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Saturday 11 November 2006
Wales romp past unprepared Islanders
The Digicel Pacific Islanders went down to the more determined Wales side 38-20 at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday despite a second-half comeback in which they outscored their hosts 15-7.
The Islanders' almost total lack of preparation showed early on as Wales led 24-0 half an hour into the game.
Certainly, questions need to be asked of Premiership Rugby. The RFU's top flight club body refused to release the Island players for a warm-up match against the Harlequins a week earlier but allowed England players from the same clubs time off to play New Zealand – as the Welsh had done with theirs in the warm-up against Australia.
Premiership Rugby's incredibly biased decision could easily be described as "anti-rugby", or simply not cricket.
It meant that Pat Lam's men assembled Tuesday. The players had never before played together as a team, and the coach was meeting some for the first time – five days before the Test match.
So, in retrospect, the scoreline could have been a lot worse had the team not gelled as the game progressed. Three of Wales's five tries came from a shakey Islanders' backline that was clearly short of practice.
Wales scored four converted tries in the first half to lay the foundation. The Pacific Islanders came back with two tries from Seilala Mapusua and Kameli Ratuvou after the break to add to the well-worked first-half strike from Justin Va’a.
Fly-half Ceri Sweeney opened the score for Wales in the fourth minute from a penalty and later scored their only try of the second half.
The first try soon arrived, though, as winger Mark Jones showed two Pacific Islanders a clean pair of heels to score a superb solo effort.
James Hook then intercepted Tusi Pisi’s ambitious pass for Wales's second. Eight minutes later, Kevin Morgan added another five points after a well-timed pass from Sonny Parker.
Ten minutes before the break, the Islanders responded with the try from Va’a, but Lee Byrne made another interception to score on the stroke of half-time to give Wales a 31-5 lead.
Four minutes after re-start, centre Mapusua narrowed the gap when he scored the Islanders' second try.
Wales hit back five minutes later when Sweeney rounded off a slick counter attack by taking Mark Jones' superb off-load a few metres short.
But the Pacific Islanders' improvement was underlined five minutes later as the backs combined well to send highly rated replacement Ratuvou over for a try.
Pisi, who had just landed a penalty after two missed conversions, found his range again to add the extras from the left touchline with an hour played.
In the last quarter, both teams were score-less. Wales stretched the visiting defence all over their own 22 but failed to break through.
Coach Lam was happy with their performance but was disappointed with the loss.
“We got off to a bad start and it looked like a team that had just come together,” Lam said. “We struggled at the line-outs and turned a lot of ball over."
He also said that his team clawed their way back into the game when they managed to hold onto the ball.
“We played outstandingly in the second half and the area I was really pleased with was at the end when we defended our line.”
“We are pleased with the effort but disappointed for the loss and the points that we gave away, but we realise we will get stronger next week for the Scotland game.”
Skipper Simon Raiwalui was similarly optimistic, feeling his team improved dramatically as the game went on:
“The boys solved the puzzle as we went along. You can’t give a quality side like Wales two or three easy tries and expect to win the game – Wales came to play rugby, we came to play rugby,” Raiwalui said.
“It’s a mark of the spirit in the squad from the management down to the 30th player – it’s been a really good week and it will only get better."
Lam will name a replacement for prop Censu Johnson who had been released for a broken finger and a split tendon. Winger Sailosi Tagicakibau is also under going treatment for a strained hamstring. A decision will be made in the next 48 hours.
The Pacific Islanders have now moved camp to Edinburgh where they play Scotland at Murrayfield on18 November before playing Ireland at Landsdowne Road on Sunday 26 November.
Saturday 11 October, 2006
Wales 38 Pacific Islanders 20
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: Donal Courtney (Ireland), Rob Debney (England)
Half-time: 31-5
Attn: 50,739
WALES: 15 Kevin Morgan, 14 Lee Byrne (Gavin Evans 59), 13 Sony Parker, 12 James Hook, 11 Mark Jones (Shane Williams 52), 10 Ceri Sweeney, 9 Michael Phillips (Gareth Cooper 70), 8 Alix Popham, 7 Gavin Thomas, 6 Alun Wyn Jones, 5 Robert Sidoli, 4 Michael Owen (Jon Thomas 70), 3 Chris Horsman (Adam Jones 54), 2 Rhys Thomas (Hew Bennett 70), 1 Duncan Jones (capt)
Unused: Gethin Jenkins
Coach: Gareth Jenkins
Tries: M Jones, Hook, Morgan, Byrne, Sweeney; Conversions: Sweeney (5); Penalty goal: Sweeney
PACIFIC ISLANDERS: 15 Norman Ligairi, 14 Lome Fa'atau, 13 Seru Rabeni, 12 Seilala Mapasua (Seremaia Bai 66), 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau (Kameli Ratuvou 16), 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Moses Rauluni (Junior Poluleuligaga 72), 8 Hale T-Polei (Epi Taione 50), 7 Nili Latu, 6 Semo Sititi, 5 Daniel Leo (Ma'ama Molitika 63), 4 Simon Raiwalui (capt), 3 Tevita Taumoepeau (Census Johnson 66), 2 Mahonri Schwalger (Aleki Lutui 57), 1 Justin Va'a
Coach: Pat Lam
Tries: Va'a, Mapasua, Ratuvou; Conversion: Pisi; Penalty goal: Pisi
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