2003 Wales rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand

2003 Wales rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand
Coach(es)	Steve Hansen
Summary	P W D L
Total	02 00 00 02
Test match	02 00 00 02
Opponent	P W D L
Australia	1 0 0 1
New Zealand	1 0 0 1

The Wales national rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand in June 2003, playing test matches against the Australia and New Zealand national teams as part of their preparations for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Wales lost both test matches, first going down 30–10 to Australia in Sydney, before a 55–3 defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton.

Squad

Wales coach Steve Hansen named an initial squad of 30 for their tour to Australia and New Zealand, as well as a pre-tour match against the Barbarians. Bath's 20-year-old back-rower Gareth Delve was a surprise selection in the original squad,[1] but he suffered a shoulder injury against the Barbarians and was replaced in the final squad by uncapped Swansea back-rower Jonathan Thomas. The other uncapped players in the final squad were Neath prop Adam Jones, Llanelli scrum-half Mike Phillips, Swansea hooker Huw Bennett and Leeds back-rower Alix Popham. Four captains were named for the tour: flankers Colin Charvis and Martyn Williams, hooker Robin McBryde and fly-half Stephen Jones.[2]

Name	Position	Club	Notes
Huw Bennett	Hooker	Swansea
Mefin Davies	Hooker	Pontypridd
Robin McBryde	Hooker	Llanelli	Captain
Ben Evans	Prop	Cardiff
Gethin Jenkins	Prop	Pontypridd
Adam Jones	Prop	Neath
Iestyn Thomas	Prop	Llanelli
Robert Sidoli	Lock	Pontypridd
Gareth Llewellyn	Lock	Neath
Vernon Cooper	Lock	Llanelli
Chris Wyatt	Lock	Llanelli
Martyn Williams	Back row	Cardiff	Captain
Colin Charvis	Back row	Swansea	Captain
Dafydd Jones	Back row	Llanelli
Jonathan Thomas	Back row	Swansea
Alix Popham	Back row	Leeds
Gareth Cooper	Scrum-half	Bath
Dwayne Peel	Scrum-half	Llanelli
Mike Phillips	Scrum-half	Llanelli
Gavin Henson	Fly-half	Swansea
Stephen Jones	Fly-half	Llanelli	Captain
Ceri Sweeney	Fly-half	Pontypridd
Sonny Parker	Centre	Pontypridd
Jamie Robinson	Centre	Cardiff
Tom Shanklin	Centre	Saracens
Mark Taylor	Centre	Swansea
Matthew Watkins	Centre	Llanelli
Mark Jones	Wing	Llanelli
Garan Evans	Full-back	Llanelli
Rhys Williams	Full-back	Cardiff

Matches

Wales vs Barbarians

Wales prepared for their tour to Australia and New Zealand with an uncapped match against the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium on 31 May 2003. It served as a farewell match for fly-half Neil Jenkins, who was retiring from international rugby as the all-time top point scorer in test history.[3] The Barbarians scored eight tries during the match, taking a 48–28 lead into the closing stages; Jenkins, who had come on in the 66th minute, set up Tom Shanklin for his hat-trick try, before slotting the final points of the game himself.[4]

31 May 2003

Wales	35–48	Barbarians
Try: Taylor Harris Shanklin (3) Con: S. Jones (4) Jenkins	Report	Try: Reihana (2) Magne Harding Tuilevu Galwey Garvey Robinson Con: Contepomi (4)

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 23,721 Referee: Dave Pearson (England)

FB 15 Garan Evans RW 14 Mark Jones OC 13 Mark Taylor IC 12 Iestyn Harris LW 11 Rhys Williams FH 10 Stephen Jones SH 9 Dwayne Peel N8 8 Alix Popham OF 7 Martyn Williams (c) BF 6 Colin Charvis RL 5 Gareth Llewellyn LL 4 Vernon Cooper TP 3 Adam Jones HK 2 Robin McBryde LP 1 Iestyn Thomas Replacements: HK 16 Mefin Davies PR 17 Ben Evans N8 18 Gareth Delve FL 19 Chris Wyatt SH 20 Mike Phillips FH 21 Neil Jenkins WG 22 Tom Shanklin Coach: Steve Hansen

FB 15 Percy Montgomery RW 14 Aisea Tuilevu OC 13 Cristian Stoica IC 12 Daryl Gibson LW 11 Bruce Reihana FH 10 Felipe Contepomi SH 9 Mark Robinson N8 8 AJ Venter OF 7 Olivier Magne BF 6 Sam Harding RL 5 Mark Connors (c) LL 4 Ryan Strudwick TP 3 Franck Tournaire HK 2 Matt Sexton LP 1 Ollie le Roux Replacements: HK 16 Raphaël Ibañez PR 17 Adrian Garvey LK 18 Mick Galwey FL 19 Santiago Phelan SH 20 Darren Edwards FB 21 Matt Perry CE 22 Scott Staniforth Coach: Alan Solomons

Australia vs Wales

14 June 2003

Australia	30–10	Wales
Try: Sailor (2) Latham Paul Grey Con: Roff Pen: Flatley	Report	Try: Robinson Con: S. Jones Pen: S. Jones

Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 63,688 Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)

FB 15 Chris Latham RW 14 Wendell Sailor OC 13 Morgan Turinui IC 12 Steve Kefu LW 11 Joe Roff FH 10 Elton Flatley SH 9 George Gregan (c) N8 8 Toutai Kefu OF 7 Phil Waugh BF 6 David Giffin RL 5 David Lyons LL 4 Nathan Sharpe TP 3 Patricio Noriega HK 2 Jeremy Paul LP 1 Bill Young Replacements: HK 16 Brendan Cannon PR 17 Ben Darwin LK 18 Dan Vickerman FL 19 Daniel Heenan SH 20 Chris Whitaker CE 21 Nathan Grey WG 22 Lote Tuqiri Coach: Graham Henry

FB 15 Rhys Williams RW 14 Mark Jones OC 13 Jamie Robinson IC 12 Mark Taylor LW 11 Tom Shanklin FH 10 Stephen Jones SH 9 Gareth Cooper N8 8 Colin Charvis OF 7 Martyn Williams (c) BF 6 Jonathan Thomas RL 5 Robert Sidoli LL 4 Gareth Llewellyn TP 3 Gethin Jenkins HK 2 Robin McBryde LP 1 Iestyn Thomas Replacements: HK 16 Mefin Davies PR 17 Ben Evans LK 18 Chris Wyatt N8 19 Alix Popham SH 20 Dwayne Peel FH 21 Ceri Sweeney CE 22 Gavin Henson Coach: Steve Hansen

New Zealand vs Wales

21 June 2003

New Zealand	55–3	Wales
Try: Howlett Spencer Carter Meeuws Mealamu Umaga Rokocoko (2) Con: Carter (6)	Report	Pen: S. Jones

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 27,500 Referee: Daniel Lewis (Ireland)

FB 15 Mils Muliaina RW 14 Doug Howlett OC 13 Tana Umaga IC 12 Dan Carter LW 11 Joe Rokocoko FH 10 Carlos Spencer SH 9 Steve Devine N8 8 Jerry Collins OF 7 Marty Holah BF 6 Reuben Thorne (c) RL 5 Ali Williams  47' LL 4 Chris Jack TP 3 Kees Meeuws HK 2 Keven Mealamu LP 1 Carl Hoeft Replacements: HK 16 Anton Oliver PR 17 Dave Hewett LK 18 Brad Thorn  47' FL 19 Richie McCaw SH 20 Byron Kelleher CE 21 Aaron Mauger WG 22 Caleb Ralph Coach: Graham Henry

FB 15 Rhys Williams RW 14 Mark Jones OC 13 Jamie Robinson  68' IC 12 Mark Taylor LW 11 Tom Shanklin  76' FH 10 Stephen Jones SH 9 Gareth Cooper  76' N8 8 Colin Charvis  23' OF 7 Martyn Williams (c)  28'  40' BF 6 Dafydd Jones RL 5 Gareth Llewellyn  51' LL 4 Robert Sidoli TP 3 Gethin Jenkins HK 2 Robin McBryde  51' LP 1 Iestyn Thomas Replacements: HK 16 Mefin Davies  51' PR 17 Ben Evans LK 18 Chris Wyatt  28'  40'  51' FL 19 Jonathan Thomas  23' SH 20 Dwayne Peel  76' FH 21 Ceri Sweeney  68' CE 22 Gavin Henson  76' Coach: Steve Hansen

References

1. "Delight for young Delve". BBC Sport. 7 May 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
2. "Hansen names four captains". BBC Sport. 6 June 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
3. "Jenkins quits international stage". BBC Sport. 11 May 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
4. "Baa-Baas spoil Jenkins' day". BBC Sport. 31 May 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2023.

External links

• "Australia drop Flatley for missing training". The Guardian. 16 June 2003. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
• "Black day as Wales suffer". The Guardian. 21 June 2003. Retrieved 27 May 2013.