Hook blow as Wales stutter to victory
Ospreys out-half Hook limped off in the 18th minute, nursing tendon trouble.
And there was plenty of collective pain for Wales as they struggled to subdue a country eight places below them in the world rankings.
Wales flanker Dafydd Jones said the RBS Six Nations champions may have underestimated Canada after their thrashing at the hands of Ireland.
“It was really tough. We knew it was going to be hard to break them down but in all honesty it was harder than we thought,” said Jones.
“They came here and made it really tough. The wingers kept us in the game, to be fair.”
Tries by Scarlets full-back Morgan Stoddart and Cardiff Blues wing Leigh Halfpenny gave Wales an unconvincing 10-6 interval lead.
And head coach Warren Gatland’s sense of frustration surfaced just 10 minutes into the second period when he substituted skipper Ryan Jones.
Reigning RBS 6 Nations champions Wales made the game safe inside an hour when they were awarded a penalty try that Hook’s replacement – debutant Dan Biggar — converted.
Biggar also booted a penalty, while Bedford full-back James Pritchard slotted a penalty double.
A second penalty try took Wales further in front, with Biggar adding the conversion, but then he gifted Canada a touchdown when Calgary Irish centre Ryan Smith intercepted his 74th-minute pass.
Halfpenny added his second score — a breakaway effort in injury time — and Biggar’s conversion saw Wales home by a 21-point margin.
Gatland made 12 changes from the side beaten by South Africa last Saturday, with only Jones, Halfpenny and centre Tom Shanklin remaining.
Canada arrived in Cardiff fresh from a 55-0 drubbing against Ireland.
Wales were leaden-footed in the first half, making nine unforced errors.
Canada moved ahead through a Pritchard penalty. Hook missed a chance to draw Wales level three minutes later, and under Canada’s high-kick barrage, there was little to enthuse a bumper audience.
Australian referee Stuart Dickinson was quick to punish Welsh technical indiscipline, and Wales’ frustration deepened as Hook departed. Ospreys colleague Biggar replaced him.
Wales needed to regroup, and they finally broke through when Stoddart squeezed over in the corner.
Biggar narrowly missed the touchline conversion, but Wales were up and running, only for Pritchard to land a superb 50-metre penalty and edge Canada back in front.
Wales pressed for a second try as half-time approached, yet a combination of forced midfield passing and tight Canadian defence meant the score did not arrive until Halfpenny struck. The 19-year-old produced a top-class finish to touch down and hand Wales a four-point interval lead.
Wales began the second period in a more organised fashion, moving patiently through the phases, and a Biggar penalty extended their lead to 13-6.
But a double change in the 50th minute saw Jones and debutant scrum-half Martin Roberts replaced by Andy Powell — man of the match against South Africa last weekend — and Dwayne Peel.
A penalty try, awarded against the Canadian front row, quickly followed, and Wales were home and dry at 20-6 with a quarter of the contest still remaining.
Sustained pressure deep inside Canada’s 22 suggested points might at last begin to flow, but it was visiting centre Smith who struck, collecting Biggar’s pass for a try that Pritchard improved.
The impressive Halfpenny had the final word, yet Wales will want to put this performance behind them.
Scorers: Wales: Tries: Stoddart, Halfpenny 2, Penalty 2. Cons: Biggar 3. Pens: Biggar. Canada: Tries: Smith. Cons: Pritchard. Pens: Pritchard 2.
WALES: Stoddart, Halfpenny, Shanklin, Bishop, M. Jones, Hook, M. Williams, Yapp, Hibbard, Thomas, Gough, Charteris, D. Jones, Sowden-Taylor, R. Jones.
CANADA: Pritchard, Hearn, Keys, Smith, Mensah-Coker, Monro, Fairhurst, Tkachuk, Riordan, Thiel, Hotson, Jackson, Sinclair, Kleeberger, Carpenter.
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia).
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