Allen hat-trick helps Wales past minnows Uruguay

Cory Allen scored a hat-trick as Wales laboured to a 54-9 victory over minnows Uruguay and suffered new injury scares in the World Cup on Sunday.

It was not the avalanche of points against the world's 19th ranked nation that the 71,800 crowd in the Millennium stadium wanted.

But it ensured a crucial bonus point in the battle with England and Australia for top place in Pool A.

The Welsh scored four first-half tries, Samson Lee's effort preceding Allen's hat-trick. Hallam Amos, Gareth Davies (2) and Justin Tipuric crossed in the second period, Rhys Priestland hitting seven conversions.

Wales now move on to much tougher pool matches against England at Twickenham on Saturday, followed by Fiji in Cardiff on October 1 and then Australia on October 10, again at Twickenham.

Just the top two are guaranteed of automatic qualification for the quarter-finals from the so-called Pool of Death.

Wales coach Warren Gatland rested key forwards Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau and Gethin Jenkins, and a crucial trio of backs in Dan Biggar, Jamie Roberts and George North, and in their absence the Welsh team struggled to click in a scrappy display against a team with just four professionals.

Uruguay held firm for almost 15 minutes, indeed leading 6-0, before Wales set-piece superiority started to show.

Uruguay, whose previous tournament appearances saw them notch up wins over Spain in 1999 and Georgia in 2003, got off to an ideal start with a second-minute Felipe Berchesi penalty after Tipuric failed to stay on his feet at the first ruck.

Berchesi, one of the rare Uruguay players to play in Europe - for Caracassone in France's second division, failed with a 53-metre effort but was on target minutes later after Jake Ball's high tackle.

Priestland spurned two penalties from very kickable ranges to go for the corner, and from the second driving line-out, Lee crashed over for the opening try.

Allen was the recipient of a delicate Priestland dink over the South Americans' defence, the centre squirming past Rodrigo Silva to score.

Berchesi kept Uruguay in the game with a third penalty after another high Ball tackle before Allen was played in for his second after Scott Williams broke the line of a well-organised defence.

Worryingly for Wales, first prop Paul James went off and then full-back Liam Williams, making his comeback from a long injury lay-off and seen as the natural successor to the injured Leigh Halfpennny.

Allen got his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time, Tipuric and Amos combining to hand the Cardiff Blues player the easiest of run-ins to guarantee Wales a bonus point in what promises to be the tightest of pools.

With Wales completely dominant on set-piece, Gatland brought Tomas Francis on for Lee, the tighthead having made a successful comeback from a ruptured achilles tendon in March.

Tipuric was denied a try early in the second period after a good cover tackle dislodged the ball as he crossed the line, but Amos was the beneficiary of a break by scrum-half Davies, the winger extending the home side's lead.

Allen then limped off injured as a visibly flagging Uruguay stuck gamely to their task.

Davies darted over for two deserved tries of his own either side of a Tipuric five-pointer after the flanker was driven over as Wales again tested their attacking line-out options and gave a gloss to the scoreboard.
Source: AFP