Leigh Halfpenny nerves praised by skipper as Wales win thriller
06/02/2012
Leigh Halfpenny was praised by Wales captain Sam Warburton for his icy coolness in scoring the match-winning last-gasp penalty that gave Wales a dramatic 23-21 win in the Six Nations match against Ireland in Dublin.
He said: "I see Leigh after training for ages out on the pitch and he bangs them over all day long but it's a bit different when you have 50,000 Irishmen against you."
However, he added, Halfpenny deserved his success after a crucial miss in the World Cup semi final against France.
Warburton said it was "agony" having to watch from the sidelines after leaving the pitch with a dead leg, but fans enjoying hospitality packages at the Millennium Stadium will hope they can soon see him back in action, as the injury was not serious.
Meanwhile, Irish coach Declan Kidney said his team paid the price for allowing the Welsh to have too much possession and place the men in green under constant pressure late in the game.
By Sam Smith