31,000 fans turned up expecting to see a performance similar to the seven try demolition of Fiji that had taken place the previous week, and the rush of anticipation was felt all around the ground, when Sonny Parker burst over the gain line and almost to the try line after just two minutes. The atmosphere went flat when it became apparent Italian referee Giulio De Santis seemed determined to penalise a team at every scrum. The match was dominated by De Santis, with most statisticians losing count of the penalties after sixty minutes.
A second-half try to in-form Cardiff centre Jamie Robinson gave Wales some breathing space after the pinpoint goal-kicking of Canadian outside-half Jared Barker had kept the visitors in touch for an hour. Referee De Santis dominated the first half, whistling up virtually every scrum and giving goal-kickers Stephen Jones (five) and Barker (four) nine shots at goal, all of which were converted.
De Santis also sent Canadian and Newport prop Rod Snow to the sinbin after 23 minutes, and Wales took full advantage of the extra man.
Some good handling among the backs led to a maul five metres from the Canadian line and Llanelli hooker Robin McBryde burrowed over for the only try of the half. Jones’s conversion gave him 17 points for the half and the home side led 22-12 at the break.
De Santis didn’t take long to make an impact in the second half, either, sin-binning veteran Wales lock Gareth Llewellyn for a professional foul after only two minutes. Barker slotted two further penalty goals in the Neath captain’s absence, with Jones replying with one. Barker had the chance to narrow the gap to four points on the hour mark, but the long-range attempt fell short; the first miss of the day after thirteen successful penalties.
Robinson went over from close-range, and a late dropped goal to Canadian scrum-half Morgan Williams simply narrowed the winning margin to eleven points.
Wales openside flanker Martyn Williams was named man-of-the-match and Wales and Lions legend Scott Quinnell bowed out of international rugby. Quinnell was reduced to tears as his three young children joined him on the pitch at the final whistle to wave farewell to the home crowd. The ‘Mighty Quinn’ had decided earlier in the week that the time had come to quit the Test arena after nine years at the top and the 31,000 that had turned out gave him a standing ovation.
Quinnell’s three children, Samantha, Lucy and Steele, ran onto the pitch to join in the farewell celebrations with their father; all three of them sporting Welsh jerseys with the name Quinnell and the No.8 on their backs. Wales Coach Steve Hansen sent the Llanelli warrior into battle after fifty-seven minutes, but there was no chance for Quinnell to add to his record tally for a Wales forward of eleven tries as the game petered out.
The win gave Wales a 100% record in all three matches of their autumn series campaign with the All Blacks awaiting as their final challenge.
