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had withdrawn from the side with a knee injury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 a punch up developed on the Welsh line
between Moriarty and Matautia. Davies kicked a
drop goal on 49 minutes to extend Wales lead by
a point, but it was 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."
VS
