Autumn internationals - Wales v Argentina
Venue: Millennium Stadium Date: Saturday, 21 November Kick-off: 1430 GMT
Coverage: Exclusively live on BBC ONE Wales and online, full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and online, live text commentary online and score updates on BBC Radio 5 Live

Shane Williams concedes Wales' lack of tries this autumn is a "concern".

The Welsh have touched down just once in their two November Tests and have scored only two tries at home this year with Leigh Halfpenny scoring both.

Williams, Wales' record try-scorer, said: "It is a little bit of a concern, we are creating things but we're just not finishing off tries at the moment.

"We haven't hit the panic button yet as we have players behind the scrum who score tries week in, week out for fun."

Halfpenny scored in Wales' 23-15 victory over England at the Millennium Stadium in the Six Nations and the Cardiff Blues wing also scored in last Friday's 17-13 win over Samoa.

But the once prolific Welsh failed to cross the line in defeats to Ireland and New Zealand.

Wales, though, scored seven tries on the road in the Six Nations while an under-strength tour party scored eight tries in summer tour Tests against Canada and United States.

The Welsh are renowned for their attacking rugby, but the lack of a cutting edge is worrying Williams and his coach Warren Gatland.

His men created almost a dozen try-scoring opportunities against Samoa on Friday but Wales hope to convert chances into scores in their Saturday's showdown with Argentina in Cardiff.

"In Test match rugby you don't often get many chances," Gatland said. "And if you do, you have to take them.

"We created a huge amount of chances against Samoa and could have scored four or five tries.

"And of the two autumn games, we played more rugby than the opposition as they kicked the ball more.

"We are a little bit frustrated ourselves that we haven't scored more tries in the two matches but the defence has been good.

"We are creating opportunities and we need to finish them off."

Gatland and defence coach Shaun Edwards shored up the Welsh rearguard dramatically since their appointment in December 2007.

There is a little bit more pressure on the outside as we all know Welsh supporters expect tries and expect great games - but it isn't always the case Wales wing Shane Williams

Wales conceded just two tries in their 2008 Grand Slam triumph when the free-scoring Welsh touched down 13 times in their second clean-sweep in four years.

Williams' six tries in five Six Nations matches - equalling Will Greenwood's Championship try-scoring record - earned him the player of the tournament award.

The Ospreys star scored nine tries in 2008 and was honoured with the IRB International Player of the Year accolade.

Wales, however, have lacked a killer instinct recently but Williams says creating chances is not the problem.

"We certainly showed against Samoa that we can create things," said the 32-year-old who boasts a prolific strike-rate 46 tries in 66 caps.

"We made 11 line breaks and just one try - from a kick as well. Maybe the Welsh public expect a bit more.

"There is a little bit more pressure on the outside as we all know Welsh supporters expect tries and expect great games - but it isn't always the case.

"Even though we give 100%, we aren't scoring as many points and tries as the supporters would like. But, first and foremost, we are winning games and defences are stronger these days.

"We do work hard in training to break down defences, score tries and play with some of that Welsh flair - I'm all for that.

"But when we do break lines, players look for supporting runners and take our time rather than panic and chuck the 50/50 pass off."

Wales' well-documented 11 line-breaks against Samoa only brought one try as Sam Warburton and James Hook, for example, broke through only for the moves to break down.

"We've got to take ownership of individual errors which didn't allow us to capitalise on the hard effort and work we put it in," said Wales captain Ryan Jones.

"We made 11 line-breaks and scored just one try which is unusual for us. We've always thrived on that small opportunity or on an opposition mistake - and that, for whatever reason, is something that has gone out of our game."

But Stephen Jones, the Lions fly-half, insists the scores will come.

"I'd be more concerned if we had not had line breaks and had not got in behind teams," said the Scarlets star, who wins his 82nd Wales cap against the Pumas on Saturday.

"The disappointing thing was that we weren't able to capitalise on any of them against Samoa but we must be patient and accurate. Then the tries will come."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version