I WAS THERE – Wales v Australia 1966
Wales had never lost to Australia prior to the visit of John Thornett’s Wallabies in 1966. Yes, they had been beaten by the 1927 Waratahs, but that was a state team from New South Wales. It wasn’t until much 1986 that the Australian Rugby Union upgraded that tour to full Test status.
So, when the Aussies turned up at Cardiff Arms Park on 3 December, 1966, there was hope on the one side and expectation on the other. Cardiff had already dished out one beating to the tourists in the Welsh capital, Swansea had pipped them by a point, Newport had drawn against them and a combined Pontypool/Cross Keys/Newbridge XV had beaten them 12-3 four days before they met Wales.
With six defeats in their 13 matches leading into the first international they were very much second favourites, yet on the day they rose to the occasion. Not only did they beat Wales, the reigning Five Nations champions, for the first time, but they notched their first win at the Arms Park at the 10th attempt.
The Welsh selectors caused a bit of a stir by picking Barry John for the first time ahead of the established David Watkins at outside half. Watkins had not long returned from the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand and was first choice in all six Tests, captaining the side in two of them.
Terry Price, Stuart Watkins, Dewi Bebb, Allan Lewis, Denzil Williams, Brian Price, Delme Thomas, Alun Pask had all been on that tour and six of them had played in the 31-0 hammering of the Wallabies in the second Test in Sydney.
As well as having plenty of experience in their side – Haydn Morgan, who had twice toured with the Lions, was making his 27th appearance in the back row – Wales also had four new caps. Three of them would go on to become household names – Gerald Davies, Barry John and Delme Thomas – while it was the first of three caps for Newbridge flanker Ken Braddock.
The Wallabies had two new caps in their pack in lock Ross Teitzel and back row man Mike Purcell. They fielded 11 of the side that had gone down to Cardiff a few weeks earlier, but were without tour captain Thornett, who dropped himself because he didn’t think he was playing well enough
The stage was set for an entertaining battle and the crowd weren’t left disappointed. It ended up being two tries apiece, but the Wallabies won 14-11 in the end.
With six defeats in their 13 matches leading into the first international they were very much second favourites
BARRY JOHN AND GERALD DAVIES ON THEIR FIRST CAP
Barry John was 21 and the new darling of Stradey Park. Llanelli had lost seven of their 21 games in the season up to December and the soon to be ‘King John’ was the latest inspiration in their back division.
Gerald Davies had played alongside him in the Scarlets back line before opting to move to Cardiff. He played in the Blue & Blacks side that beat Australia 14-8 a month before the international.
The two men went on play together at Cardiff, for Wales and the British & Irish Lions, enjoying huge success and word-wide acclaim. However, they didn’t get to taste victory on their Wales debuts!
“I knew I was in with a chance of being picked because the Western Mail’s main rugby writer, JBG Thomas, has mentioned me in his articles. Bryn was often referred to as the sixth selector and you knew if he was writing favourably about you things were going well,” recalled Barry.
“I’d played in the Welsh Trials opposite David Watkins in the previous season and had had a good start to the season with Llanelli. The Wales team to face Australia was due to be announced on TV on the Thursday in the week before the game.
“I was a student at Trinity College, Carmarthen, at the time and everyone knew the team was going to be announced by Bleddyn Williams on the sports show. We all gathered in the common room – nobody had a TV of their own – and waited to hear the news.
“The names came up one by one of the screen – initials first and then surname. 15, 14, 13, 12, 11 and then the No 10.
“It was difficult to see the black and white screen in such a crowded setting, but then it was B.John. It was a little blob on the screen, but it changed my life.
“I never got to learn who my scrum half was going to be because as soon as my name appeared everyone jumped up and starting shouting and cheering. The TV went over and I got mobbed.
Barry John didn't expect to be on the losing side on his Wales debut against Australia
“I had to wait until the next day to learn it was Allan Lewis, one of three Abertillery players in the side, who would be at scrum half on the day. The world went a bit mad for a few days.
“The Trinity College switchboard was swamped with telephone calls of congratulations and I got called to the bursar’s office to pick up a huge bag of telegrams. I dipped my hand in and the first one I pulled out and read was from the man who I had replaced in the Welsh team, David Watkins.
“It just said ‘Many Congratulations. You’ve done it’. I was even allowed to miss a mock exam in the week of the game because it coincided with a Welsh training session.
“In every game I played I always tried to get my basic skills right from the start. It was always a case of trying to ensure the first kick went into touch and not dropping the first pass.
“The first time I got the ball I managed to break through the Aussie defence, but I got lost and ignored John Dawes outside me and probably cost us a try on the wing for Dewi Bebb. I remember Cliff Morgan writing that it seemed every time I got the ball I ran through their defences.
“I managed to do the hard bits, but couldn’t convert them into scores. I put in one grubber kick for Dewi to chase and he looked certain to score until the ball, on about the 10th bounce, just bounced away from him.
“The game was over in a flash and it was a pretty empty feeling having lost on my debut. It had never even occurred to me in the build up to the game that we might lose and it was a hell of a shock.
“The Australians were emerging from the doldrums and had some really good players in Ken Catchpole, Phil Hawthorne and Greg Davis. In the end, it was a game we could and should have won, but failed to finish properly.
“We had the customary dinner at the Angel Hotel after the game and then the day was over. Delme was driving back to west Wales and asked me if I wanted a lift, but I was staying at my girlfriend’s house in Dogo Street, Pontcanna.
Australia's scrum half Ken Catchpole was regarded as the best player in the world in the late 1960s
“The day had started so perfectly as I ran out at Cardiff Arms Park to win my first Welsh cap, yet as I walked down Cathedral Road with my kit bag over my shoulder in the early evening I felt like the loneliest man in Cardiff.”
Barry was at least able to get his revenge a month later when he helped Llanelli to an 11-0 win over the tourists at Stradey Park. Not only that, he dropped a goal and scored a try
“I always felt that my career wouldn’t have been complete unless I played in a side that beat New Zealand. I went on to do that with the Lions in 1971 and I managed to beat the Wallabies with Wales in 1969,” he added.
“That is the last Welsh team to beat Australia on their own soil and that set the record straight for me.”
That game in Australia featured the first try from Gerald Davies in the wing position for Wales. He then joined Barry in beating the All Blacks on the 1971 Lions tour.
He, too, remembers listening in to the Bleddyn Williams sports show to hear the news about the Wales team to play Australia ahead of his first cap.
“Four of us had just moved into a flat and we headed to a pub in Canton to watch the TV show on which the Wales team to face the Wallabies was due to be announced,” recalled Gerald in his autobiography.
“When Bleddyn Williams, who was chairing the sports programme, gave the news that I had been chosen to play for Wales, my friends felt that the best thing to do with their beer was to shower me with it.
Gerald Davies cutting loose out wide for Wales
“The fact I’d been reserve for all four internationals the previous year made me accustomed to the feel of such matches, and having played for Cardiff against Australia meant I wouldn’t be overawed by the big match atmosphere.
“I felt curiously at ease with it all when the time came, although apart from it being my first cap and the fact Wales lost, the match itself provides no lasting memory. The game was won by a very good Australian team and emphasised the achievement of Cardiff in their encounter with the tourists.
“That Australian party set a standard for all future Australian sides. They made a mockery throughout the tour of claims made in certain quarters for the over-riding importance of good ball as opposed to bad ball from the forwards.
“With the combined skills of a Catchpole at scrum half, and a Hawthorne at outside half, however bad the ball they received from their forwards it could be turned into good ball for their centres and wings.
“This Australian team also went on to beat England and the Barbarians as well.”
