A FORMER Huntingdon Stags prop caused agony for millions of Welshmen – and Wales coach Gareth Jenkins – with a vital try at the weekend. Fijian Graham Dewes scored the winning try for his country on Saturday, sealing a thrilling 38-34 win to knock Wales o

A FORMER Huntingdon Stags prop caused agony for millions of Welshmen - and Wales coach Gareth Jenkins - with a vital try at the weekend.

Fijian Graham Dewes scored the winning try for his country on Saturday, sealing a thrilling 38-34 win to knock Wales out of the Rugby World Cup.

Dewes, 25, spent the 2005/06 season with Stags and former captain Tom McCreadie said he was a class apart - even though he was carrying a leg injury.

McCreadie said: "Graham was a gentle giant but was an extremely tough competitor who was highly committed and a loyal clubman."

Dewes' try in the closing stages of Saturday's game in Nantes - with the help of the video referee - left Jenkins out of a job as he paid the price for his side's failure.

Fiji travel to Marseille to play South Africa on Sunday in their first World Cup quarter-final.

McCreadie said: "He played half the season with a severe leg injury but never once let his colleagues down in a game and it was an honour to have him with the club.

"Even then his ambition was to go on and represent Fiji."

Dewes arrived at the club via a teaching contact at Hinchingbrooke School and also worked at Nokia, in Huntingdon, during his 12-month stay in the area.

McCreadie said: "We are all delighted for him and wish him all the best for the quarter-final."

Meanwhile, back in Huntingdonshire, Stags went down to a 43-12 defeat to Leighton Buzzard in the Midlands Division 3 East (South).

The defeat left Huntingdon with a strange sense of deja vu, having conceded 43 points the previous weekend at Wellingborough.

Stags had decent spells of possession and territory but failed to convert it into points and were especially vulnerable to the abilities of the attacking full-back.

A succession of schoolboy errors led to Buzzard's second try and they crossed the line to add a third shortly after, building a 22-0 lead at half-time.

With the wind and slope in Stags' favour, second-half hopes began high and these were reinforced when Quentin Minnaar scored near the posts for Damien Whale to convert.

Buzzard soon quashed the visitors' rally, however, and ran in a further two scores before Abblitt crossed to give his side a consolation try.

* Stags II continued their good recent run with a 31-19 victory against Leighton Buzzard. There were two tries for James Anthony and one each from Hugh Williams, Wayne Bradley and Chip Wood.