Rugby World Cup: Wales kick out Namibia with 81-7 thrashing

Michelle Payne September 27, 2011 0

Rugby World Cup: Wales kick out Namibia with 81-7 thrashing

NEW PLYMOUTH: Wales rewrote record books Monday when they ousted Namibia from the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 with a 81-7 thrashing in their Pool D match.

Scott Williams. Courtesy: Getty Images

Wales broke all their records for points scored, winning margin and most number of tries in a World Cup tie — all set in the 72-18 win over Japan in 2007.

Scott Williams scored a brilliant hat-trick while 19-year-old George North became the youngest-ever World Cup tryscorer during the one-sided affair at New Plymouth.

North added a second while Aled Brew, Toby Faletau, Gethin Jenkins, Jonathan Davies, Lloyd Williams, Lee Byrne and Alun Wyn Jones also scored in the 12-try romp at Stadium Taranaki.

The result also marked the biggest win in Warren Gatland’s four-year reign as head coach and lifted Welsh spirits ahead of their crunch final game against Fiji on Sunday.

“We won the game and got the bonus point that we really wanted,” said Wales captain Sam Warburton.

“We also got a good scoreline and 12 tries that could prove important if things came down to points difference.

“We were a bit off-colour before halftime. Perhaps that was a result of simply trying too hard and playing rugby in the wrong areas of the pitch. But the game broke open in the second half and that suited us.”

Namibia were in the wars, replacement Wacca Kazombiaze carried off with a serious knee injury and captain Jacques Burger taken to hospital with a suspected broken jaw.

It marked a painful end of a difficult campaign for Namibia, who had to play all four of their games inside 17 days — including facing world champions South Africa and Wales in the space of five days.

“Wales made it very difficult but that is why they are a top class team,” said Burger, before heading for treatment. “They simply blew us away and we couldn’t stop them. But I am proud of the effort and heart shown by the players.”

Stephen Jones also scored 15 points on the day he became Wales’ most capped player in his 101st Test.

The British and Irish Lions flyhalf was on the scoreboard inside three minutes after Namibia conceded a penalty at the game’s first scrum.

Wales knew they had to match the bonus point victories of their Pool D rivals against Namibia and looked on course to wrap that up by half-time as they stormed into a 22-0 lead after 17 minutes.

Williams set them on course with a seven minutes into his first full test start.

Wales set about building on their good start with their forwards making easy headway against opponents beaten 87-0 by South Africa four days earlier.

Lock Bradley Davies crashed through two tacklers in midfield and then showed equally effective awareness to off-load the pass for Brew to score, opening the floodgates.

However, biggest cheer was for Heinz Koll, who galloped over for Namibia’s only try in the 53rd minute.

But Namibia had prop Raoul Larson sin binned and with their schedule clearly catching up with them, Wales ran riot with seven tries in the final 20 minutes.

North, on for Brew, stormed through twice in six minutes either side of setting up a length of the field score for Davies.

Williams slid over to complete his hat-trick in the 70th minute before Lloyd Williams, Byrne and Jones all crossed in the final stages.