Welsh rugby was on top of the world last night after Lee Beach’s unfancied side upset the odds three times on the last day of the Rugby World Cup Sevens to win the Melrose Cup.
The Welsh dragon breathed enough fire to beat New Zealand, Samoa and then Argentina on the final day to come from nowhere to notch one of Welsh sport’s greatest achievements.
Having started the tournament as rank 80-1 outsiders, Beach’s boys rocked the All Blacks 15-14 with a last gasp Tom Isaacs try before ousting the Samoans 19-12.
Then it was on to a revenge mission against the Pumas, who had beaten them 14-0 in the Pool stages a day earlier, and another 19-12 victory.
Tries from Richie Pugh, Tal Selly and Aled Thomas were enough to secure a win that confirmed Beach’s group of fringe Regional players as the best sevens side in the world.
“It will take a while for this to sink in – it is just an incredible feeling,” admitted the Welsh skipper shortly before taking the trophy from IRB chairman Bernard Lapassett.
It was an incredible way for new coach Paul John to crown his first season in charge. The signs that his side needed to be taken seriously came when they beat New Zealand in Wellington last month, but nobody outside Wales expected them to go all the way and win the world title.
“It is a phenomenal result. We gained momentum from beating New Zealand on their home soil in the Wellington tournament and the confidence in this side has grown from there,” said John.
“We knew that if we could beat New Zealand again in the quarter-finals then anything was possible. That’s how it turned out and the players were fantastic – they dug in and dug deep.”
