After last nights tremendous game between Tonga and Papua New Guinea, the remaining two sides in Group D met at the Leigh Sports Village as Wales took on the Cook Islands as the final fixture of a fabulous opening round.

The Cook Islands were favourites with the bookies and were handicapped by eighteen points on the coupon, despite them being ranked four places below Wales in the IRL rankings. The sides have met on two previous occasions, both having recorded one victory, the last being a win for the Cook Islands in the group stages of the 2013 World Cup after Wales won the previous encounter in the 2000 World Cup by 38-6.

It was a crucial game for both sides and both coaches knew that whoever lost today would effectively be out of the competition, with both sides still having to play both Tonga and Papua New Guinea.

After an end-to-end opening ten minutes, it was Wales who opened the scoring with Rhodri Lloyd collecting a Josh Ralph grubber to crash over the top of his tackler and ground. Matty Fozard added the conversion, and the underdogs had a 6-0 lead.

The Cook Islands finally broke the Welsh line on eighteen, but Tepai Moeroa lost the ball in the act of scoring and the video referee agreed with the on field official and ruled ´No Try´.

Esan Marsters was the inspiration that saw the Islanders get their first points as he stepped out of a tackle and fed Anthony Gelling for an easy walk-in try. Steven Marsters provider added the conversion to level the scores on twenty-four.

Within two minutes the Welsh were in again thanks to an outrageous Ollie Olds dummy as he dropped the shoulder to go in from ten metres out. Fozard was on target again for his second of the night.

Three minutes before the interval the Cook Islands went over the line again, but Wales did well to hold them up and preserve their lead.

On the hooter Wales were caught offside and the Cook Islands opted to kick the penalty, Marsters getting his second of the night to narrow the half time arrears to just four points after a tremendous half of rugby from both sides.

The first nineteen minutes of the second half were deadlocked until The Kuki´s levelled the scores with Davvy Moale battering his way through four attempted tackles to burrow over the line for a great solo try. Marsters was again on target to snatch the lead for the first time in the game with twenty minutes remaining.

Three minutes later the Cook Islanders broke Welsh hearts when Steven Masters outjumped Rhys Williams to take a cross field kick and force the ball to the ground by the corner flag. The try scorer slipped as he kicked the conversion and the ball fell short of the cross bar.

Wales finished the game on the front foot after a Lloyd interception and break. Ralph went close on the fourth tackle but with the try line begging the last pass failed to go to hands and the final hooter sounded a Cook Islands win.

This was another tight Group D game between two evenly matched sides with the fitness of the Cook Islanders eventually winning the day despite a heroic effort from the Welsh lads. John Kear can be proud of his side who made a nonsense of the bookies handicapping, and who came within a whisker of securing the draw that they probably deserved. Wales will now find it almost impossible to qualify while the Cook Islands have given themselves a realistic hope of making the last eight.

Wales: Aekins, Butt, Evans W, Williams, Grant, Kear, Ralph, Walker, Fozard (2G), Fleming, Lloyd (T), Butler, Evans B. Subs: Olds (T), Davies, Burke, Antrobus.

Cook Islands: Iro, Ulberg, Gelling (T), Marsters E, Marsters S (T, 3G), Takairangi, Ford, Makatoa, Teroi, Moeroa, Peyroux, Noovao-McGreal. Tetevano. Subs: Arona, Rennie, Ngatikaura, Moale (T).

Half-Time: 12-8.

Full-Time: 12-18.

Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-6, 10-6, 12-6, 12-8 : HT : 12-12, 12-14, 12-18: FT .

Lead Exchanges: Wales – Square – Wales – Square -  Cook Islands.

Referee: Robert Hicks.

Attendance: 6,188 at the Leigh Sports Village, Leigh.