Wales stifle physical Samoa
Wales held off a spirited Samoa onslaught for a 17-10 victory that keeps their World Cup hopes alive in what was a ferocious encounter in Hamilton on Sunday.
An attractive game it was not; a physical collision it certainly was, and Wales just won it, but there was not much in it – a try apiece, more chances for Samoa to score tries against one brilliant bit of Welsh magic.
There was hardly an expansive movement in the game – one counterattack run by Paul Williams and the try that Leigh Halfpenny made. The rest was mainly one-off running of a harsh but unproductive kind. When Samoa played quickly they looked effective but much of the time Kahn Fotuali’i preferred ball as slow as possible and once the Samoans were freekicked for taking far too long to form a line-out.
Wales stood up to the one-off runners as Samoa went for pick-‘n-go 28 times, Wales just twice. But Wales did not shirk as they rediscovered the spirit of Rorke’s Drift. They tackled far more often than Samoa but missed hardly a tackle. It was a gross bit of missed tackling that cost the islanders dearly.
The 30 803 spectators made Waikato Stadium a colourful, vibrant place in the Hamilton sunshine with a wind behind Wales in the first half. Samoa had the wind in the second half and failed to score a single point. 10-6 at half-time became 10-17 at the end.
Wales wore black armbands in sympathy with the four miners who lost their lives in the coal mine in the Swansea valley and afterwards the captain, sombre Sam Warburton dedicated the victory to the ‘families of the miners back home’.
The scrums were an oddity. Samoa’s scrum worked well but the seven Welsh scrums produced eight collapses, three penalties to Wales and one to Samoa, and the second scrum produced a tighthead to Samoa. George Stowers picked up and charged to the line but Shane Williams robbed him and Wales survived.
Samoa also won the first Welsh line-out but Welsh defence was rugged. Then Dan Lydiate went off with what looked like an ankle injury to be replaced by Andy Powell.
James Hook missed a penalty kick at goal but when Maurie Fa’asavalu tackled high he put his side ahead. 3-0 after 11 minutes.
Wales went through phases and Jamie Roberts was over but the pass to him from Luke Charteris was ruled forward.
Mike Phillips was penalised for obstruction and Charteris played within the 10-metres. Paul Williams kicked the penalty. 3-3 after 20 minutes. Six minutes later Hook goaled a scrum penalty. 6-3 to Wales.
Samoa got to the line with pick-‘n-go, right to the line but Fa’asavalu was penalised. They came battering back at the Welsh line. They had a penalty, made a five-metre line-out and battered some more but the red line held.
Then Samoa went wide to the left. The ball bounced free and bulky Anthony Perenise turned grabbed it, turned again and got over for a try. Paul Williams converted. 10-6 and it was half-time.
Rhys Priestland took over the kicking. His first bounced over off the crossbar when George Stowers was penalised and his second when Tasesa Lavea was again penalised at a tackle gave Wales a 12-10 lead with 15 minutes to go. In between the two kicks there was a lot of one-off running by both sides.
Samoa kicked down into the Welsh half and three Samoans closed in on Halfpenny. Somehow, ducking and weaving, Halfpenny eluded all three and raced up the left touchline. He gave to Jonathan Davies who raced on and then tried an overhand pass back to Halfpenny but the ball missed him, bouncing behind him, but Shane Williams swooped on it, grabbed it with one hand and sped over for his 55th Test try. 17-10 with 13 minutes to play.
The Samoans strove to get back but lost the ball near the Welsh line and then were freekicked at the scrum. A turnover by Wales enabled Priestland to kick the ball out for the final whistle.
Man of the Match: Both sides were heroic, none more so than our Man of the Match big Jamie Roberts who tackled and ran with power, the best back on the field.
Moment of the Match: Leigh Halfpenny’s evasion and the try that followed.
Villain of the Match: It was tough to the point of violence but all was fair and there was no semblance of a villain.
The scorers
For Wales:
Try: S.Williams
Pens: Hook 2, Priestland 2
For Samoa
Try: Perenise
Con: Williams
Pen: Williams
The teams:
Wales: 15 James Hook, 14 George North, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Luke Charteris, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Huw Bennett, 1 Paul James.
Replacements: 16 Lloyd Burns, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Bradley Davies, 19 Andy Powell, 20 Tavis Knoyle, 21 Scott Williams, 22 Leigh Halfpenny.
Samoa: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 13 George Pisi, 12 Seilala Mapusua, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Tasesa Lavea, 9 Kahn Fotuali’i, 8 George Stowers, 7 Maurie Faasavalu, 6 Ofisa Treviranus, 5 Kane Thompson, 4 Daniel Leo, 3 Anthony Perenise, 2 Mahonri Schwalger (captain), 1 Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements: 16 Ti’i Paulo, 17 Census Johnston, 18 Joe Tekori, 19 Manaia Salavea, 20 Jeremy Sua, 21 Eliota Sapolu Fuimaono, 22 James Sooialo.
