THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW
A dwindling band of noble old-age pensioners will be reunited next week for an event held every ten years to mark the Halloween when their victory ran the pubs dry.
The dinner in honour of the last Welsh team to defeat the All Blacks will be laden with a poignancy mercifully lacking from the previous four. It has nothing to do with this being the 50th anniversary and everything to do with the ravages of time.
The 10th, 20th and 30th bashes featured the Llanelli team as Carwyn James selected it for the most blessed of all Scarlet days, October 31, 1972. They turned up for the 40th without their Warrior Prince, the inimitable Ray Gravell who died in 2007 long before his time at 56. The Grim Reaper has since gone into overtime and now they are down to 11 following the deaths of Phil Bennett, JJ Williams and Hefin Jenkins. Sadly, the loss this time last year of reserve prop Chris Charles means that the six-man bench is no longer intact. What Llanelli achieved under Delme Thomas’ captaincy has not been emulated by any club team since. And it never will be because the All Blacks don’t waste their time playing clubs any more because there isn’t enough money in it.
Scarlets chairman Simon Muderack’s bid to mark the milestone by asking the NZRFU to fit in one more club fixture for old time’s sake fell on deaf ears for a variety of reasons. At least one All Black, Sean Fitzpatrick, will be there in his capacity as the Scarlets’ non-executive director and global ambassador,
The only non-Test setbacks suffered by the All Blacks in the four home countries during the last 50 years have not been against club opponents but those fortified by an amalgam of clubs under a provincial, divisional or counties banner. It’s only happened four times:
Nov 22, 1972 at Workington: Northwest Counties 16, All Blacks 12.
Oct 31, 1978 at Thomond Park: Munster 12, All Blacks 0
Nov 17, 1979: at Otley: Northern Division 21, All Blacks 9.
Nov 8, 1983: at Welford Road: Midland Division 19, All Blacks 13.
At Test level, the Welsh record over the same period is the worst of the four Unions. Since Bennett worked his magic in turning a penalty miss into a converted try for Roy Bergiers, France, England and Ireland have beaten New Zealand home and away. France have done so ten times, England seven and Ireland five, the three most recent within the last 12 months. Even Scotland have managed a draw, 25-25 in 1983. Wales’ record against New Zealand since 1972 is nothing if not consistent: played 28, lost 28.
They will try again on Saturday week to do what these Llanelli players did 50 years ago:
15 Roger Davies. Llanelli born and bred, he occupied the full back berth for almost 150 matches over five seasons. Age: 73.
14 JJ Williams. Champion sprinter turned rugby superstar and successful businessman. 164 tries for the Scarlets in 222 matches. Died October 2020, aged 72.
13 Roy Bergiers. Belgian paratrooper’s son who scored the only try of the All Blacks’ match, one of 80 in 247 matches. Retired schoolteacher. Age: 71.
12 Ray Gravell. Kidwelly, Llanelli,
Wales, Lions: one of the best-loved players of all-time. Died in October 2007, aged 56.
11 Andy Hill. Goalkicking wing whose club record, 312 tries in 451 matches, will stand for ever. Somehow remained uncapped. Born Swansea. Age 77.
10 Phil Bennett. An all-time global great whose fame never affected his innate humility, the ultimate local boy from Felinfoel made good. Died last summer at 73.
9 Ray ‘Chicko’ Hopkins. Signed from Maesteg the year after understudying Gareth Edwards for the Lions in New Zealand. Only played nine matches before going to League. Age: 76.
1 Tony Crocker. Highly consistent prop who played more than 300 times for his hometown club over a period of ten years. Age: 80.
2 Roy ‘Shinto’ Thomas. Sat through 26 internationals during the 1970s without getting his cap. None more deserving of one than the hooker from Penclawydd. Age: 79. 3 Barry Llewelyn. Born Ashton-under-Lyme during his father’s time in Rugby League. Test tighthead. Age: 74.
4 Delme Thomas. Electricity board lineman from Bancyfelin and inspirational captain. Played 44 matches for the Lions over three tours. Age: 80.
5 Derek Quinnell. Went to the same school as Phil Bennett. Achieved the rare distinction of playing in a Lions’ Test before Wales capped him. Age: 73.
6 Tommy David. Signed from his native Pontypridd as one of the most dynamic back row forwards of the Seventies. After a spell in League became a businessman. Age: 74.
7 Gareth Jenkins. Born Burry Port. The baby of the team at 21 cruelly robbed of international status by a series of injuries. Former club and national coach. Age: 71.
8 Hefin Jenkins. Great one-club man whose loyalty extended far beyond playing more than 400 matches. A civil servant, he died in 2014 after a short illness aged 55.
Replacements:
Chris Charles (prop): Born Milford Haven. Went to League, then ran a pub. Died last year, aged 72.
Meirion Davies (hooker): Born Trimsaran into a famous rugby family. Age: 79.
Bryan Llewelyn (lock): Barry’s older brother. Age: 77.
Alan James (back row): Another homegrown player, more than 250 matches. Age: 78.
Selwyn Williams (scrum-half): Born Llandissilio. Outstanding one-club man. Retired schoolteacher. Aged: 73.
Gwyn Ashby (fly-half): Tycroes born and bred. Ran the show in Bennett’s absence through 128 matches. Age: 74.
The All Blacks:
15 Joe Karam. Lebanese-Irish parents became businessman. Age: 70.
14 Bryan ‘Bee-Gee’ Williams. Revered All Black and former Samoa coach. Age: 72.
13 Bruce Robertson. High-class centre now suffering from ill health. Age: 70.
12 Mark Sayers. 15 matches for the ABs but never in a Test. Age: 75.
11 Duncan Hales. One Test, against Wales in 1972. Age: 74.
10 Bob Burgess. Fly-half who refused to play the Springboks as a protest against apartheid. Age: 73.
9 Lin Colling. Died from a brain tumour in 2003 at the age of 57.
1 Keith Murdoch. Sent home in disgrace during the 1972 tour. Died four years ago aged 74.
2 Ron Urlich. Three years as No. 2 hooker behind Tane Norton. Age: 78.
3 Graham Whiting. Cashed in his chips with Rugby League after six Tests. Age: 76.
4 Andy Haden. Accused of cheating Wales of victory in 1978 with his notorious dive. Died two years ago at 69.
5 Peter Whiting. Played 20 Tests in five years. Age: 76.
6 Alastair Scown. Bennett’s famous sidestep for the Barbarians at Cardiff in 1973 ended his Test career. Age: 73.
7 Ian Kirkpatrick. All-time great who scored a hat-trick of tries against the Wallabies at Sydney Cricket Ground. Age: 76.
8 Alan Sutherland. Emigrated to South Africa. Died there two years ago aged 76.
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