Pool B/Wales 42 Canada 17:Wales negotiated some troubled waters by the River Loire yesterday. Until a barrage of five second-half tries in 17 breathtaking minutes sank a defiant Canada.

Wales have scored 40 points or more in all their three World Cup games against Canada but this was the most fraught of those victories.

If a Northern Hemisphere side was expected to make an impact in the first days of the World Cup not many expected it to be Canada. But when their captain Morgan Williams crashed through a pile of forwards to score Canada's third try to give them a 17-9 lead five minutes after the break, this year's competition looked set for its second major shock of the weekend.

A raft of changes by Wales, though, took them safely to higher ground. The most significant of those saw Stephen Jones replace James Hook at outhalf shortly after that Williams try. Jones made an instant impact, bringing more control to a game that had threatened to be uncontrollable and he set up Sonny Parker for the first of those tries that transformed the game.

It was hardly Hook's fault that he made the error that sent Wales's supporters into a nervous frenzy five minutes before the interval.

Jamie Cudmore's try had put Canada ahead after Hook's three early penalties and Wales had forced Canada into their own 22 only for Hook to see his pass 10 metres out intercepted by Craig Culpan, who with Hook in desperate pursuit just made the line.

But after Parker's try had helped restore some order, Alun-Wyn Jones put Wales ahead again and Shane Williams's two scores and a final try from Colin Charvis saw a relieved Wales home.

WALES: Morgan; M Jones, Shanklin, Parker, S Williams; Hook, Peel (capt); Jenkins, Rees, A Jones; Gough, A-W Jones; J Thomas, M Williams, Popham. Replacements: G Thomas for Morgan, S Jones, for Hook (both 48 minutes); Owen for Gough, Charvis for M Williams (both 60 mins); Rhys Thomas for Rees (64 mins); Phillips for Peel (66 mins); D Jones for A Jones (69 mins). Tries: Parker, A-W Jones, S Williams (2), Charvis. Cons: S Jones (4). Pens: Hook (3).

CANADA: Pyke; Van der Merwe, Culpan, Spicer, Pritchard; Monro, M Williams (capt); Snow, Riordan, Thiel; Tait, James; Cudmore, Biddle, Stephen. Replacements: M Pletch for Thiel (33 mins); D Pletch for Snow (56 mins); Carpenter for Cudmore (61 mins); Yukes for Biddle, Smith for Monro (both 66 mins); Burak for Tait (69 mins); Fairhurst for M Williams (76 mins). Tries: Cudmore, Culpan, Williams. Con: Pritchard.

Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).