George North’s try in the final 10 minutes secured the win as the Scarlets wing collected Dan Biggar’s sublime chip through.
Halfpenny added the conversion and three penalties as Wales got back to winning ways.
Here is what both Jones and Halfpenny had to say in the immediate aftermath of the vital win.
Ryan Jones: “This is special, on the back of where we’ve been in the last few months. We’ve fronted up and worked incredibly hard.
“It’s by no means a flawless display and there were a lot of errors but the character and the diehard spirit this team has is incredible.
“There’s not a lot you can put technically right in a week. We knew if we kept going and maintained the positives from last week we could take the spoils away.
“Guys like Leigh and Mike stood up to be counted. We’ve got wonderful competition for places and we’ve got the monkey off our back. Hopefully we can kick on from here.”
Leigh Halfpenny: “I can’t describe how much this means. What a fantastic feeling.
“We knew how tough it was going to be coming out here but we stuck together. It’s a fantastic win and it’s been a long time coming.
“The boys were outstanding in defence. We wouldn’t give in, we were fighting till the end.
“International rugby is about taking your chances and we’ve come out on the right side. This win is amazing.
“It means everything playing for that jersey. We’re doing it for all the fans here and for the nation.
“The boys were outstanding today.”
