Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Wales national rugby union - Post-war years (1920–1968)



The post-First World War years marked a decline in Welsh rugby. The worst period was during the 1920s when the team's lacklustre performance seemed to mirror the industrial recession, which hit South Wales particularly hard. Of the 42 matches played, only 17 were won and three drawn. The depression resulted in around half-a-million people leaving Wales to find work elsewhere, , including many Welsh rugby union internationals who moved to rugby league. Between 1923 and 1928, Wales managed only seven victories — five of them against France. However, even France managed to defeat Wales that decade; achieving their first victory over Wales in 1928. Welsh selection policy reflected the upheavals of the mid-1920s. In 1924, 35 different players were selected for Wales' four matches, with a different captain for each; and only Edward Watkins in the backs and Charlie Pugh in the forwards, playing in all four matches.

A resurgence of both economy and rugby union followed in the 1930s and, in 1931, Wales won their first championship for nine years. That year, for the first time since the First World War, Wales retained the same side for two consecutive Tests when they faced England and Scotland.[16] Then, in 1933, captained by Watcyn Thomas, Wales defeated England at Twickenham for the first time.[17] In 1935, Wales beat the touring All Blacks by 13–12, with Haydn Tanner making his first appearance. Although the Five Nations Championship was suspended during the Second World War, Wales did play a Red Cross charity match against England at Cardiff in 1940, which Wales lost 18–9

Following the Second World War, Wales played a New Zealand Army team (the Kiwis) in 1946, which Wales lost 11–3. The Five Nations (suspended during the war) resumed in 1947 when Wales shared the title with England. Although Wales suffered their first home defeat to France in 1948,[21] they won their first Five Nations Grand Slam since 1911 in 1950. The next year, they lost to the touring South Africans 6–3 despite dominating in the line-outs.[22] They achieved another Grand Slam in 1952, followed by a 13–8 win over the All Blacks in 1953. In 1954, St Helens in Swansea (a Welsh international venue since 1882) hosted its last international and Cardiff Arms Park officially became the home of the Welsh team.[23] In 1956, Wales again won the Five Nations, but they would not regain the title until 1964 and would not win it outright until 1965.

Wales conducted their first overseas tour in 1964, playing several games and one Test in South Africa. They lost the Test against South Africa in Durban 24–3, their biggest defeat in 40 years. At the WRU annual general meeting that year, the outgoing WRU President D. Ewart Davies declared that "it was evident from the experience of the South African Tour that a much more positive attitude to the game was required in Wales... Players must be prepared to learn, and indeed re-learn, to the absolute point of mastery, the basic principles of Rugby Union football." This started the coaching revolution. The WRU Coaching Committee—set up in the late 1950s—was given the task of improving the quality of coaching and, in January 1967, Ray Williams was appointed Coaching Organiser. The first national coach, David Nash, was appointed in 1967 to coach Wales for the season, but resigned when the WRU refused to allow him to accompany Wales on their 1968 tour of Argentina. Eventually, the WRU reversed their decision, appointing Clive Rowlands to tour as coach. Of the six matches, Wales won three, drew two and lost one.

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