Wales beats England, 19-12

Press, 9 March 1987, Page 21

Wales beats England, 19-12

NZPA-Reuter Cardiff A try to the prop, Stuart Evans, and five wellstruck penalty goals by the full-back, Mark Wyatt, gave Wales a 19-12 win over England in an acrimonious Five Nations rugby championship match on Saturday. Tension between the two ancient enemies often overflowed into ugly violence and the Welsh No. 8, Phil Davies, was forced to leave the field soon after the start after being struck in the face by an elbow.

The match was also marred by basic passing and handling errors, although to be fair to the players conditions were not conducive to attractive rugby on a Cardiff Arms Park pitch made slippery by overnight rain.

England’s problems were magnified by the lack of liaison between

the scrum-half and captain, Richard Hill, and his flyhalf partner, Rob Andrew. The ball did not once travel along the backline.

By contrast, Jonathan Davies played a masterly game at flyhalf for Wales, kicking with pinpoint, accuracy and making several penetrative breaks.

But the Welsh too were reluctant to move the ball along the backline and only Wyatt and his England counterpart, Marcus Rose, who kicked all England’s points with penalties, can look back with much satisfaction on a match in which 40 penalties were awarded.

Wales, with two points from two matches, still has a chance of winning the triple crown but England, which has lost all its three matches, looks likely to end the championship without a single point. The win kept intact

Wales’ remarkable record in Cardiff where it has not lost against England since 1963.

Scorers: Wales: Stuart Evans, try; Mark Wyatt, five penalty goals. England: Marcus Rose, four penalty goals.

• At Paris, Eric Bonneval scored three tries and his wing partner, Philippe Berot, one as France overran Scotland, 28-22, in their Five Nations championship match.

Berot also kicked three penalty goals and the flyhalf, Franck Mesnel, dropped a goal as France ensured itself of at least a share of the championship title. Only Ireland now stands between France and its first grand slam since 1981. The match was a triumph for the elusive Bonneval who scored a try in each of France’s wins over Wales and England, but Scotland also contributed in full

measure to an entertaining match. The No. 8, John Beattie, scored a first-half try and the centre, Scott Hastings, another late in the match after good work by his brother, Gavin, in following up a clever chip kick by the flyhalf, John Rutherford. Gavin Hastings scored all Scotland’s other points with four penalty goals and a conversion.

Hastings’ try was the highlight of a late Scotland rally but the Scots never really looked like achieving their first win in Paris since 1969 and their first ever at the Part des Princes.

Scotland, the only other undefeated team in the tournament after its victory over Ireland, temporarily lost its centre, Doug Wyllie, with ankle and cheekbone injuries after two minutes and was already behind in the seventh minute.

France won a line-out and the centre, Denis Charvet, supplied the pass for Bonneval to dive over in the left corner and give France the opening points for the first time in this season’s tournament. Scotland was surprisingly level after 15 minutes after a blunder by the French full-back, Serge Blanco, whose kick under little pressure near his own line was charged down by Beattie for an equalising try. Scorers: France: Eric Bonneval (three), Philippe Berot, tries; Franck Mesnel, dropped goal; Berot, three penalty goals. Scotland: John Beattie, Scott Hastings, tries; Gavin Hastings, four penalty goals, conversion.

Championship table

P W L F A P France 3 3 0 63 46 6 Scotland 2 1 1 38 40 2 Ireland 2 1 1 29 16 2 Wales 2 1 1 28 28 2 England 3 0 3 27 55 0