Wales 81 Namibia 7:IT WAS a night of an onward march by Wales and a weary farewell from Namibia. On the fourth day after leaking 12 tries to South Africa, they shipped another dozen and became the first nation to finish their schedule and bow out of the competition.
They were given two going-away presents. Tinus Du Plessis, the backrow forward, was named man of the match, and Heinz Koll finished off a sweeping move involving fellow secondrower Nico Esterhuyse, who was given a sweet breakaway pass by Stephen Jones on the night he became Wales’ most-capped player, with 101.
Wales had the game all wrapped up in 18 minutes, racing to a 22-0 lead. They then entered a quarter when the rust of age began to tell. They had stacked the ranks with a lot of their old-guard lame: Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Ryan Jones and Lee Byrne, victims all to the curse of the wounded calf. Ryan Jones played with composure throughout, a reassuring performance from the old captain.
The Wales scrum was not solid, passes went astray and the ball was surrendered at the breakdown. It didn’t matter, although Warren Gatland might not have been quite so tolerant at half-time.
As the game unfolded, Wales players young and old settled into a rhythm that proved too fast for their opponents and it told on Namibia.
Reduced to 14, they suffered even more. Raoul Larson was sinbinned and Wacca Kazombiaze went off injured in a golf buggy. Having used up their quota of replacements, Namibia finished with 14, of whom 13 were out on their feet.
If one serious point can be made about this display it is that the Welsh team that opened in such style against South Africa are driven by their young players, not their old guard. Scott Williams, Jonathan Davies, Sam Warburton, George North and Toby Faletau were the influential figures here.
Youth has taken over. Fiji are next, with Wales in no mood to say farewell just yet.
WALES: Byrne; Halfpenny, J Davies, S Williams, Brew; S Jones, Knoyle; Jenkins, Burns, Mitchell, B Davies, AW Jones, R Jones, Warburton (capt), Faletau. Replacements: Powell for Warburton (48 mins), North for Brew (54 mins ), Charteris for Faletau (56 mins ), Williams for Knoyle (57 mins ), Bevington for Jenkins, Owens for Burns (both 61), Priestland for Jones (62 mins).
NAMIBIA: C Botha; Van Wyk, Van Zyl, D De La Harpe, Dames; Kotze, Jantjies; Redelinghuys, Horn, Du Toit, Koll, Esterhuyse, Du Plessis, J Burger (capt), Nieuwenhuis. Replacements: Larson for Redelinghuys (20 mins), Philander for Harpe (32 mins ), Losper for Dames (56 mins ), R De La Harpe for Jantjies, Kazombiaze for Koll, O’Callaghan for Horn (all 64 mins ), Kitshoff for Du Plessis (71 mins).
Referee: Steve Walsh (Aus).
