WEDNESDAY, 12.30PM:
THE Welsh touring squad were handed their fourth consecutive tour defeat by the Gauteng Falcons in an ill-tempered match played at the Isak Steyl stadium in Vanderbijlpark on Tuesday night.
The home side dominated the first half, securing almost 80% of the possession, and scored three tries to the single Welsh effort. The tourists were kept in the game through the first half by the boot of Byron Hayward.
The Falcons’ tries in the first half were scored by winger Werner Geyer, De Wet Strydom and Wynand Lourens, with John Funnell getting the Welsh breakthrough in stoppage time to take the half-time scores to 17-13.
The start of the second half saw the fired-up Welshmen score a try when Paul Arnold barged over from 15m out.
Midway through the niggly second half, Welsh flank Dean Thomas was sent off the field by referee Carl Spangenberg after maliciously stiff-arming winger Len van Riet. Van Riet was flattened by the challenge and later groggily left the field.
The latter part of the second half saw fast and furious action, with Geyer and Jaco Booysen adding further tries to the Falcons’ tally. The Welsh showed tremendous spirit, and closed the final score margin to just two points after Lenny Woodard and Mark Tayor went over for late tries.