Wales Sevens Champions
WORDS: Tom Bevan (Sprout Editorial Group)
After a disappointing result against France in the Six Nations a fortnight ago, Welsh rugby fans needed some good news to lift their spirits.
It came out of the blue in the form of a shock 15-14 quarter final victory over New Zealand in the Rugby?World Sevens.
The tournament, held in Dubai, was seen as an opportunity to test out some younger players and yet Wales quickly found themselves in a semi-final after defeating the All Blacks, who are the team to beat in any championship.
The surprising result spurred the Welsh team on, who then beat Samoa 19-12 in the semi final to advance closer to the trophy. Their opponents, Argentina are another strong outfit and had beaten Wales in the group stage. Therefore, they were very much the favourites but the Welsh ran out on Saturday to spoil the party.
The men in red started the final the stronger as Richie Pugh broke through for a try within two minutes. Soon, though Martin Rodriguez seized on a Wales mistake to put Argentina ahead and the game looked to be turning around.
Then, a fine break by Tal Selley restored Wales' lead. With minutes remaining, the Pumas levelled when Gonzalo Camacho took a cross-field kick to score, making for a tighter than tight finish to the game.
With seconds left on the clock, Aled Thomas broke through the defence to seal a fantastic victory for the team.
"This is amazing, it's going to take a while to sink in," said Wales captain Lee Beach. “I can't describe it. The boys have come a long way over the last three years.”
Wales coach Paul John added: "This achievement is quite unbelievable. We knew when we beat New Zealand this morning, anything was possible. Our boys have been phenomenal and played some cracking Sevens so it is thoroughly deserved."
This win is very promising for the future of Welsh rugby and should be a huge confidence booster for the sport in Wales as a whole.
LINKS :: Source :: Sport Directory?
