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Williams foils the gallant Tongans
CANBERRA, Australia -- Tonga outscored Wales by three tries to two but went down 27-20 in a World Cup Pool D game in Canberra. Welsh replacement flanker Martyn Williams came on to score a try and a drop goal in the closing stages to swing the game Wales' way. Pierre Hola scored one of the three Tongan tries and kicked a conversion and a penalty with captain Benhur Kivalo and prop forward Heamani Lavaka also crossing the Welsh line in a standout performance. Scrum-half Gareth Morgan scored the other Welsh try and Stephen Jones landed four penalties and a conversion. Returning at fly-half for Wales, Stephen Jones kicked penalties from 35 meters and close range either side of Hola's brilliant angled effort from just inside the touchline. Otherwise it was a tedious start until the Welsh scored the first try in the 25th minute. Scrum-half Cooper spotted that there was no cover on the blind side of a scrum 15 meters out and ran unchallenged for the score. Jones missed the conversion. Cooper almost set up a score for Tonga with a poorly executed flip pass which was intercepted by Sukanaivalu Hufanga, who sprinted 50 meters down the wing before kicking the ball out of play. Another blunder by the Welsh did bring a try when fullback Rhys Williams failed to gather a kick ahead by Hola and the Tongan fly-half was able to grab the ball and cross for the try. He also kicked the conversion. Hola missed an easy chance to put the Tongans ahead when he sliced a straightforward 25 meter kick wide and his mistake was punished when Jones kicked his third penalty three minutes before half time. Jones increased the lead to seven points with a penalty two minutes into the second half but followed that by two misses. The Tongans almost got back on terms when fullback Sila Va'enuku intercepted the ball deep in his own and raced 50 meters before kicking the ball out of play with the tryline beckoning. At the other end, a determined run by Rhys Williams took him over the Tongan line but he was held up by a combination of winger Sione Fonua and scrum-half Sililo Martens before the Welsh went further ahead. Minutes after entering the game, flank forward Martyn Williams dropped a goal to increase the lead to 10 points only for Tongans to hit back with a second try. The pack took the ball from a lineout and drove 20 meters over the line with Kivalu credited with the touchdown. Hola pulled the conversion attempt wide and the Welsh made him pay with a second try almost from the kick off. They won clean ball in the Tongan 22 and, with a triple overlap on the left wing, Iestyn Harris lobbed a long pass out to Martyn Williams who went over. Jones made the conversion and the Welsh led by 12 points with 12 minutes to go. The Tongans kept fighting back and pinned the Welsh back in their own 22 for a long period until prop Lavaka charged over in the corner for a third try. Hola missed the conversion. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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