Answer: They have all won against New Zealand.
Roberts and Halfpenny did it for the Barbarians during a 25-18 triumph at Twickenham, while the other four created history at a muddy Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa on 8 June 2012.
For on that day, Wales inflicted the first defeat on New Zealand at under-20 level. The match might have been try-less but for any supporter of Welsh rugby it remains memorable.
The men in red haven’t beaten the All Blacks at senior level since Cliff Morgan, Clem Thomas, Ken Jones and company completed the feat at Cardiff Arms Park 61 years ago. But there’s a new breed coming through and Lee is at the heart of the forward effort after emerging from that Junior World Championship as the best tight-head prop on show.
Baby Blacks loose-head Ofa Tu’ungafasi was being talked up before the match kicked off by the Kiwi commentator as someone extraordinary and a star in the making. But he was up against an immovable force in Samson, who was named after his grandfather rather than the biblical figure with apparent supernatural strength, and the New Zealander was soon heading backwards as Lee got under and tied him in knots.
Tu’ungafasi might still make it to the very top, but his career has stalled since being out-muscled that day and he has made just 12 Super Rugby appearances for the Auckland-based Blues franchise.
While he’s been working on his scrummaging after being taught a lesson, Lee has been soaring upwards
with the Scarlets scrum regarded as the best in the Pro12 last season.
The squat 18st 2lb forward was still 20 when he made his senior Wales debut off the bench in the win over Argentina last November and then appeared as a substitute against Tonga and Australia in the succeeding weeks. Another strong showing during the Probables versus Possibles trial for places in coach Warren Gatland’s Wales squad for the summer tour of South Africa earned him a seat on the plane.
“It was a bit of a shock to the system to be picked to go because I didn’t really expect it,” said Lee, who is
22 at the end of this month. That might have been unexpected but what happened next took him and most of Wales by surprise, as he explained.
“I was selected on the bench for the first Test with the Springboks in Durban. That was a big enough shock and 30 minutes into it, I was told to warm up,” said Lee.
Cult hero Adam Jones was being replaced tactically and, handed his chance, Lee went on and hasn’t looked
back since.
“I thought I did pretty well against Gurthro Steenkamp and was picked to start for the second, where I came across the ‘Beast’, Tendai Mtawarira. He’s as tough an opponent as I’ve faced, a very good scrummager.”
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