Rugby Union: Welsh short of record

Zimbabwe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Wales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

ZIMBABWE were let off lightly for the second time in a week by the touring Welsh side, who should have scored nearer to 70 points rather than 50 in this second Test match. At least six tries were squandered through a variety of misjudgements close to the home line and a chance for Gareth Llewellyn's team to create a record went begging.

The target was the 49 points the Welsh team of 1910 posted against France at Swansea. That figure should have been eclipsed, and so too could its modern-day equivalent of 69 points from 10 tries, eight conversions and a penalty.

The Welsh at least surpassed their first Test tallies of four tries and 35 points, although six tries were scant reward for some imaginative approach work. Alan Davies, the Welsh coach, said he would be monitoring performance rather than points, and he must have been pleased to have seen his line-out functioning profitably again, and the rolling maul being used to good effect.

The experiment of using Stuart Davies on the blind side of the scrum was a huge success, while Neil Boobyer, the 20-year-old Llanelli centre, revealed glimpses of his outstanding potential.

The fact that there were five changes from the first Test, as the selectors varied their options, meant the performance was not as fluent throughout as it might have been with a more settled side. That is likely to come in the third Test of the tour, against Namibia on Saturday.

Neil Jenkins converted three of the six tries, all in the second half, including a superb touchline success from his own score, and also landed two penalties in the opening half.

Zimbabwe: Try Olonga; Conversion Noble; Penalties Noble 2. Wales: Tries Llewellyn 2, Bidgood, J Davies, Jenkins, S Davies; Conversions Jenkins 3; Penalties Jenkins 2.

ZIMBABWE: I Noble; W Schultz (E Chimbiba, 33), D Walters (capt), M Letcher, C Brown; E MacMillan, G Snyder; B Beattie, A Garvey, R Demblon, T Tabvuma, S Landman (B Chivandire, 53), D Kirkman, B Dawson.

WALES: N Jenkins (Pontypridd); S Hill (Cardiff), R Bidgood (Newport), N Boobyer (Llanelli), W Proctor (Llanelli); A Davies (Cardiff), R Moon (Llanelli); M Griffiths (Cardiff), A Lamerton (Llanelli), J Davies (Neath), P Arnold (Swansea), G Llewellyn (Neath, capt), S Davies (Swansea), E Lewis (Llanelli), L Jones (Llanelli).

Referee: I Anderson (South Africa).