European Nations Championship 2004

Game 1

Wales 12 lost to Ireland 25

European Nations Championship 2004
Game 1

Wales
12
25
Ireland
Match Info
Match URL www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/14993
Status Completed
Date Sunday, 17th October, 2004
Referee Ian Smith (Oldham)
Venue Talbot (Port Talbot)
Crowd 1,296
Wales Scoresheet Ireland
Jordan JAMES T 2 Stuart LITTLER
Mark LENNON   Phil CANTILLON
      Carl DE CHENU
      Anthony STEWART
 
Mark LENNON 2 G Pat WEISNER
 
    FG 3 Pat WEISNER
Wales Teams Ireland
Damian GIBSON
[Castleford]
1 FB 1 Anthony STEWART
[Salford]
Hefin O'HARE
[Huddersfield]
2 W 2 Carl DE CHENU
Kris TASSELL 3 C 3 Stuart LITTLER
[Salford]
Adam HUGHES
[Widnes]
4 C 4 Chris MAYE
Bryn POWELL
[Salford]
5 W 5 Ian DOWLING
 
Mark LENNON
[Manly]
6 FE 6 Karl FITZPATRICK
[Salford]
Ian WATSON 7 HB 7 Pat WEISNER
 
Damien HUDD 8 FR 8 Paul SOUTHERN
Dave CLARK 9 HK 9 Phil CANTILLON
Gareth DEAN 10 FR 10 David BATES
Jordan JAMES 11 2R 11 Matt McCONNELL
Steve THOMAS
[London]
12 2R 12 Mick CASSIDY
[Wigan]
Barry PUGH 13 L 13 Tommy GALLAGHER
[Widnes]
 
Kevin ELLIS 14 B 14 Paul DORLEY
Aled JAMES 15 B 15 Declan FOY
Nathan STRONG 16 B 16 Phil PURDIE
Neil DAVIES 17 B 17 Simon MANUEL
 
Stuart WILKINSON   HC   Andy KELLY
   
 

Team Info

Wales

Previous Game:
European Championship 2003 - Game 1 vs. English League
Next Game:
European Nations Championship 2004 - Game 2 vs. Scotland
Out:
Lenny Woodard (wing), Robert Roberts (front row), Anthony Farrell (front row), Justin Morgan (second row), Paul Atcheson (second row), Chris Morley (lock), Jon Aston (bench), David Mills (bench), Gareth Price (bench)
In:
Bryn Powell (wing), Damien Hudd (front row), Dave Clark (hooker), Gareth Dean (front row), Steve Thomas (second row), Barry Pugh (lock), Kevin Ellis (bench), Nathan Strong (bench), Neil Davies (bench)
Changes:
Aled James (five-eighth to bench), Mark Lennon (halfback to five-eighth), Ian Watson (hooker to halfback), Jordan James (bench to second row)

Ireland

Previous Game:
[no comp] - vs. Russia
Next Game:
European Nations Championship 2004 - Game 3 vs. Scotland
In:
Anthony Stewart (fullback), Carl de Chenu (wing), Stuart Littler (centre), Chris Maye (centre), Ian Dowling (wing), Karl Fitzpatrick (five-eighth), Pat Weisner (halfback), Paul Southern (front row), Phil Cantillon (hooker), David Bates (front row), Matt McConnell (second row), Mick Cassidy (second row), Tommy Gallagher (lock), Paul Dorley (bench), Declan Foy (bench), Phil Purdie (bench), Simon Manuel (bench)

Match Report

by IAN GOLDEN

Wales face an uphill battle to qualify for the Rugby League European Nations Cup Final after losing 25-12 to Ireland on Sunday.

The match at Aberavon was the second in the month-long tournament, Russia opening the competition at Moscow's Olympic Stadium on Saturday, going down 58-10 to a strong French outfit in the other qualifying group.

Echoing the only previous meeting between the two sides, the game was an enjoyable if at times disjointed affair, Ireland recovering from some early Welsh pressure to effectively seal the game before half time with four quick tries in the space of 20 minutes.

Wales had two early chances to be first on the score sheet. After only five minutes, Hefin O'Hare was held on the line following a Mark Lennon bomb while an Ian Watson grubber kick a few minutes later came off the post and was picked up Ireland's Paul Southern.

However after Ireland opened the scoring in the 20th minute as Wales had no answer to the skilful play from the men in green and white.

Halifax's Phil Cantillon was first on the board, breaking through the Welsh defence to place under the sticks, his club teammate Pat Weisner converting.
Weisner could have scored himself ten minutes later but Anthony Stewart's pass was intercepted superbly by Ian Watson.

However, Stewart broke through successfully himself on 31 minutes to extend Ireland's advantage to 10-0 and from their first set of six straight from kick-off, Carl de Chenu extended Ireland's lead to 14.

Ireland had time for one more before the interval, Weisner's bomb being picked up by Stewart Littler who was given too much time to ground the ball.

After the break Littler added his second, grounding in the corner on 55 minutes. But the biggest cheer of the day from the thousand-strong crowd was reserved for Jordan James who finally put Wales on the score sheet, completing a fine passing move to score under the sticks, with Mark Lennon converting.

The try rejuvenated the crowd and lifted the Dragons, and from the next set of six Lennon, who flew in from Sydney this week to play for his country, broke through himself and converted his own try to bring the score back to 12-22.

However as the game clock reached the 70-minute mark, the unusual sight of three field-goals in as many minutes, all from Pat Weisner, gave Ireland the two-try cushion which was enough to stop the Welsh comeback in its tracks.

Ireland now have a week off before hosting Scotland in Dublin on 29 October while Wales travel up to Glasgow to play their final group match next Sunday. Coach Stuart Wilkinson is upbeat about Wales' chances commenting, "We have some good preparation time for next week and we can build on this display. I'm happy with the performance considering we fielded a number of part-time players and were up against my favourites to win the group. Saying that, had we taken those early chances, it may have been a different story."

Source: WalesRL.co.uk

This match is a part of the following:

Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson