Wales try-scorer Rhys Webb paid tribute to the perseverance of his side’s forwards in a hard-fought 18-0 victory over Georgia in Llanelli.
Louis Rees-Zammit’s first ever international try got the ball rolling for the hosts, who recorded their first victory in seven matches at Parc y Scarlets.
Callum Sheedy added eight more points with the boot, as Wayne Pivac’s side bounced back from last weekend’s opening round defeat to Ireland with a comfortable win, as Webb added a second score in the closing stages.
Georgia are yet to trouble the scorers in either of their two matches in the competition, with Webb putting Saturday’s shutout down to the resilience of the men up front.
“A lot of credit has to go to our pack, there’s been a lot of press recently about how our pack hasn’t been fronting up, but all credit to them here,” the 31-year-old said.
“There’s a lot of talk of Georgia and their set piece being strong and dominant and to be fair to our pack they matched that, and I thought we came out on top in that aspect and the backs finished off the tries.
Sheedy had already kicked his side into the lead before Rees-Zammit made his mark in Llanelli, with the 19-year-old scoring sensation marking his first international start with a try 25 minutes in.
The Gloucester man still had work to do when he picked the ball up on the left-hand side but saw off the attention of the Georgia defence to touch down in the corner.
And the teenager was involved in Wales’ second try later in the game, as his inside pass set Webb away to score his first international try in over four years.
The scrum-half had been out of action since picking up a knock in the 38-21 defeat to France back in October and made the most of his opportunity off the bench to grab the final points of the game.
The Lelos continued to dig and delve throughout the 80 minutes, but struggled to muster any real try-scoring opportunities, leaving them rooted to the bottom of Group A.
Attention now turns to next weekend’s Round 3 clash with England, who are still unbeaten in the Autumn Nations Cup after an 18-7 victory over Ireland earlier in the day.
And Webb is under no illusions how tough the challenge will be, but after getting a first victory since February, confidence will be riding high when Eddie Jones’ side come to town.
“It’s always a massive relief after picking up a win, a lot of the boys put their hands up for selection against England next week,” he added.
“It’s all about putting smiles on faces now, so we’ll enjoy this win, but we’ll turn up on Monday ready to take on England.
“I was disappointed to pick up a knock against France but I’ve worked hard behind the scenes with the physio, and being on the bench you’re itching to get on.
“I’m always honoured to represent your country, and it’s great to get the try at the end.”
