Howley brings a smile to Welsh faces

The message from the Welsh camp after this historic first win over the Barbarians was that things can only get better. They will have to if Wales are to step out of the second division of world rugby into which their director of rugby, Terry Cobner, has openly admitted his side has slumped.

It took 68 minutes for the full Welsh side to guarantee themselves the pounds 500 match win bonus against a scratch side. They will not be afforded the same luxury against the likes of France, Italy, Australia and South Africa, all of whom they meet before Christmas.

The bright spots were once again the performances of the No 8 Steve Williams and the scrum-half Rob Howley. The latter produced the one outstanding moment of the match when he raced 40 metres up the right touchline to score in the dying moments.

That at least allowed the 19,000 crowd to go home with smiles on their faces. At pounds 20 per ticket, though, you have to wonder how many will keep coming back as the international fixture list explodes to help pay for professionalism and the new stadium in Cardiff.

It seems that everyone is struggling to come to terms with the new era in rugby union. Howley, for one, is finding life is no bed of roses as a full-time sportsman.

After only a month as one of Wales' 20 full-time players, earning pounds 30,000 a year, he admitted he is still struggling to come to terms with his new job.

"It is difficult when you have been playing an amateur game so long and then suddenly become professional, with up to three training sessions a day," Howley said.

The next Welsh assignment, against the French at the Arms Park on 25 September, is bound to be a more structured affair than the Baa-Baas free- for-all and it is unlikely that the fans can expect to see the ball in play for 37 minutes again. But if Wales are to make it three wins in a row at home over France they must make better use of their chances.

Although it took them only 90 seconds to open their account, when the Llanelli centre Nigel Davies notched the first of his two tries, there were at least a half-dozen occasions on which a Welsh player was halted inches short of the line.

On a number of those occasions there was a player better placed to score. Yet, a win is a win and, in the new professional age, it is results that matter.

Wales: Tries: N Davies 2, Proctor, Humphreys, Howley; Conversions: Jenkins 3. Barbarians: Tries: Pene, Corkery.

WALES: W Proctor (Llanelli); I Evans (Llanelli), N Davies (Llanelli), L Davies (Cardiff), G Thomas (Bridgend); N Jenkins (Pontypridd), R Howley (Cardiff); C Loader (Swansea), J Humphreys (Cardiff, capt), J Davies (Neath), G Llewellyn (Harlequins), D Jones (Cardiff), K Jones (Ebbw Vale), S Williams (Neath), M Williams (Pontypridd). Replacements: P John (Pontypridd) for Howley 48 -53; P Arnold (Swansea) for D Jones 68; J Thomas (Cardiff) for N Davies 71.

BARBARIANS: D Arrieta (Biarritz); A Bose (Mana), R Dourthe (Dax), S Glas (Bourgoin), N Walker (Cardiff); P Howard (Queensland), A Pichot (San Isidro); A Watt (Currie), J Hay (Hawick), R Snow (Newport), R McCall (Queensland), D Sims (Gloucester), M Gusuna (Mana), A Pene (Kaneka, capt), D Corkery (Bristol). Replacements: R Collins (Pontypridd) for Gusuna 30.

Referee: J Fleming (Scotland).