England, already in the sub-host’s country having played their pool matches there, had even booked their accommodation for the semi-finals; testament to the fact that Wales entered this match as underdogs.
This was despite the fact that Wales had beaten England 19-12 in Cardiff in the Five Nations just three months previously. Due to their increasing list of injuries Wales had to draft in teenage prop David Young, who was playing club rugby in Australia, to support a front row that had lost Stuart Evans and Jeff Whitefoot.
Branded the worst game seen in the inaugural competition, Wales did not insofar win the game; it was more England’s loss due to their ineptitude that promoted Wales to the semi-finals. Where England could have been expected to be dominant they were extremely poor. Their scrum drive was non-existent and Wales gained far more line out ball than they could have anticipated.
Wales were content to push the ball into English territory and wait for the men in white to make the mistakes, which they did with embarrassing regularity. After half an hour Wales’s first score came. England’s scrum, reduced to a seven-man pack following the departure of Paul Rendell (who obtained a scratched retina after a finger was dug into his eye) failed to retain ball possession. The ball squeezed out to Gareth Roberts who quickly touched down to encapsulate England’s mistake. Thorburn converted, although he missed a relatively easy penalty shot in the first half, resulting in a first-half score of only 0-6 in favour of Wales.
The second half yielded more points. Wales scrum half Robert Jones, Wales’s star performer of the day, scored Wales’s second try following a spilled ball from England’s fullback Jonathan Webb. He kicked on the loose ball and won the charge down with Richard Harding, outstripping him to touch down and put Wales on the winning track. John Devereux scored Wales’s final try of the game, four minutes into injury time; another result of England incompetence. England’s fly half Peter Williams, instead of finding the hands of Webb in his ambitious pass, found Devereux who placed the ball over the line.
Webb could only add a three-pointer to place England on the scoreboard in the second half, thanks to one of twenty-five penalties awarded to England by referee Rene Hourquet. Thorburn converted one of the second half tries to bring the final score to 3-16. Wales were now set the daunting task of facing the almighty All Blacks in the semi-final.
Wales produced a deserved their win in spite of their injury woes, but the game provided additional injury concern ahead of the semi-final clash with the All Blacks, as two of Wales’s most experienced players incurred leg injuries. Robert Norster had to be replaced due to a hamstring injury and Jonathan Davies was troubled by a knee injury, although he remained on field.
