Irb Rugby World Cup 1999

Cymru ’99 saw Wales become the host nation for the IRB Rugby World Cup. The purpose built Millennium Stadium was home to the Opening Ceremony, Wales Pool matches, one quarter-final, the third-fourth place play-off and the Rugby World Cup Final.

WALES SQUAD
Robert Howley (Cardiff, Captain), Shane Howarth (Newport), Gareth Thomas (Cardiff), Jason Jones-Hughes (New South Wales), Nick Walne (Cardiff), Leigh Davies (Cardiff), Neil Boobyer (Llanelli), Allan Bateman (Northampton), Mark Taylor (Swansea), Scott Gibbs (Swansea), Dafydd James (Llanelli), Stephen Jones (Llanelli), Neil Jenkins (Cardiff), David Llewellyn (Newport), Peter Rogers (Newport), David Young (Cardiff), Ben Evans (Swansea), Andrew Lewis (Cardiff), Jonathan Humphreys (Cardiff), Garin Jenkins (Swansea), Andrew Moore (Swansea), Gareth Llewellyn (Harlequins), Craig Quinnell (Cardiff), Mike Voyle (Llanelli), Chris Wyatt (Llanelli), Geraint Lewis (Pontypridd), Scott Quinnell (Llanelli), Colin Charvis (Swansea), Brett Sinkinson (Neath), Martyn Williams (Cardiff)
Team Manager: David Pickering;
Coach: Graham Henry; Assistant Coach: Lynn Howells

WALES POOL D
1st October 1999 – WALES 23 ARGENTINA 18 (Cardiff)
Wales opened the fourth World Cup on a Friday afternoon at the Millennium Stadium. It was a moderate beginning, but such was the change in fortunes that even a moderate performance brought a victory – the ninth in succession for Graham Henry’s squad.
Only two tries were scored – the first when Colin Charvis charged through the defensive wall and the second from a delightful move by Dafydd James and Gareth Thomas that left Mark Taylor clear for the run-in.
Charvis and Argentinian prop Robert Grau received bans after being cited for violence; the former subsequently missing the Japan and Samoa matches.
This match saw the introduction of Jason Jones-Hughes after a tug-of-war between Wales and Australia for his services.
WALES: S Howarth (Newport); G Thomas (Cardiff), M Taylor (Swansea), S Gibbs (Swansea), D James (Llanelli); N Jenkins (Cardiff), R Howley (Cardiff, Captain); P Rogers (Newport), G Jenkins (Swansea), D Young (Cardiff), C Quinnell (Cardiff), C Wyatt (Llanelli), C Charvis (Swansea), S Quinnell (Llanelli), B Sinkinson (Neath)
Replacement: J Jones-Hughes (NSW) for Gibbs
Scorers: Tries – C Charvis, M Taylor. Cons – N Jenkins (2). Pens – N Jenkins (3)
ARGENTINA: M Contepomi; O Bartolucci, E Simone, L Arbizu (captain), D Albanese; G Quesada, A Pichot; R Grau, M Ledesma, M Reggiardo, I Lobbe, A Allub, S Phelan, G Longo, L Ostiglia
Replacements: G Camardon for Bartolucci; O Hasan-Jalil for Reggiardo; R Martin for Ostiglia
Scorers: Pens – G Quesada (6)
Referee: P D O’Brien (New Zealand)

9th October 1999 – WALES 64 JAPAN 15 (Cardiff)
More interest centred around fly half Neil Jenkins than the final score as Wales won well enough after some early scares, that included a splendid try by Japanese wing Daisuke Ohata.
After that, it remained to be seen whether Jenkins could overtake Michael Lynagh as the leading point-scorer in international rugby.
Including the 41 points that Neil had scored for the British Lions in South Africa, he had reached 911 by the end of the match and had equalled, but not passed the Australian.
He converted eight of the nine Wales tries and also placed a penalty goal. The 64 points scoreline was the third best by Wales at that time and it was win number ten in succession for Graham Henry, Robert Howley and company.
Japan included former All Blacks Jamie Joseph, Rob Gordon and Graeme Bachop, as well as skipper Andrew McCormick – the son of the legendary Fergie.
WALES: S Howarth (Newport); J Jones-Hughes (NSW), M Taylor (Swansea), S Gibbs (Swansea), A Bateman (Northampton); N Jenkins (Cardiff), R Howley (Cardiff, Captain); P Rogers (Newport), G Jenkins (Swansea), D Young (Cardiff), C Quinnell (Cardiff), M Voyle (Llanelli), M Williams (Cardiff), G Lewis (Pontypridd), B Sinkinson (Neath)
Replacements: G Thomas (Cardiff) for Bateman; D Llewellyn (Newport) for Howley; A Lewis (Cardiff) for Rogers; J Humphreys (Cardiff) for G Jenkins; B Evans (Swansea) for Young; C Wyatt (Llanelli) for Sinkinson
Scorers: Tries – M Taylor 2, G Thomas, R Howley, S Gibbs, S Howarth, D Llewellyn, A Bateman, pen try. Cons – N Jenkins 8. Pen – N Jenkins
JAPAN: T Hirao; D Ohata, Y Motoki, A McCormick (Captain), P Tuidraki; K Hirose, G Bachop; S Hasegawa, M Kunda, N Nakamura, R Gordon, H Tanuma, N Okubo, J Joseph, G Smith
Replacements: W Murata for Bachop; T Nakamichi for Hasegawa; M Sakata for Kunda; Y Sakuraba for Gordon; T Ito for Okubo
Scorers: Tries – D Ohata, P Tuidraki. Con – K Hirose. Pen – K Hirose
Referee: J Dume (France)

14th October 1999 – WALES 31 SAMOA 38 (Cardiff)
Western Samoa had beaten Wales in Cardiff in the 1991 Rugby World Cup and now, as Samoa, they completed an amazing double.
Bad defensive play let Wales down and they fell to their first loss since Ireland at Wembley nine months earlier. Hence, they failed to equal the 11 wins between 1906 and 1910.
At 31-all, Samoa broke away for full back Silao Leaega to score in the corner and convert with a magnificent kick.
Neil Jenkins had soon overtaken Michael Lynagh’s international points record of 911, but later turned villain by passing to Samoan skipper Pat Lam, who raced three-quarters of the length of the pitch to score unopposed.
Jenkins and skipper Rob Howley were paired for the 25th time – a new Wales half-back record.
WALES: S Howarth (Newport); G Thomas (Cardiff), M Taylor (Swansea), S Gibbs (Swansea), D James (Llanelli); N Jenkins (Cardiff), R Howley (Cardiff, Captain); P Rogers (Newport), G Jenkins (Swansea), D Young (Cardiff), G Llewellyn (Harlequins), C Wyatt (Llanelli), M Williams (Cardiff), S Quinnell (Llanelli), B Sinkinson (Neath)
Replacements: A Lewis (Cardiff) for Rogers; B Evans (Swansea) for Young
Scorers: Tries – G Thomas, 2 pen tries. Cons – N Jenkins (2). Pens – N Jenkins (4)
SAMOA: S Leaega; B Lima, G Leaupepe, T Vaega, V Tuigamala; S Bachop, S So’oialo; B Reidy, T Leota, R Ale, L Tone, L Falaniko, J Paramore, P Lam (captain), C Glendinning
Replacements: T Fanolua for Leaupepe; E Va’a for Bachop; O Mataulau for Leota; M Mika for Ale; S Taala for Falaniko; S Sititi for Paramore
Scorers: Tries – S Bachop (2), P Lam, S Leaega, L Falaniko. Cons: S Leaega (5). Pen – S Leaega
Referee: E Morrison (England)

POOL D FINAL STANDINGS

QUARTER-FINAL
23rd October 1999 – WALES 9 AUSTRALIA 24 (Cardiff)
Garin Jenkins led Wales out for their second World Cup quarter-final. It was his 50th cap, while namesake Neil Jenkins made his 73rd appearance, passing Ieuan Evans as the most-capped Wales player of all time and taking his points aggregate for Wales to 895.
The rains fell with the stadium roof wide open and both sides found handling difficult. Referee Colin Hawke came in for criticism after allowing the first and third Australian tries, but, in truth, the Wallabies were the best side on the day, though the margin of 15 points was slightly flattering.
The 19 players used by Australia totalled a massive 709 caps, while the 19 Wales players used had made 540 appearances.
WALES: S Howarth (Newport); G Thomas (Cardiff), M Taylor (Swansea), S Gibbs (Swansea), D James (Llanelli); N Jenkins (Cardiff), R Howley (Cardiff, Captain); P Rogers (Newport), G Jenkins (Swansea), D Young (Cardiff), C Quinnell (Cardiff), C Wyatt (Llanelli), C Charvis (Swansea), S Quinnell (Llanelli), B Sinkinson (Neath)
Replacements: A Bateman (Northampton) for Thomas; A Lewis (Cardiff) for Rogers; B Evans (Swansea) for Young; M Voyle (Llanelli) for C Quinnell
Scorers: Pens – N Jenkins (3)
AUSTRALIA: M Burke; B Tune, D Herbert, T Horan, J Roff; S Larkham, G Gregan; R Harry, M Foley, A Blades, D Giffin, J Eales (capt), M Cockbain, T Strauss, D Wilson
Replacements: J Little for Tune; J Paul for Foley (temp); M Connors for Eales; O Finnegan for Cockbain
Scorers: Tries – G Gregan (2), B Tune. Cons – M Burke (3). Pen – M Burke
Referee: C Hawke (New Zealand)

Australia went on to the final to become 1999 Rugby World Cup Champions beating France who had been tipped as upset merchants after an unexpected thrashing of the mighty All Blacks in the semi-final at Twickenham a week earlier.