Wales 49-26 Barbarians: Leigh Halfpenny and Alun Wyn Jones score on fond farewell
- Published
Alun Wyn Jones and Leigh Halfpenny have 259 Wales caps between them
Wales v Barbarians |
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Wales (21) 49 |
Tries: Lake, Rogers, Costelow, Plumtree, Wainwright, Hardy 2 Cons: Halfpenny 5, Evans 2 |
Barbarians (5) 26 |
Tries: Kuruvoli 2, Jones, Hooper Cons: Sanchez 3 |
Wales romped to victory over the Barbarians to give retiring full-back Leigh Halfpenny a joyous send-off at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Dewi Lake, Tom Rogers and Sam Costelow crossed for Wales in the first half before Taine Plumtree, Aaron Wainwright and Kieran Hardy added further tries.
Welsh rugby also bade farewell to Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones, who scored a rousing try for Barbarians.
However, preparations were overshadowed by Barbarian Api Ratuniyarawa's arrest.
The 37-year-old former London Irish player appeared in court on Saturday morning charged with sexual assault in Cardiff on Tuesday night.
It marred a fixture that also celebrated the 50 years since an epic match between Barbarians and New Zealand here in Cardiff and 'that' try - voted the greatest in rugby history - by Sir Gareth Edwards.
Edwards, now 76, was pitch-side before kick-off and Wales appeared inspired as they thrilled in an entertaining first half in which Rio Dyer and George North ran riot.
This may have been a friendly but Wales' players knew this was their last outing together until the Six Nations.
Sam Costelow also gave his best audition for the number 10 jersey following the retirement of Dan Biggar and Gareth Anscombe's move to Japan.
While his kicking was mixed, the heir apparent gave a rounded display, capped with a try just before half-time before making way due to a shoulder injury.
Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel, along with the other regional bosses, will have been watching this game from behind the sofa with some of the tackles being made.
Fixtures clash
This fixture was beset by controversy since it was first announced and subsequently the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) admitted it was a mistake for it to be played the same day as the Scarlets-Cardiff derby.
That division of loyalties grew more contentious when Ospreys captain Tipuric opted to withdraw from their United Rugby Championship (URC) game to play this exhibition match.
He could be forgiven for enjoying the send-off from the Welsh crowd but the lateness of the decision was curious.
Tipuric and his former Ospreys and Wales team-mate Jones walked out with their children to loud applause after Halfpenny was afforded the honour of running out first on his last Wales appearance.
Halfpenny, retiring from Test rugby, gave a typically flawless display, kicking five from five and delivering another outstanding defensive display before a standing ovation from the 53,000 crowd when he was replaced.
Jones was named man of the match, scored a try, took a kick-off and gave a reminder of his relentlessly competitive nature, while Tipuric was dynamic at the breakdown and was involved in countless Barbarians attacks.
Meanwhile, Barbarians head coach Eddie Jones - who recently resigned as the Australia boss - took the role of pantomime villain, booed by the partisan Welsh crowd whenever he appeared on the giant screen.
Opposite number Warren Gatland will have been delighted with the first-half display as Wales led 21-5 at half-time, though it could have been more.
Tom Rogers sored Wales' second try
Costelow's reverse pass to North set up Lake's opening score inside three minutes, however, the hooker was then utterly out-foxed by an outrageous dummy by Fijian scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli, who dived over.
Johnny Williams went close for Wales before Dyer and Jac Morgan combined in midfield and North delivered an audacious scoring pass between his legs for Rogers to cross.
North broke through again before Costelow, nursing a bruised shoulder from a heavy challenge, caught Tomas Williams' clever chip for the third.
The Barbarians then struck twice in three minutes early in the second half through Kuruvoli and then Jones, to the delight of the crowd.
Howevert, back-row pair Plumtree and Wainwright hit back for Wales before replacement scrum-half Hardy scored twice in the final three minutes to cap the celebrations.
Wales: Leigh Halfpenny; Tom Rogers, George North, Johnny Williams, Rio Dyer; Sam Costelow, Tomos Williams; Corey Domachowski, Dewi Lake, Lloyd Fairbrother, Ben Carter, Adam Beard, Dan Lydiate, Jac Morgan (capt), Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Nicky Smith, Harri O'Connor, Teddy Williams, Taine Plumtree, Kieran Hardy, Cai Evans, Mason Grady.
Barbarians: Ilasia Droasese (Fiji); Shaun Stevenson (New Zealand), Len Ikitau (Australia), Izaia Perese (Australia), Selestino Ravutaumada (Fiji); Nicolas Sanchez (Argentina), Simione Kuruvoli (Fiji); Joe Moody (New Zealand), Tevita Ikanivere (Fiji), Taniela Tupou (Australia), Rob Leota (Australia), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales, capt), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Michael Hooper (Australia), Rob Valetini (Australia).
Replacements: Angus Bell (Australia), Asafo Aumua (New Zealand), Peni Ravai (Fiji), Aaron Shingler (Wales), Tom Hooper (Australia), Lautaro Bazan Velez (Argentina), Ben Donaldson (Australia), Andrew Kellaway (Australia).
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy).