Rugby Union: Welcome win for Welsh

Canadian Select XV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Wales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

WALES gained the win they wanted to launch their five-match summer tour and learnt a lot for tomorrow's match against the full Canadian side writes Robert Cole from Hamilton, Ontario.

The scars from November's 26-24 defeat in Cardiff by the 1991 World Cup quarter-finalists have yet to heal fully, so they sent a dozen capped players into battle here to face a shadow Canadian side that lost only 33-31 to France the previous week. The selection was justified because it required all the experience in the tourists' camp to claim a three-try victory.

Wales have chosen Richie Collins, the 32-year-old Pontypridd flanker who joined the tour only a week ago to replace Mark Perego, for the game against Canada. His 18th international will be his first since 1991.

Canadian Select: Try MacKinnon; Conversion Ross; Penalties Ross 4. Wales: Tries Arnold, Clement, Manley; Conversions N Jenkins 2; Penalties N Jenkins 3.

WALES: A Clement (Swansea); D Manley (Pontypridd), M Hall (Cardiff), N Davies (Llanelli), G Wilkins (Bridgend); N Jenkins (Pontypridd), P John (Pontypridd); I Buckett (Swansea), G Jenkins (Swansea), J Davies (Neath), P Davies (Llanelli, capt), P Arnold (Swansea), H Taylor (Cardiff), S Quinnell (Llanelli), R Collins (Pontypridd). Replacement: S Williams (Neath) for Collins, 24.

Referee: D Mews (Alberta).

WALES (First Test v Canada, Toronto, tomorrow): M Rayer (Cardiff); I Evans (Llanelli, capt), N Davies (Llanelli), M Hall (Cardiff), W Proctor (Llanelli); N Jenkins (Pontypridd), R Moon (Llanelli); R Evans (Llanelli), G Jenkins (Swansea), J Davies (Neath), P Davies (Llanelli), G Llewellyn (Neath), H Taylor (Cardiff), S Quinnell (Llanelli), R Collins (Pontypridd). Replacements: P John (Pontypridd), A Clement (Swansea), A Davies (Cardiff), R McBryde (Swansea), H Williams-Jones (Llanelli), S Williams (Neath).

Ireland have made just one change for the second Test against Australia. Gabriel Fulcher, the Cork Constitution second row, replaces the injured Mick Galwey. Australia won the first Test 33-13.

IRELAND (Second Test v Australia, Sydney, tomorrow): C O'Shea (Landsdowne); S Geoghegan (Bath), J Bell (Ballymena), P Danaher (Garryowen), N Woods (Blackrock); E Elwood (Lansdowne), M Bradley (Cork Constitution, capt); P Clohessy (Young Munster), K Wood (Garryowen), J Fitzgerald (Young Munster), N Francis (Old Belvedere), G Fulcher (Cork), D Corkery (Cork Constitution), B Robinson (Ballymena), P Johns (Dungannon).