Leigh Halfpenny may have ended his game on the British & Irish Lions tour with a 100% goalkicking record, but the Wales full back can’t wait to get back out on the training field.
The man who kicked his country to a Grand Slam in 2012 and an RBS 6 Nations title in 2013 was on target with 11 successive kicks against the Western Force to end the night with 24 points from nine conversions and two penalties.
“I’m pretty pleased with that – I’ll take that. It’s a good start but it doesn’t stop there. We will enjoy this victory, which is special, but we have to get back on the training pitch and continue the work,” said Halfpenny in his post-match TV interview.
“I continue to work on what I do day in day out, going through my routine. Neil Jenkins gives me pointers and reminds me about what I am good at. I’m pretty pleased with the way I struck the ball.
“It doesn’t get much better than to have a legend of the game, someone who was the world top points scorer at one time, to give me pointers before a kick.”
In Halfpenny’s sights on this tour will be Jenkins’ Lions record of 41 points in a series, in the 2-1 victory over the Springboks back in 1997, and fellow Welshman Stephen Jones’ 20 points in a Test, scored against South Africa in 2009.
“The boys set the bar in Hong Kong and for us it was about taking it to the next level. We did that today – we were clinical, when we had opportunities we finished them. It’s about taking it to the next level again now,” he added.
