Graham Henry is not given to exaggeration. When he was asked what he thought of Arwel Thomas's return to the international arena after 30 months in exile, the Wales coach would go no further than a pithy observation that the outhalf's performance had been adequate.
When it comes to Arwel, Henry remains a doubting Thomas. Despite a half-century of points against willing but largely inexperienced opponents, there was little for anyone to get worked up about: it was as exciting as watching a training run. Adequate summed it all up.
Henry is irritated by the attention lavished on outhalves in Wales and he snapped at reporters on the eve of Saturday's match when he was asked if Thomas would be allowed to do his own thing.
The coach, giving the questioner a withering look, replied that the whole point of training sessions and weeks cloistered together was to inculcate a feeling of togetherness and team spirit. Anyone who operated on the margins by working outside the gameplan would watch Wales's matches on television. Henry did not make clear how far he was prepared to tolerate a player of Thomas's unpredictability living off his wits without departing from the script but you could guess the answer.
It is difficult to see why Thomas was chosen. There were times on Saturday when he looked as if he was going to do one thing and then, as if remembering where he was and who was watching, did another and he became, like his half-back partner Rob Howley, essentially a conduit between forwards and the three-quarters, offering only glimpses of his individuality.
He may have been confused by the number of moves the Wales backs have to memorise, all freshly drawn up this season, but he was elusive enough to evade the crunching tackles of the Samoans who showed the relish for defence of their more famous compatriots who had refused to tour in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Thomas scored 20 points with eight successful kicks out of nine before being replaced by Neil Jenkins who was looking for 16 points to become the first player in the history of international rugby to reach 1,000: his only opportunity was a wideangled conversion attempt deep in stoppage-time which drifted wide.
Wales had by then scored six tries, five in the final 30 minutes as the Samoans finally wearied of tackling. The islanders had offered little in attack other than the occasional sniping run which invariably died because of a lack of support.
Scorers: Wales: Tries - S Williams 2, Taylor, Gough, Bateman, penalty try; conversions - A Thomas 4; penalties - A Thomas 4. Samoa: Penalties - Patu, Sanft.
WALES: R Williams (Cardiff); Bateman (Northampton), Taylor (Swansea, capt), Gibbs (Swansea) S Will iams (Neath); A Thomas (Swansea), Howley (Cardiff); I Thomas (Ebbw Vale), G Jenkins (Swansea), Evans (Swansea); [N O]John, Cardiff, 50), Gough (Newport), Jones (Ebbw Vale) G Lewis (Swansea), Charvis (Swansea), S Quinnell (Llanelli). Replacements: A Lewis (Cardiff) for G Jenkins, John (Cardiff) for Evans (both 50 mins); Griffiths (Ebbw Vale) for Jones (56 mins); N Jenkins (Cardiff) for A Thomas, Moon (Llanelli) for Howley (both 69 mins); James (Llanelli) for Gibbs (72 mins).
SAMOA: Patu; Faasua, Soolefai, Tuilagi, Toala; Sanft, Sooialo; Veiru, Matauiau (capt), Asi, Palepoi, Poching, Vaeluaga, Mealamu, Maligi. Replacements: Toleafoa for Matauiau (28 mins); Tine for Palepoi (50 mins); Mamea for Mealamu (61 mins); Tafeamalii for Veiru (69 mins).
Referee: S Dickinson (Australia).
