Wales trial: Probables 55-7 Possibles
- Published
Centre Jonathan Davies scored a stunning hat-trick and uncapped wing Jordan Williams went over twice as Wales Probables hammered the Possibles in Swansea.
Dan Biggar, Liam Williams and Scott Baldwin also went over for the Probables.
Fly-half Biggar added six conversions and a penalty.
Gareth Davies went over after the break for the Possibles with James Hook adding the conversion.
The game was held ahead of coach Warren Gatland's announcement of his squad to face South Africa in two June Tests.
The Probables, with Rob Howley in charge, were dominant from the off and it was not until after the break that Possibles were able to make any notable attacking headway.
Uncapped Scarlets wing Jordan Williams rode Cardiff Blues full-back Dan Fish's tackle to open the scoring.
Osprey Biggar was next to the line as he combined with Newport Gwent Dragon Taulupe Faletau to break clear. Fly-half Biggar added the first of his conversions.
Biggar added a penalty before helping Clermont Auvergne-bound Scarlet Davies to the first of his tries.
Davies' second came two minutes after his first touchdown and by the time he went over for his third, Scarlets full-back Liam Williams had crossed.
There was no let up after the break as Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin - on for Ken Owens - crashed over.
Centre Davies' third came after Biggar stepped past Blues flanker Ellis Jenkins.
The introduction of Matthew Morgan, the Ospreys fly-half who joins Bristol this summer, pit some pep into the Possibles' attack.
And Jonathan Davies was able to welcome his younger brother James, a Scarlets open-side, to the fray as the latter came on for the Possibles in the second-half.
But they were unable to match their rivals' greater familiarity until scrum-half Gareth Davies' solo burst brought their opening score.
The Scarlets star changed direction and his pace and power allowed him to beat Alex Cuthbert's attempted tackle to touch down.
Jordan Williams ended the game as its first and last scorer as he went over unopposed in the corner for Bigger to convert.
Warren Gatland's side face a warm-up match against Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on 10 June.
That will followed by Tests in Durban on 14 June and in Nelspruit a week later.
Perpignan's James Hook converted - a rare moment in which he was able to make his mark in a game in which he was largely on defensive duty.
The Probables were denied when Hook was judged to have run into a team-mate before putting Blues' flanker Ellis Jenkins over.
Probables (coach Rob Howley):
Liam Williams (Scarlets); Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Jordan Williams (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Capt) (Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets).
Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Lewis Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Williams (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Dafydd Hewitt (Cardiff Blues).
Possibles (coach Robin McBryde):
Dan Fish (Cardiff Blues); Kristian Phillips (Scarlets), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Steven Shingler (Scarlets), Harry Robinson (Cardiff Blues); James Hook (Perpignan), Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Matthew Rees (Capt) (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Andrew Coombs (Newport Gwent Dragons), Dan Baker (Ospreys), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Blues).
Replacements: Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Owen Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues), Macauley Cook (Cardiff Blues), James Davies (Scarlets), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Matthew Morgan (Ospreys), Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys).
- Published30 May 2014
- Published29 May 2014
- Published29 May 2014