Rugby Union: Reflective Wales succeed over heat, altitude and referee

Zimbabwe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Wales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

THERE WAS little or no cause for celebration here in the wake of Wales's biggest victory under coach Alan Davies, writes Robert Cole from Bulawayo. It was a case of learning that winning is not everything as Davies saw his side score 17 points in seven minutes, and then struggle to double that tally in the next hour and a quarter. Along the way the Welsh players fell foul of the heat and altitude, and the interpretations of the South African referee, Ian Rogers.

His rulings at the line-out in particular caused the tourists considerable anguish and grief, and Zimbabwe benefited to the tune of seven penalties and four free-kicks. In all Rogers penalised Wales 21 times, while the home team conceded only 11, and a mere two at the lineout.

Had it not been for two unfortunate kick-offs in those opening seven minutes Zimbabwe might never have got away with such an appalling start. Following Neil Jenkins's fifth-minute penalty the home forwards raced ahead of the kicker at the restart, and then a minute later Craig Brown kicked directly over the Welsh line.

That gave Wales two successive scrums on the half-way line and from both they worked the right flank, plundering tries for Rupert Moon and Simon Hill. Jenkins converted both scores, then added a 15th-minute penalty to make it 20-3.

A drop goal from Adrian Davies on the stroke of half-time provided Wales with their next points and there were two second-half tries to quell the home rearguard action. Wayne Proctor squeezed in at the left corner for the first, injuring his ankle in the process, and the lock Phil Davies barged his way over for his fourth Test try. In between, though, Zimbabwe got a try of their own.

Zimbabwe: Try Olonga; Penalties Walters 3. Wales: Tries Moon, Hill, Proctor, P Davies; Conversions Jenkins 3; Penalties Jenkins 2; Drop goal A Davies.

ZIMBABWE (Old Miltonians unless stated): I Noble; D Nash (Mat Busters), M Letcher (Old Hararians), D Walters (capt), V Olonga; C Brown (Harare Sports Club), S Day; G Snyder (Harare Sports Club), B Beattie, A Garvey, R Demblon (Old Hararians), T Tabvuma, S Landman (Harare Sports Club), E Fargnoli, B Dawson.

WALES: M Rayer (Cardiff); S Hill (Cardiff), R Bidgood (Newport), N Jenkins (Pontypridd), W Proctor (Llanelli); A Davies , R Moon (Llanelli); M Griffiths (Cardiff); A Lamerton (Llanelli), H Williams-Jones (South Wales Police), P Davies (Llanelli), G Llewellyn (Neath, capt), M Perego (Llanelli), E Lewis (Llanelli), L Jones (Llanelli). Replacements: N Boobyer (Llanelli) for Proctor, 48; S Davies (Swansea) for E Lewis, 77.

Referee: I Rogers (SA).