CHRISTMAS RUGBY NOSTALGIA
As excitement mounts ahead of the Boxing Day fixture at The Gnoll against Bonymaen and Christmas being the time for nostalgia and all that, let us take a look back at the Neath of 1899 – 125 years ago !
To set the scene, we can start by taking a look at what was going on in good old NEATH – courtesy of the columns of “The Cambrian” of December 22, 1899 – when the All Blacks awaited home games against sadly no more Llanelly and Llandeilo :-
“Neath came a cropper at Aberavon a week ago. How could it be different with eleven absentees ? By the way, I am glad, to note a better feeing among the players. Tomorrow we are promised a full team, Charlie Powell included.
Powell is undoubtedly one of the best halves, if not the best, in the Principality, and his presence will greatly strengthen the team. Llanelly (it is quite within the borders of the possible) may be defeated, and then what team will hold the Welsh championship.”
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On Saturday, December 23rd, 1899 the All Blacks awaited the visit of mighty Llanelly who had beaten Swansea the previous week when Neath lost nil-6 at Aberavon and the All Blacks had lost to Swansea the week before that 6-13.
Neath had not been enjoying a particularly good time and, in its early first edition, the “Evening Express” provided a complaint as well as a preview :-
“The Neath press-shelf is a positive disgrace. Some scribes are thinking seriously of bringing their own tables in future. The work of the reporter is arduous enough, and surely he deserves decent accommodation.
“Mr. Tom Jones, the worthy host of the Bird-in-Hand (with two in the bush) Hotel, craves Neath to beat Llanelly today. The players have been taking his famous cherry wine in small doses after training this week. If Mr. Jones’s prophecy works out right, there’ll be a big run on the particular brand referred to.
“The saddest man in the world a week ago, barring General Buller, was Mr. D. J. Price, secretary of the Neath Club. He had to take a miserably weak team to Aberavon, where he had to bear the taunts and gibes of the ‘Bravon supporters, many of whom are just about as fanatical as the Hindoo.
“However, Mr. Price survived, and to-day he is full of hope. If Llanelly gets beaten – and he says they will – then, indeed, it will be a Merry Christmas to him and the team.”
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Meanwhile, in the “South Wales Daily Post”, “Hotspur” (the finest writer on Neath RFC of all time) predicted a shock :-
NEATH V. LLANELLY
The Neath team, writes “Hotspur” is determined to make a bold bid for victory on Saturday. The fifteen selected is by far the strongest that has represented Neath this season, and, what is more, at the time of writing it seems that every man chosen will enter the field as fit as a fiddle.
It appears a big thing to suggest but I should not be a bit surprised if the Scarlets were defeated to-day. I expect Neath to hold an advantage at forward while at half Charlie Powell and Hanford will prove quite equal to the occasion.
At three-quarter Llanelly will be the cleverer lot, but I anticipate the advantage that Neath will hold in the other departments will more than compensate for this. Briefly. I expect to see Neath at least make a draw of it.
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Now to the bit that matters – the rugby and the game against Llanelly. This time, the “South Wales Daily News” presented an almost blow-by-blow version of the game itself :-
NEATH v LLANELLY.
The most important match down West was that in which Neath and Llanelly were engaged on the Gnoll Park ground. Both teams have this season shown in and out form, but chief among their battles must rank that in which the Scarlets succeeded in lowering the colours of the Swansea team while Neath won proud distinction in making things lively for the All Whites when they met some time ago on their own ground.
Every man picked on the Neath side turned out. Llanelly, however, suffered greatly in respect to absenteeism. Morgan Williams, Gabe, and Parry of the backs, and Jones and Keenan of the forwards, were unable to turn out, while the hope cherished by the Llanelly Club that Strand Jones, the great Oxford centre, would assist them proved vain. The teams eventually lined out as under :—
Llanelly – R Richards; P Howells, Evan Lloyd, Llewellyn Jones, Will J Davies; Ben Davies, Lodwig: E Thomas, W J Thomas, J Watts, C West, S Walters. D Bowen, J Davies, and I Lewis
Neath- Joe Davies; Owen Harries, Harry Jones, Phil Thomas, Tom Davies; Harry Hanford, Charlie Powell; Fred Davies, D.H. Davies, Jim Thomas, Alf Moxley, Jack Linnard, Henry Curtis, Evan Arnold, George John Referee – Mr W. Bowen (Cardiff)
Ben Davies opened play with an oblique kick, which was sent on by Will Davies, but Phil Thomas put in a splendid kick when harassed by the Scarlet forwards, the ball falling into touch at the centre. Neath got away in the loose from the first scrummage, but were unlucky in kicking too strongly, thus allowing the visiting backs ample time to regain the ground.
The Llanelly backs were given two splendid opportunities to show their ability, but the re-arrangement that had been caused by the absence of some regular players placed them at a disadvantage. The forwards gave out the ball, and on one occasion when the ball had travelled to Evan Lloyd, the left winger had an easy run, Joe Davies being quite out of his place The chance, however, was spoilt by a knock-on.
Play still lingered in Neath territory, where duels took place between the half-backs. In the end Hanford kicked strongly to Richards. The visiting custodian defended well, but Charlie Powell from a line-out broke through right to the line in the far corner of the field. A penalty kick was given the homesters, and Joe Davies made a an attempt to land a goal but the ball fell beneath the posts and Dan Walters, running out and kicking strongly, relieved the pressure that had for a brief spell existed on the Llanelly line.
Following up this success the Scarlet backs made rapid tracks for the visitors’ line, where Joe Davies, arresting their progress by a judicious kick, gave the ball to his confrere who recrossed the division line, defeating at least half a dozen of his opponents in most approved style. He ran no risk when paced by Richards and essayed a pass to Owen Harries.
The latter was impeded by Alcwyn Jones, and the ball going into touch lost the Neath men a good opening. Neath pegged away at their opponents inside their 25, and once when Alcwyn Jones made a blundering attempt to kick disaster must have followed but for the plucky manner in which Richards defended.
There were plenty of exciting incidents in the play, but the tackling on both sides prevented any material gain to either side. The home forwards failing to get possession of the ball in the scrummages could not give their backs any opportunity to score.
Ben Davies eventually relieved the pressure by a huge punt, the ball rolling into touch at the centre. Lodwig started a clever bout of passing at this spot, and Dan Walters, Ben Davies, and Alcwyn Jones each handled, but Harry Jones tackled his namesake, and so ended a pretty but ineffectual bout. This was the last incident up to half-time, nothing having been scored by either side.
Half-time Score- G. T. M. Llanelly 0 0 0 Neath 0 0 0
Neath gained a slight advantage on the restart. It was only momentarily, however, as Alcwyn Jones, who had throughout the first half been playing a finished game, picking up in the loose, broke through in a truly sensational style, and brushing aside the opposing centres he tried to trick Joe Davies, when Evan Lloyd and Will Davies were waiting on their wing. The Neath back was not to be tricked, however, and quite up to his reputation he brought Jones down,when a pass might have secured success for his side.
This brought the Llanelly men more into their opponents’ ground, and although Joe Davies had plenty of work the visitors never became actually dangerous. By his kicking ground was gained repeatedly, the game becoming a trifle monotonous and tame through the large number of lines-out.
That the Neath forwards could not prevail against their stronger opponents was frequently seen in the loose and in the scrummages, the visiting pack doing great things. Alcwyn Jones single-handed again broke through from the centre to the 25, his hesitation to part with the ball – a significant fault in his play – losing any advantage that his brilliant individual efforts had given.
Frequently the home halves were penalised, and when scoring was a long way off, judging by the manner in which the forwards hugged the ball. Mr Bowen ordered Moxley, one of the Neath men, off the field although that player was understood to complain of another player striking him in the face.
This roused the excitement of the crowd to fever heat, and amidst a continuous roar of shouting Neath infused considerable dash into their play. Quickly crossing the centre line the forwards forged ahead and although meeting with temporary checks were soon in the position of an attacking force.
When within a couple of yards of the line Sam Davies was forced down and Evan Lloyd brought slight relief. Harry Jones by a clever punt to touch kept the visitors on the defensive, the home forwards. singularly enough, doing better with seven in the pack than they had previously done with eight.
A series of kicks between the backs ended in favour of the homesters, and as time was fast drawing to a close Hanford, one of tie home halves, picking up cleverly in the loose ran with splendid judgment up to the line, where he was cleverly doubled between Richards and Alcwyn Jones and forged a try amidst applause. The place-kick, the result of which could not at this juncture affect the final issue, failed and with three points in hand the whistle blew, and Neath were the victors.
Final Score— G T. M. Neath 0 10 Llanelly 0 0 0
REMARKS. The victors of Swansea were today the losers in a game that was brimful of exciting incidents, fast, it was good-spirited, and pleasant. One regrettable feature, of course, was the decision of the referee in ordering Moxley off the field for alleged rough and unjustifiable conduct towards an opponent. The occurrence should not, however, be taken as an indication that the play was generally rough. As a matter of fact, the decision was as surprising to the partisans of Llanelly as it must have been to Neath.
Still the decision had the effect of determining the issue of the game, for as it transpired the home men played up with considerable dash until the finish. Neither side relied upon its combination. Forward rushes were frequent but the backs relied upon their kicking powers rather than their ability to act in concert with their fellow backs.
Individually many players shone. Both custodians with Alcwyn Jones and Ben Davies were at all times brilliant. Many really brilliant bits of play on the part of Alcwyn Jones were neutralised, however, by his extreme selfishness. His openings were made with a dash and judgment of a fine centre three-quarter but he relied too greatly upon his own powers, and with a custodian worthy of his steel like Joe Davies, the result invariably ended in failure. On the Neath side the try scored was really the one feature of the game.”
Neath’s win put them in good stead for Boxing Day, 1899 when Llandilo (Llandeilo) visited The Gnoll – let the “South Wales Daily Post” take up the tale :-
NEATH V. LLANDILO
There was a good gate on the Gnoll Ground on Tuesday when Neath and Llandilo met for the first and only time this season.
The weather was fine and both teams being well-represented a good game was witnessed. At the outset Llandilo pressed, but then the home forwards rushed three parts the length of the field and forced a minor.
After resumption, Llandilo came back to the centre, but Neath started a round of passing, which ended in Owen Harris scoring. The kick failed. The game had not long been resumed when Owen Harris had to retire through injury. Dai Thomas took his place on the wing.
Llandilo pressed, and the right wing, Thomas, was soon sailing beautifully towards the home line. He had only to pass Joe Davies, but he failed, for the home custodian bowled him into touch close to the 25 flag.
A minute or two later George John had also to retire through an injury to his head. Almost immediately after Frank Fuller headed a grand rush. His forwards backed him up in grand style, and it seemed odds on Llandilo scoring, but an injudicious kick almost in the moment of success brought them but a minor.
Before the call of half-time Neath had to concede a second minor.
Half-time Score: Neath—1 try, 1 minor. Llandilo—2 minors.
The second half was evenly contested—first one side attacking and then the other, but no score was made.
FINAL SCORE: NEATH—1 try 3 minors. LLANDILO NIL
The referee Mr. Edwin Emery (Bridgend) played a few games for Neath but he missed the injury caused to George John and “Hotspur” concluded that the last two referees “should give up the business and take to skittles.”
Still, 1899 had been a successful Christmas for the All Blacks with two narrow wins. Will there be another on Boxing Day 2024 when Bonymaen come to The Gnoll (kick off 2.30pm).
125 years on, it is sad to note that Llanelly RFC is no more – and, following last year’s shenanigans with the WRU, it seems that one or two people still there in Cardiff (not the RFC) would not care if Neath went the same way.
Fortunately, the rugby folk of Neath are made of sterner stuff.
The All Blacks are still here, doing rather well, so come along and show your support for your Town on Boxing Day at the game against Bonymaen – be early ! MP