Williams stars in Wales try-fest

Wales 72 Japan 18

Winger Shane Williams scored twice to take his try tally to 34 on his 50th appearance, moving second behind Gareth Thomas in Wales’ all-time scoring list.

The predicted try spree sets up Wales nicely for what promises to be a winner-takes-all final group game against Fiji in Nantes on September 29.

Coach Gareth Jenkins made 10 changes to the side which lost to Australia but it was old stagers Martyn Williams and Shane Williams who stole the show.

The Japanese were no pushovers, though and claimed long-range tries from wing men Kosuke Endo and Hirotoki Onozawa.

Centre Shotaro Onishi, who was carried off midway through the second half, gave his side a 3-0 lead with an early penalty to briefly silence the 40,000 crowd.

Lock Alun-Wyn Jones supported a break from recalled winger Dafydd James to score the game’s first try on 10 minutes but they trailed 8-7 after 19 minutes when Kosuke Endo finished a spectacular breakaway move.

A solo try from James Hook and others from Rhys Thomas and Kevin Morgan made it 29-11 at the break and a purple patch from scrum-half Michael Phillips early in the second half sealed Japan’s fate.

He scored one try and created another for Shane Williams, who took his tally to 33 on his 50th appearance to draw level with Ieuan Evans in second place in the Welsh all-time scoring list. Gareth Cooper scored straight from a scrum and then Martyn Williams went in for his brace before Shane Williams fittingly brought the curtain down on a feast of tries.

Wales scorers: Tries: A. Jones, Hook, R. Thomas, Morgan, Phillips, S. Williams 2, D. James, Cooper, M. Williams 2. Cons: S. Jones 5, Sweeney 2. Pens: S. Jones.

WALES: Morgan, D. James, Robinson, Hook, S. Williams, S. Jones, Phillips, D. Jones, R. Thomas, Horsman, W. James, A. Jones, Charvis, M. Williams, Popham.

Replacements: Shanklin for Robinson (73), Sweeney for S. Jones (54), Cooper for Phillips (57), Jenkins for Horsman (65), Evans for A. Jones (52), Owen for Popham (58).

Japan scorers: Tries: Endo, Onozawa. Cons: Robins. Pens: Onishi 2.

JAPAN: Loamanu, Endo, Imamura, Onishi, Onozawa, Robins, Yoshida, Nishiura, Matsubara, Soma, H. Ono, Thompson, Watanabe, Makiri, Miuchi.

Replacements: Taira for Imamura (51), Kusumi for Onishi (52), Kim for Yoshida (66), Yamamura for Nishiura (54), Inokuchi for Matsubara (75), Kiso for Thompson (66), Asano for Makiri (52).

Referee: J Jutge (France).