Halfpenny in Welsh dreamland
Cardiff Blues' teenage wing Leigh Halfpenny will join an exclusive Welsh rugby club on Saturday – and he admits that the impending feeling is 'unreal'.
Cardiff Blues' teenage winger Leigh Halfpenny will join an exclusive Welsh rugby club on Saturday – and he admits that the impending feeling is 'unreal'.
Wales boss Warren Gatland has turned to 19-year-old speedster Halfpenny for the Millennium Stadium showdown with world champions South Africa – even though he has played just seven games of top-flight rugby.
He will go head-to-head with Springboks superstar Bryan Habana, one of the world game's deadliest finishers who boasts an impressive strike rate of 31 tries in 43 Tests.
It is little wonder that Halfpenny is pinching himself as he becomes the 59th teenager to be capped by Wales, following illustrious predecessors like Gareth Edwards, Haydn Tanner and Keith Jarrett.
“It is a dream come true,” said Halfpenny, who takes over from knee injury victim Mark Jones on the right wing.
“I am very excited about the challenge ahead. Everyone knows how great a player Bryan Habana is, but I've been told to go out, enjoy it and not worry about the opposition.
“I've surprised myself. I played in the U20 World Cup during the summer and was thinking I would try and get some games for the Blues on the wing this season.
“But it is unreal what has happened to me. At times I have got to pinch myself.
“To do it at 19 is absolutely fantastic. I am sure I will have some butterflies before the game, and my heart will be racing when I hear the roar of the fans, but it is a terrific moment for me and my family.
“When I phoned them with the news they were in tears.”
Halfpenny, who averages one try per game for his club, will be joined on Saturday by fellow debutant and Blues number eight colleague Andy Powell.
Powell packs down in the back-row alongside Martyn Williams and skipper Ryan Jones, with the captain accommodating him by being moved to blindside flank.
But Ospreys hooker Huw Bennett, who was injured on EDF Energy Cup duty two days ago, is another absentee, with Scarlets' Matthew Rees coming in.
Bennett's untimely ankle problem is likely to sideline him for the entire autumn series, with Wales also facing Canada, New Zealand and Australia this month.
And Gatland has sprung a surprise at scrum-half, preferring Gloucester's Gareth Cooper to the more experienced Dwayne Peel, who has to content himself with a place on the bench.
“Gareth is in possession of the shirt,” explained Gatland.
“He did well for us, particularly in the second Test on tour this summer, and he has been rewarded.”
Gavin Henson and the powerfully dynamic Jamie Roberts forge a new-look centre combination – Roberts has already played wing and full-back in his short Test career – while Stephen Jones edges out James Hook at fly-half.
“At 19 years-old, our message to Leigh has been to just go out there and enjoy himself. He needs to play without fear and enjoy the experience,” Gatland continued.
“The last thing he needs from us is to start talking too much about Bryan Habana, because he could get more worked up and nervous. He needs to go out there and really enjoy the occasion.
“The message to him will be to have some fun.
“A few months ago he was in the U20s looking up to these guys, thinking it might be a number of years before he got there, but now he will be running out on the field with them.
“The great thing about Leigh is that he's a wing who has been scoring tries. He should go into the game with nothing to fear.
“We could have gone conservative in selection and put someone like Tom Shanklin in there, but just because you are inexperienced doesn't mean you are not good enough to step up to the plate.”
The 27-year-old Powell, meanwhile, has waited far longer for his international opportunity during a career which saw him play for Newport, Beziers, Leicester and the Scarlets before linking up with the Blues.
He has also recovered from reconstructive surgery on both shoulders during the past two years and goes into the game as Welsh rugby's form number eight.
“Andy has produced some outstanding performances at number eight, and I don't think enough has been made of them,” Gatland added.
“If it was Jerry Collins or someone, then everyone would be raving about it. A couple of Andy's performances for the Blues have been absolutely world-class.”