A STEP BACK IN TIME
(By Percy Jones)
SEASON 1951 – 52
This was a fairly successful season for the Quins first XV under the captaincy of Reg Jones. The team played a total of 41 matches, winning 21, losing 16 with 4 drawn. Points for were 292 with 156 against. The fixtures they fulfilled in the first and last few weeks of the season is quite impressive as can be seen in the following 1951-52 fixture list:-
Sept 1st – Pontardawe Home
8 – Brynamman Away
13 – Pontardulais Home
15 – Penygraig Away
22 – Kenfig Hill Home
27 – Llanelly Home
29 – Briton Ferry Away
Oct 6 – Trinity College Home
13 – Briton Ferry Home
20 – Felinfoel Away
27 – Kidwelly Away
Nov 3 – Pontyberem Away
10 – Mountain Ash Home
17 – Pembroke Away
24 – New Dock Stars Home
Dec 1 – Ammanford Away
8 – Swansea Uplands Home
15 – Pembroke Home
22 – Felinfoel Home
25 – Old Maridunians Home
26 – Brynamman Home
29 – Loughor Away
Jan 5 – Ammanford Home
12 – Skewen Away
19 – Wales/England Away
26 – 1st Round WWRU Cup
Feb 2 – Wales/Scotland Home
9 – Pontyberem Home
15 – Tumble Away
22 – Trinity College Away
Mar 1 – New Dock Stars Away
8 – Aberystwyth College Away
15 – Swansea Uplands Away
22 – Blaenavon Away
29 – Loughor Home
Apr 5 – Tumble Home
12 – Pontardawe Away
14 – Penygraig Home
15 – Skewen Home
19 – Blaenavon Home
24 – Pontardulais Away
26 – Kenfig Hill Away
– Kidwelly Home
– Aberystwyth College Home
Sporting Diary by “Cardinal.”
(By kind permission of the Carmarthen Journal)
“Match of the season”
Thursday 27th September 1951- 5.30pm
Next Thursday Carmarthen RFC will meet Llanelly after a long period. It will be remembered by rugby followers that Carmarthen defeated Llanelly in their previous encounter and as it were snapped their fingers at would be critics. For this game, the visitors have promised that they will have their full team in attendance. Not only that, Lewis Jones, the “Welsh wonder boy” Welsh International and member of the British touring team will be playing.
The game promises well and although some people foresee a crumbling Carmarthen defence, I think the game will develop into a stiff and hard struggle for mastery. One must not forget the narrow win Llanelly had over their “nursery” club Felinfoel and the fact that when Carmarthen beat them the last time, Llanelly had during the season a strong and formidable team studded with many internationals. This encounter promises a feast of rugby at its best and I have no doubt that Carmarthen will rise to the occasion.
WENT DOWN FIGHTING
Carmarthen, 3 pts; Llanelly, 13 pts.
Although Carmarthen lost to Llanelly by one try (3 pts) to two converted goals and one try (13 pts), it can be said that they went down fighting. In the last encounter four years ago Carmarthen won and Llanelly have avenged this previous defeat. The visitors by no means had an easy task but nevertheless they fully deserved to win. Their backs were superior to the home team and on many occasions the Carmarthen defence was ripped wide open by the penetrating tactics of the faster moving Llanelly “threes.” This does not mean that the home threequarters did not make gallant attempts. Their defence was do or die, but their attack was too slow to develop into anything dangerous to the Llanelly line. High praise is due to the home eight for their brave fight against a heavier and more experienced pack. Their terrier like rushes made the Llanelly forwards waver on several occasions and always to the fore was Ewan Thomas (wing-forward) who worked hard and displayed great keenness for harassing tactics. Two other hardworking forwards were I. Jenkins and W. Hodge.
Man of the match for Carmarthen was Leonard Davies (full-back) who did some stout defending and many times found brilliant touches to keep Llanelly at bay. Performing well for Llanelly was Wyn Evans (scrum-half) who gave excellent service from the base of the scrum to set the backs moving. It was unfortunate for the visitors to lose Mel Griffiths (right wing) towards the close with an ankle injury.
THE GAME
Carmarthen at the beginning put up quite a heavy attack on the Llanelly line and for the first few moments kept play in the visitors’ 25. The visitors retaliated and there ensued a first class struggle for mastery. A few rushes by the home side saw the development of a movement on the blind side. Glan Tucker (left wing) punted ahead and Malcolm John, the visiting full-back, failed to gather an awkward rolling ball. Tucker managed to get his foot to the ball and dribble over to score. The attempt at conversion failed. Llanelly worked hard after this reverse and within a few moments had their reward when Peter stone (forward) broke away from a line-out and crashed his way through to score in the corner. Malcolm John converted from a difficult angle.
There developed a grim fight after this with Carmarthen being forced on the defensive and making a very good job of these tactics. There were some scintillating moves by the visiting threequarters. From one of these, Geoff Tucker (centre-threequarter) made a beautiful break through and ran 30 yards for a try, which Malcolm John converted. The home side had to put up a desperate defence and were forced to minor more than once. The visitors got their final try from a scrum five yards from the Carmarthen line, the Llanelly pack heeled and Les Phillips (outside –half) gaining possession, dived over for the touch down. Malcolm John failed with the kick.