Westgate Street, Cardiff is no place for the sedate on international match days especially when the All-Blacks are in town. Wales play them on the 5th of November so if we win there will be more fireworks than usual all over Wales celebrating the first victory over New Zealand for sixty-nine years. Those who were at the Arms Park on December the 19th 1953 are often asked what it was like to see Wales beat New Zealand, but in fact we didn’t paint the town scarlet or dance in the streets because Wales had defeated the All-Blacks in two of the three previous games between us, Cardiff had beaten them four weeks before and there were six Cardiff players in the Welsh team.

It was a close run contest, Wales won 13-8 a try by wing Ken Jones clinching it but the hero of the match was centre Gareth Griffiths who early in the second half with Wales under siege dislocated a shoulder but insisted on returning to the battle. The defence held and Wales had beaten New Zealand – again!

The first New Zealand side to play at Ebbw Vale was their Army team who in 1919 were touring Britain and France while waiting to be shipped home after the war. They beat Ebbw Vale 28-0 but lost 4-3 to Monmouthshire on the same ground in their last game of their tour in Britain. Having beaten Wales they were expected to beat the County side but a Welsh international and professional boxer Jerry Shea of Pill Harriers dropped the winning goal.

The All-Blacks-Gwent game at Ebbw Vale In November 1972 drew 20,000 and is remembered for Glyn Turner’s try and closer links with Kiwi rugby were forged in 1976 when we hosted the Northcote (Auckland) club who were on an amazing world tour. If we thought our tours to California were special they were like day trips to Barry Island compared to those by Northcote from Auckland in 1976 and the Wellington club in 1977. They began in Honolulu then to Los Angeles, London, Cross Keys, Ebbw Vale, Birmingham, Stratford, Amsterdam and Hong Kong playing a match in each of them.

Northcote we were told was typical of the many clubs in New Zealand, it had 33 teams in ten grades while Ebbw Vale, a typical Welsh club, had two senior teams and one youth side. Northcote had beaten Wasps and Metropolitan Police – then a first class side – before coming to Wales where in atrocious conditions they lost to Cross Keys 13-16. Alan Tovey captained an Ebbw Vale side with a backrow of Phil Gardner, Clive Burgess and Gomer Evans and they won 7-0, scrum-half Steve Lewis scoring a try and kicking a penalty goal.

A year later another worldwide tour brought Wellington to the Western Valley and after winning at Pandy Park, were heading for a double in Ebbw Vale when leading 8-7 but Gareth Howl’s team edged home thanks to a drop goal by the smallest but trickiest player on the field – Lyndon Miles. Wellington were a fine side and in their backrow was a future All-Black, Murray Mexted soon to be capped.

That Ol’ Black Magic has had us in its spell for too long. This summer Wales won in South Africa for the first time, this autumn we have an opportunity to beat New Zealand for the first time in sixty-nine years.

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LONDON GAMES OF LONG AGO AND A LEGEND REMEMBERED

In the Sixties when guitar makers thrived and music became louder Ebbw Vale’s fixture secretary arranged a game for Saturday October 26th 1963 in faraway Kent, not where the cliffs are white but at Blackheath known for its famous rugby club that was the first in England. Blackheath is a suburb of London like Rassau is of Ebbw Vale and its ground, The Rectory, over-looks the Thames just like ours over-looks the Ebbw so it was a challenge for our bus driver but with his experience of driving from Trefil to Trinant and Beaufort to Blaina he got the team to the ground on time.

They won the game 14-3, sampled the ale and headed home happy. The Ebbw Vale team was Keith Westwood; John Brankley, Wilf Hunt, Ralph Tansell, Mel Williams; Jeff Davies, Roy Evans; Len Dimmick. Martin Preece, Des Winters; Gordon Main, Malcolm Gough; Mike Treanor and the captain Graham Jones who was enjoying the busiest rugby year of his life.

1963 was an eventful year for our club and two of its forwards. Denzil Williams won his first of thirty-six caps against England in Cardiff and wing-forward Graham Jones joined him at Murrayfield, scored a try against Ireland and was in the Welsh team that lost 5-3 in Paris. It wasn’t a great season for Wales despite the quality of its top of the Western Valley back-row, Alun Pask and Hadyn Morgan of Abertillery and Graham Jones, a trio who were in the Abertillery/Ebbw Vale XV that played the 1963/64 All-Blacks at The Park.

The tourists who won 13-0 did not impress the 18,000 spectators or the leading rugby journalist of the time, John Billot who wrote, “the tourist’s acting captain and scrum-half Briscoe never let his backs off the leash. It was as if he considered passing an unnecessary risk against the all-international breakaway unit of Hadyn Morgan, Alun Pask and Graham Jones.”

Graham was captain of Ebbw Vale for the 1962/63 season and was described as a remarkable character who suddenly decided to become a wing-forward after early ambitions as a back. He hunted down half-backs and chased every loose ball, scoring many tries in the process. Graham Jones who passed away recently added to his playing achievements by making 143 consecutive appearances for Ebbw Vale.

We played Blackheath six times between 1961 and 1967, winning four, losing one with one drawn. They are no longer a force in English rugby unlike another London club, Saracens who we had regular fixtures with from 1949 to 1985 which we usually won.

In matches over the border different interpretations of the Laws of rugby were occasionally experienced. There were no problems however when in March 1979 we played Harlequins at the Stoop and everybody sang from the same hymn book. And the referee? He was rated highly in English rugby but first played rugby at Ebbw Vale Grammar School and had sung from hymn books in Rassau Sunday School – Paul Russell.

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THE DAY SOUTH AFRICA LOST TO NORTH MONMOUTHSHIRE

The advantage of lengthy tours to the British Isles and France by the Big Three from the southern hemisphere was that they played teams apart from internationals. Rugby enthusiasts from the Scottish Borders to Cornwall enjoyed watching the world’s greatest players while supporting their club and county teams. The tourists rarely lost but local teams rose to the big occasion and occasionally pulled off a surprise win which happened in Ebbw Vale on Wednesday 19th November 1969.

The 6th Springboks were not rated as good as their predecessors. They played 25 games winning sixteen, drawing four and losing five and struggled to keep their record of not losing to Wales in a 6-6 draw on a muddy Arms Park. Phil Bennett who four years later would thrill the rugby world in the Barbarians v New Zealand game was on the wing against the Springboks and it was his long pass infield collected by Barry John that ended with a crucial try by Gareth Edwards.

In the week before the game at Ebbw Vale the tourists lost 11-8 to Newport then defeated Swansea 12-0 and were expected to beat Monmouthshire but with a big crowd behind them and a superior back division the County won 14-9. Seven of the side were Ebbw Valians, Norman Edwards and Arthur Lewis centres, Mike Grindle outside-half, Gareth Howls and Denzil Williams props and wing-forward Graham ‘Gomer’ Evans. At full-back Robin Williams of Cardiff College of Education and later Pontypool landed three penalty goals and converted a try by Roger Beese of Cross Keys after the halves sent Arthur Lewis bursting through. It was a typical Arthur move which he was soon to repeat for Wales and the Lions.

The first Springboks came in 1906 and won 26 of their 29 games, drawing with England and losing only to Scotland and Cardiff both games played in rain and on muddy pitches. They played six games in Wales, the fourth on Boxing Day at Rodney Parade against Monmouthshire consisting of players from Blaina, Pill Harriers, Pontypool, Abertillery, Pontynewydd, Brynmawr, Cwmbran and an exile from London Welsh. They tried hard but lost 17-0.

It was a strange festive fixture because it wasn’t played in the afternoon but in the morning. Newport wanted the game at Rodney Parade but also fulfilled their traditional Boxing Day fixture with the Scottish club Watsonians. The Springboks based in Cardiff caught the 9.45 a.m train to Newport and in the afternoon caught the train back to Cardiff in Festive mood. Two games were played on the same day on the same ground in mid-winter! One wonders what the Rodney Parade groundsman thought of it all.

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PS. On Saturday 9th July 2022 Wales won in South Africa for the first time. One wonders what the Bloemfontein groundsman thought of it all.

LEIGH JONES – “A QUALITY COACH AND A NICE GUY”

The 2015 Rugby World Cup was won by New Zealand who beat Australia in the final. There were some exciting games especially in Pool A which was dominated by Australia with England and Wales battling it out at Twickenham for second place and a quarter-final. It was a game full of drama up to the last five minutes with England needing at least a draw to go through. They had the throw in to a lineout five metres from the Welsh line which failed leaving Welsh players and supporters jumping for joy and the Twickers choir silent as their Sweet Chariot sank in the depths of despair. Man of the Match was Dan Biggar who contributed 23 points in Wales’s 28-25 victory.

It was one of many enthralling moments in the competition but the highlight was the first game in Pool B played on Brighton’s football ground. South Africa v Japan was considered a one-sided fixture but not by Japan’s coaching team, Eddie Jones, Steve Borthwick and a former Ebbw Vale coach Leigh Jones. When regional rugby began he joined the Dragons and then went to Hong Kong where he has been referred to as being “World class, experienced in all things rugby.” Japan pulled off their 34-32 shock win over a team that was rarely beaten to general delight especially those at the top of the Western Valley who remembered Leigh playing and coaching. Another local boy who made good.

When Ebbw Vale and Abertillery prepared for their Derby at Easter 1987 there was plenty to talk about in both towns. The first Rugby World Cup was to take place Down Under but there was no Gwent club player in the Welsh squad. It ended well for Wales though, we came third but the local Derby traditionally staged on Bank Holidays, was the immediate attraction. There were two future Welsh internationals on view, Ian Watkins who had already played twice for the Barbarians and Rupert Moon. The captains were front-row warriors, loose-head Sid Wharton for Ebbw Vale and hooker Leigh Jones for Abertillery. We won 24-16 but the 1986/7 season was not a good one for us, we finished 14th in the Western Mail Welsh Clubs Championship and Abertillery 5th.

In May of this year Leigh returned to British rugby to become General Manager of Rugby of this season’s top English club Leicester Tigers where he will work alongside Steve Borthwick and no doubt meet the England coach Eddie Jones, a rugby trio who once did what few of their profession have done, coach a side that defeated the Springboks. Wales will face that challenge this summer against the World Cup holders and a rugby nation that has now sent its ‘regional’ sides to play in Europe’s United Championship with great success. There have been many changes in rugby world wide but one jewel in the crown remains and must not change in any way, a tournament in Europe for Europeans – the Six Nations

The Springboks are tough to beat anywhere and Wales’s record against them is not encouraging, thirty seven Test matches played since the first in 1906, 30 lost, one drawn and six won. But back in 1980 a Welsh national team did win in the Republic, the Wales Youth ended a tour by winning an international match against South Africa Youth 30-25, the first win by a Welsh side over a South African side in their country. Can the Welsh seniors repeat what the Welsh juniors did forty-two years ago?

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This year a tradition was revived when the Ebbw Vale Past Players held a Reunion Dinner which brought together ninety ‘Old Comrades’ to drink, dine and talk about games, tours and characters. It took place on the 29th of April, it was chaired by Phil Gardner with that great supporter of club rugby Phil Steele the guest speaker. Most of those present played at a time when the club had 45-50 fixtures every season, some against top English clubs like Coventry who first played at Ebbw Vale in 1978 – on the 29th of April.

Several at the Reunion played in that game which we won 36-7, the last of forty-six fixtures in the 1977/78 season. Our side was Peter Griffiths; Neil Collins, Ian Goslin, Gary Lawrence, Ian Evans; Alan Rainbow, Steve Lewis; John Short, Robert Holmes, Gareth Howls (captain); Elwyn Jones. Michel van der Loos; Phil Gardner, David Fryer, Clivc Burgess. The replacements were hooker Jonathan Williams and wing Chris Edwards.

In October 2000 we were home in s European Shield gamc to the Harlequins who included Will Greenwood, Jason Leonard, Adam Jones and Keith Wood who took a pass, side-stepped, sold a dummy and scored a try in a style unusual for hookers. Our side, coached by Mike Ruddock, was Jonathan Williams; Rhys Shorney, Paul Matthews. Jonathan Hawker, Stephen John; Shaun Connor, Matthew Taylor; Iestyn Thomas, Leyton Phillips, Andrew Metcalfe; Chay Billen, Deiniol Jones; Gareth Green, Alistair Rogers, Mark Jones (captain). Replacements were Alun Phillips, Brad Morris, Neil Edwards, Tyron Morris, Richard Smith, Jason Strange, Alun Harries and the officials were French.

We struggled in the Welsh/Scottish league in 2000/01 but had a great Cup run, winning at Llandovery, Carmarthen Quins and Caerphilly then losing 19-12 in a semi-final in the Millenium Stadium to Newport captained by the legendary Springbok Gary Teichmann. Leading rugby writer John Billot commented, “Ebbw Vale had them on the ropes in the second half but somehow Newport covered up, absorbed the punishment and, with desperate defence, kept Ebbw Vale out.” The referee was Nigel Whitehouse.

We did not reach the final in the Millenium Stadium but an Ebbw Vale side did. Beaufort played Penallta in the WRU Worthington Cup Final there and lost 36-19 in a game decided by penalty goals. It was two tries each, Beaufort’s by skipper Jason Coombes and Steve Hathaway who also landed three penalty goals.

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A SAD POSTCRIPT.

The death of Phil Bennett has saddened the world of rugby, an all-time great who will be remembered as a brilliant player and a gentleman. In April 1977 he was named captain for the forthcoming Lions tour of New Zealand and when he came to Ebbw Vale with the Llanelli team he was surrounded by his admirers when he stepped off the team bus. In the crowd was one of our young supporters who was in a wheel-chair, Phil spotted him and forced his way through the crowd to speak to him. It was a gesture those of us who saw it will never forget.

HOOKERS GALORE

The 1905 All-Blacks came and conquered everybody except Wales and in doing so caused a few surprises. One was the lineout where their hooker did the throwing in and not a wing which was common practice then until the job was given to hookers in the late 60s. Not that wings didn’t do a good job of it, one journalist described Arthur Smith the great Scottish wing who played for Ebbw Vale as “a classical thrower” of the ball into what another Scotsman Bill McLaren called a den of iniquity – the lineout.

Martin Preece, was in the 1959/60 Ebbw Vale side that won the Welsh Club Championship and was reserve Welsh hooker at Twickenham in 1960 and four years later against Scotland and France. Perhaps his greatest game however was in the combined Ebbw Vale/Abertillery XV that lost 3-0 to the 1960/61 Springboks who only lost once on their tour. Martin was 11 years of age when he was selected as hooker in the 1950 Abertillery Grammar School side and after that baptism he admits to having been “hooked” to the position. At that time players were numbered from 1 at full-back to 15 at wing forward with hookers wearing No. 9. The Ebbw Vale hooker before Martin was Alby Jackson a great character and player who would fit into the modern game comfortably. Martin and Alby came head to head in April 1960 in a Past v Present game that included a wing who four weeks before had captained Scotland in a Calcutta Cup game and was listed A R Smith (Ebbw Vale).

One throw by an Ebbw Vale hooker will always be remembered. Ian Watkins was on the Wales bench at Twickenham in February 1988 but not for long. He replaced Kevin Phillips early in the game, slotted in like a veteran and his first international task was to throw into a lineout to Robert Norster which he did perfectly. Ian deservedly kept his place in a Welsh team that won the first Triple Crown since 1979 and played against the likes of Brian Moore and Sean Fitzpatrick with the confidence he had shown that afternoon at Twickenham.

The story cf Matthew Williams and indeed all our hookers would fill a book. He played 300 games for Ebbw Vale and his throwing-in inspired the Catch N’Kynes move. His loyalty to the club was unmatched and gladly he has returned to coach to the Youth XV. One thing is certain, their lineout drill will be perfect. His successor Joe Franchi swapped between hooker and 6/7 in his junior and youth days and played in the Ebbw Vale back row occasionally until he joined the elite at the coal face. Joe says, “I’ve been very lucky to play with some outstanding props in my time with Ebbw, Oaksey, Ross, Georgie to name a few and I learnt a lot about the set piece from Chunky, it’s nice to have him back in the mix as a coach.” And so say all of us.

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MEMORIES OF ALEX CODLING, DAN LYDIATE AND A LOT MORE

The 2006/07 season will be remembered for the coaching of Alex Codling, a squad of merit and a neck and neck race for the Premiership title with eventual winners Neath who we drew with twice with the same score 23-23. There were many games to remember and a study of the team sheets shows the quality of the Premiership and its players.

On the 18th November 2006 for example we were home to Glamorgan Wanderers and won 32-22. Our team was Andrew McLaughlan; Simon Hunt, Kristian Owen, Greg Roberts, Andrew Bevan; Sam Mills, Bryan Shelbourne; Ian George, Richard Wilkes, Kristian Gay; Craig Blunsdon, Neil Edwards; John Bowd, Dan Lydiate and the captain Craig Cleaver.

The replacements were Matthew Williams, Lyn Williams, Rhodri Dicks, Nio Aioni, Patrick Horgan, Daniel Philips and Luke James. The Wanderers right wing was Lenny Woodard and their No. 8 was Sam Warburton a future Wales and Lions captain and now a commentator worth listening to. He and Dan were prominent in that game as they were many times playing together for Wales, careers that began playing for their clubs.

The season had begun well and coach Alex Codling’s talent packed squad which included the Lydiate brothers Dan and Jack, had risen to the occasion six days before at the Arms Park when we won 21-19 on a wet, windy night on a heavy pitch. It was 6-6 at the interval after which we faced the elements, a task that looked as bleak as the weather conditions and with ten minutes to go we were ten points adrift. In a terrific comeback we reduced the deficit to three and our powerful pack in rampant mood produced an unstoppable forward drive that ended with Ian George crossing for a winning try. According to one report it was “loudly applauded by the ecstatic Ebbw Vale fans,” the under-statement of the year.

Dan Lydiate left us when regions were formed and made his Wales debut in November 2009. Now an Osprey he has closed the blind-side to intruders in 65 games for Wales and after a long injury spell is back in the squad that will play three Tests in South Africa this summer. We wish him well.

YOUTH RUGBY’S HERITAGE

The Welsh Rugby Union has held many meetings since its first at Neath in March 1881 and it was there that another one of great importance launched youth rugby which has been a topic of conversation hereabouts lately following the appointment of the one and Matthew Williams alias Chunky as our youth team coach. Like Peter Pan Chunky is ageless and is the perfect choice to coach Steelmen of the future.

On the 11th of May 1949 the first meeting of the newly formed Welsh Youth Union was held at Neath and two years later Wales Youth played their first international. They lost 5-0 at the Arms Park and a few weeks later went down 6-3 to Wales Secondary Schools at Aberavon but we won’t dwell on that for better days followed.

One purpose of Youth rugby was that it kept youngsters in the game when they left school aged 15 and started work and in the post-war years there was plenty of it especially in heavy industry towns like Ebbw Vale. The Western Valley was full of talent like Dai Watkins and Mike Grindle (both Cwmcelyn Youth products), Byron Hayward (Abertillery Youth) and Jason Strange (Ebbw Vale Youth) coached by Gomer Evans a wing forward unmatched and another from “over the mountain.”

Ebbw Vale Youth met Llanelli in the first Welsh Youth RU Cup Final in 1973 losing 27-3 but emerged with credit. Schools and Youth rugby was well supported and the club hosted several international matches. In February 1976 the Wales Youth – Wales Secondary Schools match ended in a 14-14 draw with Youth scrum-half Terry Holmes (Cardiff) who scored two tries, winger Russell Coles (Ebbw Vale) and back-row forward Dai Fryer (Monmouth) prominent. Three years later the scrum-half in the Wales Youth side that lost at our ground 11-8 to France was David Bishop (Cardiff).

There have been changes in Welsh rugby, some unwelcome, but Youth rugby remains. It is from that level that internationals emerge but above all it is a great opportunity for youngsters to play the game, experience a team sport and at Ebbw Vale have the privilege of being coached by Matthew ‘Chunky’ Williams.

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Extracted from the EV v Bridgend match programme 27 April 2022

BRIDGEND AT THE BRIDGEND FIELD

The Swinging Sixties were lively but down in the valleys and up in the hills of rugby Wales the national game needed a spark and got it when a Floodlight Alliance Tournament in Wales was launched. To quote from Ray Ruddick’s recent book on the Alliance “The main objectives of the competition were to stimulate spectator interest, to encourage participating clubs to high point scoring and play open, expansive, exciting rugby.” Not every club took up the challenge but for two that did, Ebbw Vale who played at the Bridgend Field and Bridgend who played at the Brewery Field, it was more than welcome because they always played that way.

When the unusual 2021/2 season comes to an end men in white who play cricket and bowls will take over including Beaufort Bowls who must be the only club in that noble game to advertise in a rugby match programme. In the past many Ebbw Vale players changed kit and spent summers fielding, batting and bowling among them John Gaydon who was Ebbw Vale Athletic’s full-back and Ebbw Vale Cricket Club’s wicket-keeper. If that wasn’t enough John was Secretary of the Floodlight Alliance Tournament!

We played Bridgend eight times in the Tournament from 1964/65 to 1971/72, losing the first two, both at the Brewery Field, winning four and two were drawn 6-6, two tries each. The game many still believe was the most exciting ever played on our pitch, then known as the Welfare Ground, was on Wednesday December 1st 1971 when we beat Bridgend 28-16. There was a big crowd and the teams produced a classic with eleven tries scored. Our elusive scrum-half Glyn Turner got three, Mike Lewis, David Jones, Arthur Lewis and Mike Grindle one each and Bridgend’s try scorers were Tony Morgan (2), Viv Jenkins and Peter Williams.

That was a long time ago, in 2018/19, our last full season, we defeated Bridgend 17-16 at home and 18-15 at the Brewery Field. The following season was not completed and we only played Bridgend once, it was just before Christmas and it was also very close, Bridgend winning 18-15. In season 2021/22 clubs only played each other once and we are lucky the traditional fixture with the Ravens is on our ground, no longer called the Bridgend Field against a side whose field is still named after a Brewery.

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CLUBBING IT WITH THE QUINS

We intended playing this game in February and would have but for storms of North Sea proportions which was a pity because matches this season have been few and far between. Rain stopped us playing but not the absorbing Six Nations with its surprises, thrills, spills and post match interviews which are embarrassing for losers and difficult for winners trying to be modest. The higher you go in rugby the more serious it becomes but at least club coaches and captains don’t have to face an inquisition after a game when all they want is a shower and a pint.

Our first two games with the Quins were in 2000 and 2002, both Cup ties at their ground where we won 32-25 and 13-8. Many League games and a few friendlies followed with the Quins winning most of them and the trend continued to November 16th 2019 when they won here 26-20. That season was a struggle but we recovered in the last six games which gave us valuable points and brought sighs of relief to the faithful.

We lost at home to Merthyr 17-19 through a drop goal by Rhys Jones who then joined us, drew 10-10 at Llandovery, beat Pontypridd at home 15-5, lost at Rodney Parade 5-15, recovered with a 6-6 draw at Carmarthen and got the double over RGC with a 20-17 home win before the season was cut short.

The report of the draw at second placed Quins described conditions and the westerly wind that “affected many aspects of play, with kicking, long passes and lineout throws all subject to the vagaries of gust and swirl.” Rhys Jones who had snatched a Merthyr win over us a few weeks before managed two penalty goals and we led 6-3 at the break. The second half was tense, tough and a forward battle that supporters of both sides could hardly bear watching.

The match report praised both teams and declared “in the end a draw was probably a fair reflection of the game, and credit must be given to all the players for producing an exciting match in such difficult conditions.” The journey home after sampling West Wales beer was one of relief but little did we know it would be the last away trip for a long time. REL

Programme article for the Ebbw Vale v Carmarthen Quins game 9 April 2022

Extracted from the Ebbw Vale v Llandovery match programme 17 March 2022

THE SEASON WE PLAYED THE DROVERS FOUR TIMES

If our pre-Christmas game with the Drovers had taken place the programme would have contained a tribute to supporters of all clubs who with patience and optimism remained loyal through the shut-down months. They were rewarded by seeing their teams in action again and unlike too many at international matches are true rugby folk who show respect to goal kickers and referees, and enjoy a drink in proper glasses before and after a game but not during it.

We would have recalled 2015/16 when we played Llandovery four times and in Festive mood Boxing Day games between us in 2006 and 2007 which were not the local Derbies we had been used to at Yuletide. We won both, 18-16 at Church Bank when our supporters turned up in Hawaiian gear and 38-13 at Ebbw Vale when the Drover supporters turned up traditionally clothed but in true Christmas spirit.

Cup glory came to Llandovery in 2007 when they beat Cardiff in the final yet finished bottom of the Premiership table headed by Neath with Ebbw Vale second. The Drovers took the Cup again in 2016 in a local Derby final with Carmarthen Quins a week before we travelled west to play them in the Premiership semi-final play-off. With three defeats at the hands of Llandovery behind us we won the fourth which mattered most, 20-16 and a week later made a shorter journey down the A470 to Sardis Road and came away very happy indeed. It was a dramatic season for our clubs ending with both winning trophies.

Former players of many decades ago enjoy recalling their Steelmen days watched by big crowds, end of season tours and the comradeship which will be the theme of the Past Player’s Reunion Dinner next month. Great characters like Martin Preece, Dai Fryer, Gareth Howls, Allan Foster, Phil Gardner, Gary Lawrence, Nigel Osborne and Mike Grindle have watched their successors play, a new generation in the same colours on the same ground creating their own history.

!992/3 was a forgettable season for Ebbw and for Wales who finished wth the Wooden Spoon. We were in Division Two and finished 10th above Tredegar and Blaina while in 8th place were Llandovery despite losing to us twice. Our first game ever with the Drovers was at Church Bank in October 1992, a close run thing as Wellington said of Waterloo that took a last minute drop goal to win it 6-3. And the kicker? Jason Strange of course.

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Extracted from the Ebbw Vale v Swansea programme 12 March 2022

SONGS AND GAMES OF PRAISE

It was Dylan Thomas who introduced us to the local preacher in Llaraggub, the Reverend Eli Jenkins, who declared “Praise the Lord we are a musical nation.” Since the first international match in Wales played at St. Helen’s, Swansea in 1892 millions have praised the Lord we are also a rugby nation with famous grounds places of worship. Thanks to chapels the singing before games began a tradition and played a significant role in the subjugation of visiting teams.

The crowds in the last century were busy at week-ends, on Saturday they would sing at rugby grounds and on Sunday at their local Carmel or Bethesda with equal passion. But since ‘Delilah’ took over from Cwm Rhondda singing before and during games has disappeared along with one referee and trainers equipped with bucket and sponge.

Choral support didn’t always encourage a Welsh win however. In December 1960 in typhoon weather and on a surface more suitable for tank training, South Africa played Wales for the 5th time and won 3-0 causing Vivian Jenkins, pre-war Wales and Lions full-back to write in the Sunday Times, “The crowd did all they could to support their team and sang every hymn except the one that mattered ‘For those in peril on the sea.’”

David Nash, Ebbw Vale and Denis Evans, Llanelli and once of Ebbw Vale made their debuts and Terry Davies captained Wales for the first time. He made his international debut in 1953, played three times but had to wait four years before coming back as a Llanelli player. But it was Swansea that made him an international and it was Ebbw Vale where he made his debut for them in January 1951 a game we lost 6-0 our only home defeat in 1950/51.

There have only been four games with Swansea since 2019 with honours even but the home game in March 2018 was special, we won 43-3 which is our highest score against them. Our team that day was Dan Haymond; Toby Fricker, James Lewis, Dom Franchi, Steff Thomas; Dai Langdon, Sam Ireland; Joel Harries, Joe Franchi, Rob Sevenoaks; Kristian Parker, Lance Randall; Rhys Clarke, Ronnie Kynes (capt), Lewis Young. Champing at the bit on the bench were Rhys Francis, Jordan Rogers, Curtis Hicks, Jon Davies, Cameron Regan, Lewis Dennet, Dai Jones of Blaina heritage and Srdan Majkic of Croatian heritage.

Last night Wales played France in Westgate Street which reminds me of the first time I saw a French team. It was at St. Helen’s on February 21st 1948 and the Welsh captain Hadyn Tanner sent out a pre-match warning, “Don‘t underrate these Frenchmen.” He was right, France won 11-3, scoring three tries one by their great wing Pomathios who the 38,000 crowd so admired he was chaired off the field at the final whistle. That doesn’t happen anymore does it?

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GWENT DERBIES WITH PHOTO FINISHES

When the Premiership fixtures for this season were announced we were satisfied with six games at home and five away but surprisingly there was only one east Wales club in the six. However it was Newport and they would come at Christmas time which inevitably would remind veteran members of a famous game between us on Christmas Eve 1960.

It drew the biggest crowd of the season and we led 3-0 with minutes left but when the crowd left the scoreboard read 3-5. It was a Gwent Derby with a photo-finish and was recalled forty years later in the programme for another game with Newport, “Their full-back Norman Moran became Norman the Conqueror when he converted a late try by wing-forward Brian Cresswell that brought Newport their 5-3 victory.” What home fans did to their turkeys on Christmas morning doesn’t bear thinking about but two years later the teams met again at Christmas and we won 5-3 another photo-finish low on scoring but high on excitement.

December was always a busy time for players and groundsmen having to cope with extra games often in difficult conditions. With the advent of floodlights there were even more fixtures, the average was forty-five to fifty a season, and December 1980 is a typical example. We played Cardiff College of Education, Maesteg, Neath, Llanelli, Abertillery on Boxing Day, Watsonians the next day and Cwmbran in the Cup. We won five and lost two in twenty-six days and saw the New Year in exhausted.

The programme for that gripping December 1960 game carried advertisements for The Alexander Vaults aka Tamplins, Monumental Masons, Coal & Coke Merchants, Webbs Beer, a Barber, two Funeral Directors and Edmund’s Luxury Coaches as well as the Ebbw Vale team – Tom Carpenter; Brian Were, Ray Knott, Peter Williams. Mel Williams; Wilf Hunt, Roy Evans; Des Winters, Martin Preece, Allan Foster; Ron Morgan (capt), Len Harris; Graham Jones, David Nash, Francis Matthews.

The referee was the diminutive Gwyn Walters of Swansea who a few months later controlled a game between the Boks and France and threatened to end it if they didn’t behave themselves. At outside-half for Newport was Brian Jones who has a unique record no-one will surpass. He was on the winning side three times against Southern Hemisphere tourists, for Newport against Australia and New Zealand and the Barbarians against South Africa. Not bad for a lad from Cwmcarn.

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REL AND THE LLANELLI GAME

Extracted from the Ebbw Vale v Llanelli match programme 4 February 2022

SEVENTY YEARS OF STEELMEN v SCARLETS

Our last ‘normal’ season was 2018/19 and something unusual happened, we got the double over Llanelli. It turned out to be rather a good season, thirty Premiership games played, twenty won, one drawn and nine lost, a 68.33% return. Our first game was at Parc y Scarlets and we won 43-10 under Ashley Sweet’s leadership in a perfect September, five games and five wins.

The return match against a club many still like to call the Scarlets was ten days before Christmas 2018, a week after we had gone to the Arms Park and won thanks to a late drop goal by Rhys Jones that was compared by our impartial programme editor to Johny Wilkinson’s drop goal that won the 2003 World Cup Final.

Our team that won 20-7 on December 15th was Dan Haymond; Daffyd Howells, Carl Meyer, Jacobi Botica, Toby Fricker; Rhys Jones, Matthew Flanagan; Luke Garrett, Rhys Francis, Rob Sevenoaks; Rhys Clarke, Ashley Sweet (capt.); Cameron Regan, Lloyd Evans, Lewis Young. Replacements were Joe Franchi, Ross Jones, Christian Coleman, Kristian Parker, Jonathan Davies, Dai Jones, Aneurin Owen, Paul King.

Visiting Llanelli supporters will recall their side that day – Kalum Evans; Tom Rogers, Ryan Davies, Johny Lewis, Liam Hutchings; Ioan Hughes, Declan Smith; Rhys Thomas, Greg George, Ryan Thomas; Jake Baker, Ashleigh Hyndham; Joel James, Nathan Hart (capt.), Tom Phillips. Replacements – Rhys Cherry, Callum Williams, Liam Tobias, Elliott Rees, Joseph Miles, Gareth George, Oliver Reyland, Leon Randall.

We first played Llanelli in 1952 and in the first ten fixtures between us won six, drew two and lost two. Our first win at Stradey was in September 1956, 5-0 and both captains were wings, John Pugh our leading try scorer, and Ray Williams capped three times, each a winner. Against Australia he played with an outside-half making his Welsh debut, Carwyn James who in later years despite coaching two teams that beat the All-Blacks, Llanelli and the 1971 Lions, was never asked to coach Wales!

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Extracted from the Ebbw Vale v RGC 1404 match programme 19 November 2021

JONES THE COACH AND LYN THE LEAP

Today we welcome back Ceri Jones, RGC coach, a Man of Gwent or to be precise of Usk, and the son of one of our greatest second row forwards known to bob bankers as Lyn the Leap. Ceri is a former Steelmen’s forwards coach who played a notable role in our 2015/16 Premiership winning season under Nigel Davies and has left his mark wherever he has played or coached.

He was a Harlequin in May 2007 when he played twice for Wales in Australia who won 29-23, after we led 17-0, and 31-0. They were preparatory games for the World Cup in France a few months later, a forgettable time for Wales who again lost to the Wallabies, beat Canada and Japan but were sent packing by Fiji in Nantes despite scoring five tries to their four.

When L E T Jones was out-jumping every other lineout forward it was harder getting into the Welsh team than getting out of it and he joined the Best Uncapped List. He left us to join Newport and played against us several times alongside David Waters who played 702 games for them. Their battles with our stalwarts Elwyn Jones and Dai Fryer were worth the entrance money but it was as an Ebbw Vale player that Lyn was chosen by the Barbarians – against Newport!

RGC 1404 were our final opponents in the 2019/20 season that ended abruptly on the 7th March. Having won the game at Colwyn Bay 31-23 we got the double 20-17 which was the last game for us of one of our greatest lineout men of the modern era, Ashley Sweet. The Ebbw Vale team and replacements was Dan Haymond; Mike Powell, Ryan Evans, Dom Franchi, Aaran Grabham; Rhys Jones, Matthew Flanagan; Joel Harries, Joe Franchi, Dave Whiting; Dan Hill, Ashley Sweet (capt.); Nic Cudd, Owen Young, Lewis Young. The bench was Luke Garrett, Ellis Evans, Robert Sevenoaks, Max Hayling, Dai Jones, Ethan Phillips, Paul King and Dawid Rubasnniak fresh from playing for Poland who lost to the Netherlands who once had an Ebbw Vale second rower in their team, Michel Van De Loos, known as Tulip but not as delicate.

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Extracted from the Ebbw Vale v Merthyr programme 23rd October 2021

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME

When we played at the Wern in November 1976 it was our first game with Merthyr for at least seven decades. The huge gap of fixtures between us remained wide until leagues eventually brought us together and this season we play them three times albeit in unusual circumstances but welcome after such a long lay off.

We first played Merthyr at the end of the 19th Century when the game penetrated every corner of South Wales famous for its chapels and singing and soon to be even more famous for its rugby. The chapel influence is no longer but The Game remains powerful at all levels with clubs in Wales still the pillars and providers of the national team. When we were formed in 1879 the game was played in the town by Hills United, Bakehouse Rovers, Briery Hill Stars, the Lillywhites and the Crusaders. Merthyr RFC was a founder member of the WRU and the town was also full of clubs like the Thursdays, Merthyr & District Police and Dowlais Harlequins, Dowlais Hibernians and Dowlais proper!

Fixtures with Merthyr began in earnest in November 2010 when we played them in a Division One game at the Wern which we lost 20-22. We won the return fixture 40-10 Merthyr’s first visit to Ebbw Vale, certainly since the 1920s, although many outstanding players from that town had worn our colours with honour and pride, among them full-back Wayne Bow, prop ‘Buffalo’ Morgan, hooker ‘Spike’ Jones and that great lock Elwyn Jones.

The teams eleven years ago will bring back memories to supporters. Ebbw Vale – Charlie Simpson; Wes Cunliffe, Sam Collins, Tristan Davies (capt.), Daniel Ajuwa; Dorian Jones, Derrick Tredray; Ross Jones, Matthew Williams, Robert Sevenoaks; Kenny Stewart, Ashley Sweet; Ethan Matthews, Luke Price, Nicky Coughlin.

Merthyr – Tom Griffin; Phil Coccran, Lewis Williams, Craig Morgan, Malachy Mullin; Neil Burnett, Ryan Harries; Jonathan Watkins, Daniel Snape, Rhys James; Nick White, Darren Lynch; Sam Wahdan, Gareth Davies, Gareth Williams (capt.).

Where are they now?

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Extracted from the Ebbw Vale v Newport programme 16 October 2021

A GWENT DERBY WITH AN INTERNATIONAL TOUCH

Reading old match programmes reminds us how lucky we were to see some of the greats of the time playing on our own ground. That’s just one reason why those raised on club rugby think back with affection to seasons of 45-50 fixtures with teams from several countries. It’s not that long ago that the Ebbw Vale and Newport teams were packed with headliners, and our first game with Newport in this century is a good example.

It was on Saturday 12th February 2000, a Welsh/Scottish League match that drew the usual big crowd. Regarded as a Valley’s book-end Derby the Steelmen had eleven successive wins behind them under the direction of coaches Leigh Jones and Richard Hill.

The starting line-ups were Ebbw Vale – Siua Taumalola; Rhys Shorney, Stephen John, Jonathan Hawker, Andrew Wagstaff; Jason Strange, Guy Easterby; Alun Phillips, Andrew Peacock, Andrew Metcalfe; Glyn Llewellyn, Kuli Faletau; Nathan Budgett, Mark Jones (captain), Brad Clarke.

Newport – Shane Howarth (captain); Justin Thomas, Jason Jones-Hughes, Andy Marinos, Ben Breeze; Franco Smith, David Llewellyn; Rod Snow, Gareth Hicks, Lyndon Mustoe; Gareth Taylor, Simon Raiwalui; Andrew Gibbs, Gary Teichmann, Jason Forster.

There was an assembly of Welsh internationals and others from Polynesia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland the most notable being Newport’s No.8 Gary Teichmann who had played 42 games for South Africa 39 as captain and winning 27 of them.

Vale won 29-17, Siua Taumalola scored two exciting tries and had a hand in another and Newport’s full-back Shane Howarth, capped four times by New Zealand in 1994, kicked four penalty goals. A week before he was in the Welsh team that beat Italy 47-16 in Cardiff and a week after playing for his club in Ebbw Vale he was in Twickenham where England won 46-12, five tries to nil. It was a time when international stars played regularly for clubs and big crowds watched them, but it was soon to end. REL