Halfpenny stars for Wales U19
After their opening day defeat by New Zealand, nothing less than a bonus point victory was going to be good enough to keep Justin Burnell’s boys in the hunt for a possible semi-final slot.
Having hit that target against a Samoan side that was reduced to fourteen men after an hour when hooker Atenai Aii was sent off by French referee Jerome Garces, the goal now must be to do the same against Argentina at the same Shaw’s Bridge venue on April 13th.
England had struggled to get on top of the young Samoans in their opening match and only managed to score two tries in their 20-12 victory. Burnell made five changes, one positional, from the team that shipped six tries against the All Blacks in that 37-14 defeat and the team came up trumps.
The first of Ospreys wing Leigh Halfpenny’s three penalties gave Wales the lead after ten minutes, but the Samoans hit back with the game’s first try two minutes later to hit the front. Back row Afa Aionio grabbed the score and fullback Titi Jnr Esau converted.
The Welsh response was a try by Blues flanker Jevon Groves and Halfpenny ensured his side went into the break with their noses in front when he notched the first of his two tries.
Halfpenny, who ended the game with 23 points, converted his own score, while Esau cut the deficit to two points, 15-13, at the interval with two penalties.
Samoa lost lock Seti Tafua to the sin-bin early in the second half and two more Halfpenny penalties in quick succession hoisted the Welsh advantage to eight points.
Halfpenny’s second try 16 minutes into the second half put Wales out of sight and within touching distance of the four try bonus point. In the end, it was an agonising wait as it took 18 more minutes before Scarlets centre Rhys Williams crossed for the vital score with the Samoans by now down to fourteen men.
Halfpenny converted with six minutes left to play, although there was a sting in the tail from the South Sea islanders as they notched a second try through replacement fullback Faialaga Afamasaga which skipper and scrum half Alatasi Tupou converted.
Scorers
Wales U19: Tries: L Halfpenny (2), J Groves, R Williams. Con: L Halfpenny. Pens: L Halfpenny (3)
Samoan U19: Tries: Afa Aionio, F Afamasaga. Cons: T Jnr Esau, A Tupou. Pens: T Jnr Esau (2)
Wales U19
Daniel Evans (Llanelli/Scarlets)
Jimmy Norris (Bedwas/Dragons)
Luke Ford (Wanderers/Blues)
Rhys Williams (UWIC/Scarlets)
Leigh Halfpenny (Neath/Ospreys)
David Langdon (Ebbw Vale/Dragons)
Gareth Williams (Wanderers/ Blues)
Ryan Bevington (Bridgend/Ospreys)
Ben Roberts (Ebbw Vale/Dragons)
Patrick Palmer (Llantrisant/Blues)
Haydn Pugh (Llangennech/Scarlets)
Josh Turnbull (Llanelli/Scarlets)
Jevon Groves (Cardiff/Blues)
Nicholas Cudd (Tumble/Scarlets)
Sam Warburton (Wanderers/Blues, Captain)
Replacements
Gareth Owen (Maesteg/Ospreys) for Langdon 56;
Jonathan Griffiths (Glynneath/Ospreys) for Groves 64;
Phillip Price (Bridgend Athletic/Ospreys) for Bevington 67;
Rhys Webb (Bridgend/ Ospreys) for Gareth Williams 68;
Nicholas Harwood (Bonymaen/Ospreys) for Rhys Williams 70;
Lloyd Elliott (Ospreys) for Palmer 70.
