# 2003 Wales rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand

The Wales national rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand in June 2003, playing test matches against the Australia and New Zealand national teams as part of their preparations for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Wales lost both test matches, first going down 30–10 to Australia in Sydney, before a 55–3 defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton.

## Squad

Wales coach Steve Hansen named an initial squad of 30 for their tour to Australia and New Zealand, as well as a pre-tour match against the Barbarians. Bath's 20-year-old back-rower Gareth Delve was a surprise selection in the original squad, but he suffered a shoulder injury against the Barbarians and was replaced in the final squad by uncapped Swansea back-rower Jonathan Thomas. The other uncapped players in the final squad were Neath prop Adam Jones, Llanelli scrum-half Mike Phillips, Swansea hooker Huw Bennett and Leeds back-rower Alix Popham. Four captains were named for the tour: flankers Colin Charvis and Martyn Williams, hooker Robin McBryde and fly-half Stephen Jones.
| Name | Position | Club | Notes |
| Huw Bennett | Hooker | Swansea | |
| Mefin Davies | Hooker | Pontypridd | |
| Robin McBryde | Hooker | Llanelli | Captain |
| Ben Evans | Prop | Cardiff | |
| Gethin Jenkins | Prop | Pontypridd | |
| Adam Jones | Prop | Neath | |
| Iestyn Thomas | Prop | Llanelli | |
| Robert Sidoli | Lock | Pontypridd | |
| Gareth Llewellyn | Lock | Neath | |
| Vernon Cooper | Lock | Llanelli | |
| Chris Wyatt | Lock | Llanelli | |
| Martyn Williams | Back row | Cardiff | Captain |
| Colin Charvis | Back row | Swansea | Captain |
| Dafydd Jones | Back row | Llanelli | |
| Jonathan Thomas | Back row | Swansea | |
| Alix Popham | Back row | Leeds | |
| Gareth Cooper | Scrum-half | Bath | |
| Dwayne Peel | Scrum-half | Llanelli | |
| Mike Phillips | Scrum-half | Llanelli | |
| Gavin Henson | Fly-half | Swansea | |
| Stephen Jones | Fly-half | Llanelli | Captain |
| Ceri Sweeney | Fly-half | Pontypridd | |
| Sonny Parker | Centre | Pontypridd | |
| Jamie Robinson | Centre | Cardiff | |
| Tom Shanklin | Centre | Saracens | |
| Mark Taylor | Centre | Swansea | |
| Matthew Watkins | Centre | Llanelli | |
| Mark Jones | Wing | Llanelli | |
| Garan Evans | Full-back | Llanelli | |
| Rhys Williams | Full-back | Cardiff | |

## Matches
### Wales vs Barbarians

Wales prepared for their tour to Australia and New Zealand with an uncapped match against the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium on 31 May 2003. It served as a farewell match for fly-half Neil Jenkins, who was retiring from international rugby as the all-time top point scorer in test history. The Barbarians scored eight tries during the match, taking a 48–28 lead into the closing stages; Jenkins, who had come on in the 66th minute, set up Tom Shanklin for his hat-trick try, before slotting the final points of the game himself.
* 31 May 2003
| Wales | 35–48 | Barbarians |
| Try: Taylor Harris Shanklin (3) Con: S. Jones (4) Jenkins | Report | Try: Reihana (2) Magne Harding Tuilevu Galwey Garvey Robinson Con: Contepomi (4) |
* Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 23,721 Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
| FB | 15 | Garan Evans |
| RW | 14 | Mark Jones |
| OC | 13 | Mark Taylor |
| IC | 12 | Iestyn Harris |
| LW | 11 | Rhys Williams |
| FH | 10 | Stephen Jones |
| SH | 9 | Dwayne Peel |
| N8 | 8 | Alix Popham |
| OF | 7 | Martyn Williams (c) |
| BF | 6 | Colin Charvis |
| RL | 5 | Gareth Llewellyn |
| LL | 4 | Vernon Cooper |
| TP | 3 | Adam Jones |
| HK | 2 | Robin McBryde |
| LP | 1 | Iestyn Thomas |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Mefin Davies |
| PR | 17 | Ben Evans |
| N8 | 18 | Gareth Delve |
| FL | 19 | Chris Wyatt |
| SH | 20 | Mike Phillips |
| FH | 21 | Neil Jenkins |
| WG | 22 | Tom Shanklin |
| Coach: ||
| Steve Hansen ||
| FB | 15 | Percy Montgomery |
| RW | 14 | Aisea Tuilevu |
| OC | 13 | Cristian Stoica |
| IC | 12 | Daryl Gibson |
| LW | 11 | Bruce Reihana |
| FH | 10 | Felipe Contepomi |
| SH | 9 | Mark Robinson |
| N8 | 8 | AJ Venter |
| OF | 7 | Olivier Magne |
| BF | 6 | Sam Harding |
| RL | 5 | Mark Connors (c) |
| LL | 4 | Ryan Strudwick |
| TP | 3 | Franck Tournaire |
| HK | 2 | Matt Sexton |
| LP | 1 | Ollie le Roux |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Raphaël Ibañez |
| PR | 17 | Adrian Garvey |
| LK | 18 | Mick Galwey |
| FL | 19 | Santiago Phelan |
| SH | 20 | Darren Edwards |
| FB | 21 | Matt Perry |
| CE | 22 | Scott Staniforth |
| Coach: ||
| Alan Solomons ||

### Australia vs Wales

* 14 June 2003
| Australia | 30–10 | Wales |
| Try: Sailor (2) Latham Paul Grey Con: Roff Pen: Flatley | Report | Try: Robinson Con: S. Jones Pen: S. Jones |
* Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 63,688 Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
| FB | 15 | Chris Latham |
| RW | 14 | Wendell Sailor |
| OC | 13 | Morgan Turinui |
| IC | 12 | Steve Kefu |
| LW | 11 | Joe Roff |
| FH | 10 | Elton Flatley |
| SH | 9 | George Gregan (c) |
| N8 | 8 | Toutai Kefu |
| OF | 7 | Phil Waugh |
| BF | 6 | David Giffin |
| RL | 5 | David Lyons |
| LL | 4 | Nathan Sharpe |
| TP | 3 | Patricio Noriega |
| HK | 2 | Jeremy Paul |
| LP | 1 | Bill Young |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Brendan Cannon |
| PR | 17 | Ben Darwin |
| LK | 18 | Dan Vickerman |
| FL | 19 | Daniel Heenan |
| SH | 20 | Chris Whitaker |
| CE | 21 | Nathan Grey |
| WG | 22 | Lote Tuqiri |
| Coach: ||
| Graham Henry ||
| FB | 15 | Rhys Williams |
| RW | 14 | Mark Jones |
| OC | 13 | Jamie Robinson |
| IC | 12 | Mark Taylor |
| LW | 11 | Tom Shanklin |
| FH | 10 | Stephen Jones |
| SH | 9 | Gareth Cooper |
| N8 | 8 | Colin Charvis |
| OF | 7 | Martyn Williams (c) |
| BF | 6 | Jonathan Thomas |
| RL | 5 | Robert Sidoli |
| LL | 4 | Gareth Llewellyn |
| TP | 3 | Gethin Jenkins |
| HK | 2 | Robin McBryde |
| LP | 1 | Iestyn Thomas |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Mefin Davies |
| PR | 17 | Ben Evans |
| LK | 18 | Chris Wyatt |
| N8 | 19 | Alix Popham |
| SH | 20 | Dwayne Peel |
| FH | 21 | Ceri Sweeney |
| CE | 22 | Gavin Henson |
| Coach: ||
| Steve Hansen ||

### New Zealand vs Wales

* 21 June 2003
| New Zealand | 55–3 | Wales |
| Try: Howlett Spencer Carter Meeuws Mealamu Umaga Rokocoko (2) Con: Carter (6) | Report | Pen: S. Jones |
* Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 27,500 Referee: Daniel Lewis (Ireland)
| FB | 15 | Mils Muliaina |
| RW | 14 | Doug Howlett |
| OC | 13 | Tana Umaga |
| IC | 12 | Dan Carter |
| LW | 11 | Joe Rokocoko |
| FH | 10 | Carlos Spencer |
| SH | 9 | Steve Devine |
| N8 | 8 | Jerry Collins |
| OF | 7 | Marty Holah |
| BF | 6 | Reuben Thorne (c) |
| RL | 5 | Ali Williams | 47' |
| LL | 4 | Chris Jack |
| TP | 3 | Kees Meeuws |
| HK | 2 | Keven Mealamu |
| LP | 1 | Carl Hoeft |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Anton Oliver |
| PR | 17 | Dave Hewett |
| LK | 18 | Brad Thorn | 47' |
| FL | 19 | Richie McCaw |
| SH | 20 | Byron Kelleher |
| CE | 21 | Aaron Mauger |
| WG | 22 | Caleb Ralph |
| Coach: ||
| Graham Henry ||
| FB | 15 | Rhys Williams |
| RW | 14 | Mark Jones |
| OC | 13 | Jamie Robinson | 68' |
| IC | 12 | Mark Taylor |
| LW | 11 | Tom Shanklin | 76' |
| FH | 10 | Stephen Jones |
| SH | 9 | Gareth Cooper | 76' |
| N8 | 8 | Colin Charvis | 23' |
| OF | 7 | Martyn Williams (c) | 28' | 40' |
| BF | 6 | Dafydd Jones |
| RL | 5 | Gareth Llewellyn | | | 51' |
| LL | 4 | Robert Sidoli |
| TP | 3 | Gethin Jenkins |
| HK | 2 | Robin McBryde | 51' |
| LP | 1 | Iestyn Thomas |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Mefin Davies | 51' |
| PR | 17 | Ben Evans |
| LK | 18 | Chris Wyatt | 28' | 40' | 51' |
| FL | 19 | Jonathan Thomas | 23' |
| SH | 20 | Dwayne Peel | 76' |
| FH | 21 | Ceri Sweeney | 68' |
| CE | 22 | Gavin Henson | 76' |
| Coach: ||
| Steve Hansen ||