Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc
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Twas on a dark and dismal day in a week that had seen rain,
When all roads led to Stradey Park with the All Blacks here again,
they poured down from the valleys, they came from far and wide,
There were 50,000 in the ground and me and Dai outside.The shops were closed like Sunday and the streets were silent still,
And those who chose to stay away were either dead or ill,
But those who went to Stradey park will remember till they die,
How New Zealand Were defeated and how the pubs ran dry.Oh the beer flowed at Stradey, piped down from Felinfoel,
And the hands that held the glasses high were strong from steel and coal,
the air was filled with singing and I heard a grown man cry,
Not because we'd won but because the pubs ran dry.Then dawned the morning after, on empty factories,
For we were still at Stradey, bloodshot absentees,
But we all had doctors papers and they all said just the same,
that we all had Scarlet fever and we caught it at the game.Now all the little babies in Llanelli from now on,
Will be Christened Roy or Carwyn, Derek, Delme, Phil or John,
And in a hundred years from now they'll sing a song for me,
About that day the scoreboard read Llanelli 9- Seland Newydd 3.And when I grow old, my hair turns grey and they put me in a chair,
I'll tell my great grandchildren that their Datcu was there.
And they'll ask to hear the story of that dark October day,
When I went down to Stradey park and I saw the Scarlets play.Max Boyce
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@dan54 said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
Best mate still likes to tell me he was at the Llanelli game. Says still one of highlight of rugby watching career.
Sean Fitzpatrick once said he'd never meet a Welshman under 60 who wasn't at Cardiff Arms Park in 1953.
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@dan54 said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
Best mate still likes to tell me he was at the Llanelli game. Says still one of highlight of rugby watching career.
Every man in Wales was at that game. Even those not then born.
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@victor-meldrew said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@dan54 said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
Best mate still likes to tell me he was at the Llanelli game. Says still one of highlight of rugby watching career.
Sean Fitzpatrick once said he'd never meet a Welshman under 60 who wasn't at Cardiff Arms Park in 1953.
Yep, only trouble with that theory, is mate 67, and got a team photo of boys from his team at game. I will pass on message that he's considered a fraud though!! I sure he won't care what people he doesn't know who post anonimously think .
Actually one thing with mate, like me he actually goes to a hell of a lot of rugby, unlike me he doesn't post on forums. Him and I are such desperates we arranged a holiday to Wales a couple of years back , so we could do club rugby in and around Wales. Unfortunately on way we stopped in Italy where my son lived and a nameless person slipped on ice and broke his ankle and had to head home
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@dan54 said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@dan54 said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
Best mate still likes to tell me he was at the Llanelli game. Says still one of highlight of rugby watching career.
Sean Fitzpatrick once said he'd never meet a Welshman under 60 who wasn't at Cardiff Arms Park in 1953.
Yep, only trouble with that theory, is mate 67, and got a team photo of boys from his team at game. I will pass on message that he's considered a fraud though!! I sure he won't care what people he doesn't know who post anonimously think .
Actually one thing with mate, like me he actually goes to a hell of a lot of rugby, unlike me he doesn't post on forums. Him and I are such desperates we arranged a holiday to Wales a couple of years back , so we could do club rugby in and around Wales. Unfortunately on way we stopped in Italy where my son lived and a nameless person slipped on ice and broke his ankle and had to head homeThoroughly recommend this book. Gives bios of the players and the game to frame the growth of Rugby in Wales and NZ.
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@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home. -
@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home.Wasn't really one sided until 1980 when we smacked them up in the Centenary Test. Still really close matches (st least in Wales) in the 70s.
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@booboo said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home.Wasn't really one sided until 1980 when we smacked them up in the Centenary Test. Still really close matches (st least in Wales) in the 70s.
So only 45 to 50 years ago then...
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@canefan said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@booboo said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home.Wasn't really one sided until 1980 when we smacked them up in the Centenary Test. Still really close matches (st least in Wales) in the 70s.
So only 45 to 50 years ago then...
- Glad maths isn't a core requirement for dentistry...
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@booboo said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@canefan said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@booboo said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home.Wasn't really one sided until 1980 when we smacked them up in the Centenary Test. Still really close matches (st least in Wales) in the 70s.
So only 45 to 50 years ago then...
- Glad maths isn't a core requirement for dentistry...
I just roughly estimated. This is the Fern, not a lunar launch program
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@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home.Sorry Cato, you been around as long as us oldies you will realise that Wales is a traditional rival, basically because of how hard it was to win there, almost every AB from pre 80s days will tell you that playing Carfiff Arms park was a highlight of career, and how hard it was. Wales Soth Afirca were our biggest rivals up to late 70s early 80s, also the other 2 countires where rugby meant as much as in NZ
Riavalry is based on more than results, always have enjoyed talking rugby with Saffas and Welsh more that any others, they have very similar thoughts to game as kiwis. -
@booboo said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home.Wasn't really one sided until 1980 when we smacked them up in the Centenary Test. Still really close matches (st least in Wales) in the 70s.
Back in the 70s you played them twice.
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@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@booboo said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@catogrande said in Foster, Robertson, Rennie etc:
@victor-meldrew
I know both sides have a view about the rivalry, probably based on the importance of the game to both countries, but really? A rivalry is usually based on a bit of to and fro results wise. For sure Wales have run NZ close a good few times and often approach the game in a similar way. But it’s been almost 70 years now and never away from home.Wasn't really one sided until 1980 when we smacked them up in the Centenary Test. Still really close matches (st least in Wales) in the 70s.
Back in the 70s you played them twice.
3 x really as you should count the Wales XV game after the Irish Centenary test in 1974.
So quite regularly for those days.
And if you just count tests it was 7-3 up until 1979. And only the 2x 1969 tests in NZ weren't close. (Only two games in NZ to that point.)
Enough of us old blokes around who remember when Wales was Wales.
And then there's Bob Deans. We're still not over that.
This convo should probably go in the other thread but can't be fussed moving posts at the mo.
Dragons and All Blacks: Wales v. New Zealand - 1953 and a Century of Rivalry eBook : Richards, Huw: Amazon.co.uk: Books
