- Wales secured a 49-26 victory over Barbarians, allowing bigs to say goodbye
- Leigh Halfpenny and Justin Tipuric played for the last time in an exciting match in Cardiff
- Alun Wyn Jones signed off with a try and man of the match for the Barbarians
This was a celebration for Welsh greats Alun Wyn Jones, Leigh Halfpenny and Justin Tipuric as they all performed for the final time at international level in front of their adoring audiences.
But the pre-match revelation that Fiji lock Api Ratuniyarawa – who had been on the bench for the Barbarians at the Principality Stadium – had appeared at the Cardiff Magistrates’ Court charged with three separate charges of sexual assault made for grim news.
Ratuniyarawa has been accused of penetrating two women with his finger and touching the breast and body of a third woman at a Cardiff nightclub last week.
“As soon as we were contacted by South Wales Police, we co-operated fully and assisted them with their investigation,” the Barbarians said in a statement. “We cannot comment further on their advice as the investigation is ongoing.”
Barbarians coaches Eddie Jones and Scott Robertson were not present in the media after the match. Ratuniyarawa, 37, denies the allegations. He has been released on bail and will return to Cardiff Crown Court on December 4. His arrest added another layer of controversy to what was already a contentious game.
Alun Wyn Jones and Leigh Halfpenny say goodbye in style in a memorable Wales win over Barbarians
Former Wales captain Jones signed off with a try as his Barbarians side were defeated 49-26
Api Ratuniyarawa went missing after being charged with assault and attended the magistrates court on the same day he was due to appear before the Barbarians
The fact that this match took place at all angered many, as it took place just a week after the World Cup final and on the same day that the Welsh regions were in domestic action.
Unfortunately, Ratuniyarawa added to the negativity. But that shouldn’t take away from the performances of Alun Wyn Jones, Tipuric and Halfpenny, who have all had fine Test careers.
In the end it was Halfpenny and Wales who came out on top in an uncapped Test.
Halfpenny finished with a 100 percent success rate from the kicking tee in a Wales win, with Warren Gatland’s side scoring seven tries. Halfpenny received a standing ovation as he left.
Wales’ opening try came via Dewi Lake after George North’s clear break (pictured).
Halfpenny enjoyed five conversions during his retirement to go out for his country in style
“Scoring 49 points means you have to be happy,” said Wales coach Gatland. “We talked about leaving Leigh on for 80 minutes but we had the opportunity to take him off.”
“The reception he received from the crowd was a testament to him as a player and person. It was incredibly special that those three players played that match.”
Alun Wyn Jones, who scored for the Barbarians, was named man of the match as he – like Halfpenny and Tipuric – retired from Test rugby.
“I want to thank the public who have come here for 18 years through good times and bad,” he said. ‘The man of the match was a bit symbolic. I will take it gracefully.”
Halfpenny, who has been a superstar at full-back for Wales for 15 years, led the teams in front of a sizeable crowd of 53,271.
Alun Wyn Jones and Tipuric followed their former teammate and this time played against their native country in the famous black and white shirts. Both were accompanied by their children.
Justin Tipuric also played for the last time, with Kieran Hardy (R) scoring a brace
Jones was named man of the match – seemingly an excuse for him to be rightly applauded for the last time
It was fitting that Halfpenny posted a perfect kicking record in his final Wales match as his remarkable accuracy from the tee was one of the defining characteristics of his career.
Welsh tries came from Dewi Lake, Tom Rogers, Sam Costelow, Taine Plumtree and Aaron Wainwright before Kieran Hardy added luster to the score with a late brace. Simione Kuruvoli crossed twice for the Barbarians before Alun Wyn Jones grabbed the most popular try of the afternoon.
Tom Hooper’s try was a late consolation before Hardy got to work.
Having said goodbye to a host of retiring greats in this match, Wales must now look to the future. The Six Nations may be struggling, but Gatland remains optimistic. George North, who had a great World Cup and another match here, is one reason for the positivity in Wales.