Rees fumes as Wales celebrate

Rugby Union

Canada 25 Wales 28

Gareth Rees, the Wasps stand-off and Canadian captain, was left fuming that Wales had been allowed to end their north America tour on a high.

"It's a game we could have won, perhaps should have won," Rees said after the Welsh had come from behind three times in Ontario on Saturday. The verdict of Canada's coach, Pat Parfrey, took the same line. "We had the winning of the game," he said. "A few turnovers late in the game changed it for them."

Wales, however, could point to a record of six wins out of six and three Test wins in successive weekends, after they had come from behind in the final quarter to beat the Pacific Rim champions before a crowd of 7,000.

The Canadian No 8 Mike Schmid crossed for his second try with 17 minutes to go to give Canada a 25-21 lead, but a try nine minutes from time by the centre Leigh Davies, which Arwel Thomas converted, brought Wales victory.

Wales chose to play into the strong wind and regretted it after just 16 seconds when Canada's full-back Bobby Ross landed a drop goal from 50 metres.

The Welsh replied with a superb try by the right wing Wayne Proctor, who was launched from the base of a scrum on his 22 by the acting captain, Paul John.

Gareth Thomas ran in a second score, but a second-half try by Ross, converted by Rees, levelled the scores at 18-18.

Arwel Thomas regained the lead with a penalty, but mounting pressure by Canada brought a second try by Schmid, which Rees converted. The tourists, however, had one more match-winning card to play.

CANADA: Tries Schmid 2, Ross. Conversions Rees 2. Penalties Rees. Drop Goal Ross. Wales: Tries L Davies, Proctor, G Thomas. Conversions A Thomas 2. Penalties A Thomas 3.

CANADA: B Ross (James Bay); W Stanley (Cats), D Lougheed (Balmy Beach), S Bryant (Balmy Beach), S Stewart (UBC Old Boys); G Rees (Wasps, capt), J Graf (UBC Old Boys); E Evans (IBM, Japan), K Morgan (Ajax Wanderers), R Snow (Newport), J Tait (Varrie/CCSD), M James (Perpignon), A Charron (Moseley), M Schmid (Abbotsford), J Hutchinson (IBM, Japan).

WALES: K Morgan (Pontypridd); W Proctor (Llanelli), L Davies (Cardiff), G Thomas (Bridgend), N Walker (Cardiff); A Thomas (Swansea), P John (Pontypridd, capt); I Buckett (Swansea), G Jenkins (Swansea), L Mustoe (Cardiff), S Moore (Swansea), M Voyle (Llanelli), A Gibbs (Llanelli), S Williams (Neath), R Appleyard (Swansea).

Referee: S Borsani (Argentina).