest that went down to the wire.

*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!!

Flyhalf Dan Edwards starred for Wales with a brace of tries, making an early statement as his side’s international campaign got underway.

Wales now turn their attention to the Nations Championship, where they will face Fiji, Argentina and the Springboks.

It was also a memorable farewell for Wales legend George North, who bowed out in style by scoring two tries and kicking the final conversion for the Barbarians in the last appearance of his illustrious rugby career.

Wales really challenged the Barbarians’ defence in the opening exchanges. After a quick tap, Dewi Lake carried hard before scrumhalf Kieran Hardy snipped over for the first try.

Dan Edwards added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

The Barbarians hit back from the back of a lineout. They set up a maul, and, after a couple of phases, Springbok double World Cup winner Vincent Koch powered over the line.

Both teams created try-scoring opportunities. For Wales, the ball slipped out of Taine Plumtree’s grasp 10 metres out. At the other end, Faf de Klerk broke from a scrum inside his own 22, but Giorgi Kharaishvili’s knock-on brought the attack to an end.

Wales continued to pose problems, with Aaron Wainwright going close after another powerful carry. They eventually extended their lead when Hardy combined with Edwards, who crossed in the corner for his side’s second try. Edwards converted to make it 14-5 after 26 minutes.

Wales had another chance to increase their advantage when Eddie James hacked a loose ball ahead but was unable to regather inside the Barbarians’ 22.

The Baabaas showed flashes of attacking brilliance, with De Klerk at the heart of their best moments. Jeremy Ward came closest to scoring but was bundled into touch, allowing Wales to head into the break with a nine-point advantage.

Captain Dewi Lake and his fellow front-rowers, Dillon Lewis and Gareth Thomas, did not return for the second half.

However, the changes did little to disrupt Wales’ momentum. They produced a stunning counterattack, sparked by Ellis Mee, who ran from inside his own 22 before a kind bounce from a kick found Edwards, allowing the flyhalf to dive over for his second try.

The Baabaas introduced George North to a huge ovation from the crowd, and the veteran back made an immediate impact. With his first touch of the ball, North crossed for a try – a fitting way to begin the final match of his rugby career.

The score briefly gave the Barbarians hope.

However, replacement scrumhalf Reuben Morgan-Williams restored Wales’ control. Selling a huge dummy, he raced under the posts before Sam Costelow added the straightforward conversion to stretch the lead to 26-10.

The celebrations were short-lived as the Barbarians responded. Munster centre Alex Nankivell crossed after a powerful break from flanker Yoan Tanga, before Harry Plummer finally broke his duck from the tee with the conversion ahead of the hydration break.

Mee thought he had a try when he crossed the whitewash, but the officials ruled it out after spotting an obstruction in the build-up.

The winger would not be denied for long. Rhys Barratt created the opening before shifting the ball wide, allowing Mee to race over in the corner. Costelow added the extras to extend Wales’ advantage to 33-17.

North grabbed his second try of the afternoon as the Barbarians continued to fight, while Santiago Arata also crossed to keep the contest alive. North added the conversion on the stroke of full-time.

It proved too little, too late, however, as Wales recorded back-to-back international wins for the first time since the 2023 World Cup.

Player of the Match: There were standout performances across the field. Faf de Klerk impressed with his trademark sniping runs and crisp distribution from the base for Baabaas, while Taine Plumtree and Aaron Wainwright produced a series of powerful carries for Wales. Dan Edwards also underlined his growing reputation with two well-taken tries. However, our nod goes to Ellis Mee. The winger was fearless and electric with ball in hand, repeatedly launching dangerous attacks from deep inside his own half. He was unfortunate not to complete a hat-trick, with two tries ruled out for offences in the build-up, but his display was a constant reminder of his attacking threat.

The scores:

For Barbarians:
Tries: Koch, North 2, Nankivell, Arata
Cons: Plummer 2, North

For Wales:
Tries: Hardy, Edwards 2, Morgan-Williams, Mee
Cons: Edwards 2, Costelow 2

Teams: 

Barbarian F.C: 15 Tom Spring, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Jeremy Ward, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Harry Plummer, 9 Faf de Klerk (captain), 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Lachlan Boshier, 6 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 5 Romain Taofifénua, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Giorgi Kharaishvili.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Jack Iscaro, 18 Paul Alo-Emile, 19 Yoan Tanga, 20 Jordan Joseph, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 George North, 23 Liam McConnell

Wales: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Ben Carter, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Dewi Lake (Captain), 1 Gareth Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Rhys Barratt, 18 Ben Warren, 19 Ryan Woodman, 20 Harrison Keddie, 21 Reuben Morgan, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Mason Grady.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (England)
Assistant Referees: Alex Thomas (England) & Jamie Parr (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)