“A STEP BACK IN TIME”
(By Percy Jones)
SEASON 1950 -51
The Quins were looking to continue their good form from the previous season and had recruited a number of new players for this new campaign. Captain for the season was Fred Evans with Glan Tucker as his vice captain. Carmarthen Park was unavailable for the first few home games due to maintenance work.
RUGBY FOOTBALL
WIN AT FIRST HOME MATCH
(By kind permission of the Carmarthen Journal)
Carmarthen Quins 9 – Gowerton 3
Carmarthen played their first home match of the season on Thursday 14th September on the temporary ground at Abergwili Road. The field’s close proximity to the river and the recent heavy rain, tended to make the ground boggy and this had nullified many a potential three-quarter movement. The game was fast, with plenty of good hard tackling by both sides. Each team seemed slightly restrained but Carmarthen impressed the more. There seemed to be more good football produced by the home side than by Gowerton who adopted spoiling tactics. Carmarthen had a more cohesive side and the team blended well. Gowerton on the other hand did not show their true worth.
Early on their heavier pack were superior to the home “eight” in the scrum and in the lineouts but failed to make the best use of this advantage. The home side improved as the game progressed and towards the end their more livelier and faster set of forwards took its toll in the loose with storming rushes.
G. Edwards on the right wing played well on his first appearance. Jim Davies was his usual unflurried self at full-back and was as safe as ever. His kicking was only surpassed by that of L. Peake, the Gowerton right centre whose judicious touch-finding was first rate. The pick of the threequarter line was R. I. Lewis (wing) who scored the first home try of the season for Carmarthen.
Glan Tucker at right centre seemed to hang on to the ball too long and was attempting to get through on his own. Russell Davies, a product of the second fifteen proved an asset to the Carmarthen pack while Alan Walters, a second row forward distinguished himself in the line-outs. Bryan Harry on the Gowerton right wing was a constant source of danger to the home defence with his speed. W. T. Davies and D. Thomas (forwards) also played well.
THE GAME
From the kick-off, Gowerton went into the attack and met with early success when, after a scrum on the Carmarthen line, William Davies, a forward went over to open the scoring after five minutes. The attempt at conversion was unsuccessful. Gowerton kept up the pressure and Carmarthen had some anxious moments. For most of the first half, Carmarthen were sorely pressed but their defence held. Before the interval, Carmarthen attacked and after a loose maul, the ball travelled right across the field to the left wing. After some smart work by Russell Davies (forward), Carmarthen drew level with a try by R. I. Lewis (left wing) which was not improved upon.
Carmarthen were on the defensive in the opening stages of the second half but after a while, their all round ascendency became apparent and during the latter stages of the game they were obviously superior in all departments. Carmarthen went into the lead with a try by Eric Clarke after a good dash by R. I. Lewis. Towards the end, Carmarthen increased their lead with a try by Glan Tucker (centre). Neither try was converted.