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Davies puts the boot into Tonga as Wales win
By Nicholas McGee
A much-changed Wales side began their two-Test tour with a scrappy but ultimately comfortable 24-6 victory over Tonga at Eden Park.
With a large portion of the Wales squad and coach Warren Gatland on British and Irish Lions duty in New Zealand, Robin McBryde's team had a considerably different look for Friday's clash in Auckland.
Nine debutants were included in the squad - three of whom started - but Wales were still in control for much of the contest.
Fly-half Sam Davies, making his first start after six caps as a sub, kicked four penalties, with Alex Cuthbert's first-half score and a late penalty try giving the scoreline a more flattering look.
Wales will now look to conclude their tour on a high with a win over Samoa in Apia next Friday.
Cuthbert looked to have crossed in the corner in the opening minute but was ruled to have been tackled into touch, with Wales instead settling for a Davies penalty.
Wing Cuthbert spurned a second chance to score when he was unable to ground a kick before Sonatane Takulua missed a Tonga penalty after a high tackle from Jamie Roberts.
Davies hit the post with two kicks soon after but Wales finally turned their dominance into a deserved lead and it was no surprise it came through Cuthbert.
Gareth Anscombe sidestepped a marker before feeding Cuthbert, who retrieved his own kick in behind to touch down.
Takulua got Tonga on the board before half-time and trimmed the gap to two points with his second three-pointer three minutes into the second half.
But Tonga could not capitalise on some promising periods of attacking play and Davies knocked over three further penalties, two of them coming from in front of the posts.
Late gloss to the scoreline was added as Wales were awarded a penalty try in the final seconds at the end of a rolling maul.
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Latest Comments
SBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
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