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Williams stars for Wales

22 Nov 2009


Wing wizard Shane Williams lit up the Millennium Stadium with two dazzling tries as Wales secured a record 33-16 victory against Argentina.

Williams struck twice in the second half, taking his Welsh international record tally to 48. There was also an opportunist try for fly-half Stephen Jones, who finished with 17 points, while Williams' fellow wing Leigh Halfpenny kicked two penalties.

Centre Martin Rodriguez scored all of Argentina's points through a try, three penalties and conversion, but the Pumas finished a distant second best.

The South Americans, despite a man-of-the-match display by skipper Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, offered next to nothing in attack.

Even their try came from a charge down when rookie Wales centre Jonathan Davies' kick bounced off Rodriguez's shin and he was able to gather a kind bounce.

But unlike England at Twickenham last Saturday, Wales possessed the creative ability to put the Pumas away.

Williams showcased his phenomenal finishing power to set Wales up for a full-scale tilt at Australia in their autumn Test finale next Saturday.

Much of the action was inevitably dominated by the kicking game, yet Wales scored three tries for the first time in a major Test match since their opening game of last season's RBS 6 Nations against Scotland at Murrayfield.

They will require a considerable improvement before tackling the Wallabies, but head coach Warren Gatland can feel satisfied that his team at least played some rugby.

Argentina, though, have little to offer outside of a jumbo-sized pack, although that in itself might be enough to trouble Scotland at Murrayfield in seven days' time.

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