World Cup 1995

Game 3

Wales 22 def. Western Samoa 10

World Cup 1995
Game 3

Wales
22
10
Western Samoa
Match Info
Match URL www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/7975
Status Completed
Date Sunday, 15th October, 1995
Referee Russell Smith (Castleford)
Venue Vetch Field (Swansea)
Crowd 15,385
Match Stats
Halftime Score 14 10
Scrums 7 6
Penalties 15 9
Wales Scoresheet Western Samoa
Kevin ELLIS T Vila MATA'UTIA
Iestyn HARRIS      
Anthony SULLIVAN      
 
Jonathan DAVIES 4 G 3 John SCHUSTER
 
Jonathan DAVIES FG    
Iestyn HARRIS      
Wales Teams Western Samoa
Iestyn HARRIS
[Warrington]
1 FB 1 Paddy TUIMAVAVE
Anthony SULLIVAN
[St Helens]
2 W 2 John SCHUSTER (c)
[Halifax]
Allan BATEMAN
[Cronulla/Warrington]
3 C 3 Tea ROPATI
[Auckland]
John DEVEREUX
[Widnes]
4 C 4 Va'aiga TUIGAMALA
[Wigan]
Adrian HADLEY 5 W 5 Brian LAUMATIA
[Cronulla]
 
Jonathan DAVIES (c)
[North QLD/Warrington]
6 FE 6 Sam PANAPA
[Salford]
Kevin ELLIS
[Workington]
7 HB 7 Willie SWANN
 
Kelvin SKERRETT
[Wigan]
8 FR 8 Se'e SOLOMONA
[Auckland]
Martin HALL
[Wigan]
9 HK 9 Willie POCHING
[Auckland]
David YOUNG
[Salford]
10 FR 10 Fa'ausu AFOA
[Penrith]
Paul MORIARTY
[Halifax]
11 2R 11 Tony TATUPU
[Auckland]
Scott QUINNELL
[Wigan]
12 2R 12 Vila MATA'UTIA
[St Helens]
Richie EYRES
[Leeds]
13 L 13 Tony TUIMAVAVE
[Auckland]
 
Neil COWIE
[Wigan]
14 B 14 Mark ELIA
[St Helens]
Keiron CUNNINGHAM
[St Helens]
15 B 15 Apollo PERELINI
[St Helens]
Rowland PHILLIPS
[Workington]
16 B 16 Joe VAGANA
[Auckland]
Paul ATCHESON
[Oldham]
17 B 17 Des MAEA
 
Clive GRIFFITHS   HC   Graham LOWE
   
 

Team Info

Wales

Previous Game:
World Cup 1995 - Game 1 vs. France
Next Game:
World Cup 1995 - Semi Final vs. England
Out:
Scott Gibbs (centre), Mark Perrett (second row), Mark Jones (bench)
In:
Scott Quinnell (second row), Neil Cowie (bench), Paul Atcheson (bench)
Changes:
John Devereux (wing to centre), Adrian Hadley (bench to wing)

Western Samoa

Previous Game:
World Cup 1995 - Game 2 vs. France
Next Game:
Pacific Challenge 1996 - Round 5 vs. NZ Maori
Out:
Lolani Koko (wing)
In:
Des Maea (bench)
Changes:
John Schuster (centre to wing), Tea Ropati (five-eighth to centre), Sam Panapa (bench to five-eighth)

Match Report

Western Samoa may have had the physical size, but in terms of heart the Welsh were giants.

An overjoyed Swansea crowd saw their team reach their crowning moment of a fantastic season as they overturned a formidable opposition to claim a place in the World Cup semi finals. Memories were painfully fresh in Wales of their defeat in the 1991 rugby union World Cup at the hands of Western Samoa, and many had looked at the destruction they had wreaked on France earlier in the week as evidence of Wales' impending doom.

How wrong they were. Wales were clear and deserving winners, matching the Samoans physically up front and showing a superiority with the ball in hand. The game was fought in an atmosphere of raw emotion as the terraces resounded to "Bread of Heaven" and other Welsh songs, whilst S4C, the television channel who had the rights to the game, recorded its record viewing figures.

Vetch Field was brimming with a capacity crowd, with many fans unfortunately locked out and unable to see the historic day. Scott Gibbs had withdrawn from the side with a knee injury but Scott Quinnell was able to make his long awaited bow on the international rugby league stage.

Wales knew that the danger lay in being overwhelmed by Western Samoa's formidable physical game, and they resolved to compete from the kick off. Quinnell was held up over the line and Wales won an early penalty with Tea Ropati holding a player down in the tackle. Though Davies missed the kick at goal, Wales would take the lead in the 7th minute. Brian Laumatia was hauled into touch on the first tackle of a Samoan possession, and from the resulting scrum Ellis fed Harris and with the characteristic side step he was away from Tuimave and under the posts. Davies goaled for a 6-0 lead.

Davies was not at his best in the kicking department, and he missed a second penalty. Quinnell was held up for a second time over the line, but suddenly Western Samoa were back in the game. Sam Panapa made space with the inside ball for Vila Matautia to slip Hall, dummy Harris and sprint through the middle for a try between the posts. Schuster's conversion levelled matters in the 18th minute.

Four minutes later, Wales profited from a piece of Davies magic. He received the ball from the scrum and kicked straight away down the right hand touchline for Sullivan to sprint after. The ball almost bounced out of his reach but he got a decent enough touchdown to restore the lead. Davies kicked a good conversion.

But Jon Schuster is a magnificent goal kicker and he was soon cutting the deficit with a mammoth effort from half way. Davies kicked one in return, but on the stroke of half time another Schuster penalty saw the sides go in at 14-10, and Western Samoa too close behind for comfort.

The second half. however, would see a fantastic performance from Wales as they took a grip on the game. The contest had already been heated, with Tuigimala putting in a flattening hit on his Wigan teammate Martin Hall in the first half, but after Davies had missed a third penalty kicked a drop goal on 49 minutes to extend Wales lead by a point, but it wasa punch up developed on the Welsh line between Moriarty and Matautia. Davies
here that the Welsh forwards began to come into their own.

Rowland Phillips came on as a substitute but immediately started making the yardage that the Welsh backs needed. Kelvin Skerrett had led a snarling battle with the Samoan front row all game and his example inspired the rest of his teammates. Even so, the stand out performer was Scott Quinnell. Quinnell hadn't played a competitive match for five weeks, and to throw him into the fray for his international debut was a massive ask against this Western Samoan side. But wherever the ball was, Quinnell was close behind and his driving strength ensured that even against the mighty Samoan pack, the Welsh were always moving forward.

With 58 minutes gone came the real game breaker. Des Maea cut down Bateman with a high shot and was despatched to the sin bin and Davies kicked the resulting penalty to give Wales a 17-10 lead with a one man advantage. Wales capitalised with a spell of intense pressure on the Samoan line, Hadley coming close to scoring before being denied by Panapa. Eventually Iestyn Harris broke the deadlock with a drop goal in the 75th minute and the Welsh were almost home.

Sensing victory, the crowd broke out into a stirring rendition of the national anthem, and the supporters were sent into ecstasy when the little scrum half Kevin Ellis found a gap on the left hand side from Phillips' pass to score in the corner. Davies missed the goal but the hooter went and Wales were in the semi finals. Unbelievable

At the end of the game an emotional Jonathan Davies spoke of the victory. "There's a word in Welsh called "hwyl" and that spirit keeps coming through". Scott Quinnell summed up his debut in his own straight talking style - "it was one of those games where you just take the bull by the horns". And he certainly did.

But in reflection a couple of days later Iestyn Harris, who had risen to new heights yet again, playing with a cool class and maturity which belied his teenage years, gave a revealing insight into the spirit of playing for Wales RL.

"The temperature at Swansea on Friday night was red hot. I have never experienced a more passionate occasion. The community singing through the match must have been worth 10 points at least to us. As for the singing of us Welsh guys afterwards, some in the team not so imbued by Welshness as others were terribly affected by it. Martin Hall said he was so moved he had goose pimples running up his back."

"It's a spirit that can honestly take us all the way. Or put it like this, it's going to take a remarkably good team, at the top of it's game, to beat us."

Source: WalesRL.co.uk

This match is a part of the following:

Contributions: Cymru RL, Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson