Welsh Rugby - the 70's - Part 1

[yippitydodah]

some say Stammer-Smith went "native" in his commentary here. Fuck those english if they think that, and no doubt Andy Robinson will back me up, what i read today in the arse spankers The Times.

[yippitydodah]

01:22 - a classic try in Paris from '71. buddey brilliant.

[GoweExile]

Is anyone else impressed with the speed the ball came out of those mauls and rucks?

[mantov70]

I'm a french rugby fan,and it is a very great pleasure to see these images.I was 12 years old at the time,played in Racing rugby team (which play in h-cup today).I passed marvellous afternoons to see five nations matches on tv between british teams.

Particularly Welsh players were magicians and I never forget all they gave for Rugby.

Today I am very happy to see Welsh team at it best level of game and players.

Glory to the Welsh nation to have find again the way of the Magicians!!

[madscientistify]

did that guy nearly passout at 1:53

[scradley12]

@taweraster Barry John did beat the All Blacks in 71 with the Lions, which was almost all the Welsh team, best backs of all time in my opinion.

[tomodude6542]

1:19 Check out the psychopath waving a stick in the background!

[essertpitay]

When Wales used to be good.

[bobbylockes]

@essertpitay their defence is the best of the world cup so far.

[essertpitay]

@essertpitay We shall see tomorrow morning, won't we ?

[macvatu]

I used to have a flutter at the bookies in the seventies. And always I backed Wales, Brigadier Gerrard ( a classic race winner) and one other outsider, it was just amazing the number of times I hit the jackpot. This vid certainly brings back those happy memories.

[TheRealColey]

Pontypool here btw

[TheRealColey]

Pontypool here btw

[TheRealColey]

this is classic rugby. youth players watch and learn

[ICR68]

Glory days indeedm and I think the current Wales team are steadily improving and may yet achieve this standard again. Cymru am Byth!

[Pihasanddunes1]

Must've been a remarkable time to be a Welsh rugby fan. There have been few backlines as good as the Welsh of 1970 and 1971.

[JordanEvans3794]

@Pihasanddunes1 it always has been remarkable to be a welshman for rugby, england invented it, the all blacks are the best team, but wales is the home of pure rugby.

[TheHughes56]

@Pihasanddunes1 It was fantastic to watch. the best rugby team ever!

[chanctonbury63]

....(cont)...A bunch of arrogant, unelected, self serving, overpaid incompetents who cannot be removed except by their peers. They claim to be `The Guardians of the Game`!! By whose authority I ask? Who voted for them?? Only a group of such uniquely unsuitable idiots could have made the decision to hire Martin Johnso as a `coach`, especially after years of non achievement under Robinson. Johnson, a great player had NO experience. Nothing, and look whats happened? You just could not make it up!

[hughesglandwr]

They weren't as athletic as the teams now, but the hands and ball movement was sublime. Any time you watch rugby now it's like kids at a birthday party knocking a balloon around. The ball movement was so much better back then.

[Punorss]

No team kicks the ball forward anymore. Back then the Welsh knew they were fit as **** and could out run anybody!

[TheDbwoii]

the golden years of the 70's

[chanctonbury63]

@TheDbwoii What came afterwards was a complete disaster sadly.

[TheDiamond909]

no rugby team has ever created such brilliant rugby as the welsh 70's s'ide. There is such a quality to it...its like poetry...some of the moves are 'unthinkable'.

[rothordegilian]

The best bit is that last inside ball by JJ. Simply awesome.

[rugbyali]

some of the best rugby ever played!!!!!!

[vindaloo1000]

Absolutely wonderful.....and I'm an English fan...but as a schoolboy in the early 70's the Welsh team were always the most magnificent team to watch...those names just conjure up such glorious memories - Edwards, Barry John, Phil Bennett. JPR,JJ, Roy Bergiers, John Taylor,Merv the Swerve, the Pontypool front row...happy days ! And the great voices on the commentary - Nigel Starmer-Smith, Cliff Morgan and the immortal Bill McLaren - we shall never see or hear their like again !

[chanctonbury63]

@vindaloo1000 I think we can leave the truly assenine Starmer Smith off that list. Funnily enough hes the only one still commentating and, whilst it pains me, I have to say that now hes calmed down a bit in his later years he doesnt do that bad a job.

[WarpedFlange]

I mourn for this type of rugby! Amazing! Thank you for putting it up!

Professionalism ruined our beloved game!

[chanctonbury63]

@WarpedFlange I take issue with that. It wasnt professionalism that, at least for a while badly affected the game, it was the headless chicken way the Unions firstly tried to ignore it, and then when the whole edifice crashed down on them just stood around scratching their arses. Welsh rugby was already in dire straits when the money came along. The 80s had been a disaster. The most spectacular legacy that remains today of their mindless stupidity, as an example, is the English RFU.

[fergiewergie]

How did the Welsh team of that era do against the All Blacks/Wallabies?Springbox ??

[BillyBronco73]

@fergiewergie Wales only played the Springboks once in that era a drawn game in 1970. They beat Australia in Australia in 1969 and won in Cardiff in 1973 and 1975. They didn't beat the All Blacks but the British Lions based around the Welsh greats won successive series in New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974. Having won successive series away in New Zealand and South Africa and with no world cup British rugby based around the Welsh greats was generally acknowledged as the best.

[taweraster]

@BillyBronco73 But they didn't beat New Zealand as the single identity of 'Wales', they had to combine with the other Nations of the British Isles. You can't even be considered the best when you haven't beaten the best. Nice little team though.

[mizofan]

@taweraster Er, but the ABs simply weren't the best, as the Boks, France and even England in NZ showed. The Blacks fortunately avoided Wales' stronger seasons, and had to rely on infamous planned cheating (sign of inferiority)to beat Wales declining after Edwards, Bennett, Gerald Davies retired. Wales: best winning record, most points, tries and far more exciting stylish rugby. As with Federer v Nadal or Holland not wininng 70s football world cups etc, you have to take the overall picture

[TheHughes56]

@taweraster The all-Blacks conveniently avioded the best Wales team of the very early 70s and in my opinion would have beaten them. That team played sublime rugby and were the greatest. they also had the greatest of them all inKING BARRY JOHN. I am English by the way and cannot be considered biast.

[taweraster]

@TheHughes56 But Wales in the 70's never beat the All Blacks, the All Blacks beat them everytime and Barry John never beat the All Blacks.

Statistics show that New Zealand have dominated Wales for the last 60 odd years, I'll be cheering for Wales in the Bronze match but all in all the All Blacks were better than Wales in the 70's.

[TheHughes56]

@taweraster Yes your opinion is a valid one, but the great Wales team of 70-71 didn't play the All-blacks and in my opinion that Wales team would have beaten New Zealand. Though I do agree with you over the history of the game the All-Blacks are the teams to be measured against.

[TheHughes56]

@taweraster That Wales side also played the best free-flowing Rugby ever seen. Poetry in motion you have to agree.

[TheHughes56]

@BillyBronco73 I feel it must be accepted that The Wales team of 70-71 and the British Lions of that era that contained so many Welsh greats has to be the benchmark and to my eyes is the greatest side ever.

[ramanon]

It's brilliant to watch, genius and beautiful for us old amateurs, but the physicality of the game means most of those scores would have been snuffed by the intervention of a 16 stone centre who doesn't tackle like a turnstyle, supported by both 19 stone lock s running, not walking. Some of those missed tackles would be career ending in todays game after the press and the selection committees passed judgement after the match.

[lickstickly]

Faulkner's try is my favourite, its just amazing to see that bit of daring, flair support play between a hooker and a prop, nowadays they seem to just stick their head won and charge

[lickstickly]

god its a shame there wasnt a world cup in those days

[chaotica2410]

@lickstickly wales would of won it

[myroseaccount]

Wales were the best international team in the 70s from around 71 through to 79. Unfortunately they did not play the Springboks due to apartheid, but I have no doubt these Wales teams would have prevailed against any touring Boks in those years. Bennett missed a goal to win in 72 when Wales were unprepared that autumn and were still in shock at the King's departure in the summer. No need to comment on the 78 game.

Wales were the world's best side through that period.

[GTAjedi]

Well, Barry John is the greatest player ever for me. What a legend

[TheYddraigGoch]

Awesome stuff, I told Barry John I was going to marry him when I was about 6 lol

[bcharville]

I'm a big Rugby fan from the US. Too bad more people in the states don't like this...

Thanks for sharing. :)

[MrGuillermotron]

Madre mia, con ese juego a la mano tan rápido no hace falta tener delanteros en el equipo. XD

[lomax343]

There's no doubt that today's players - being full-time professionals - are fitter, faster and more skilled.

But can they entertain like that?

[marcaus21]

As an Australian with welsh heritage. I can say we are the two great rugby nations.

[PihaSandDunes]

Superb rugby, demonstrating the old adage that rugby should be 14 men playing to put the 15th in space with the ball in his hands.

[thecrazybabe100]

whoo hoo... barryjohn;) what a player.... garethedwards was truly great but barryjohn you wont see the likes of himm again! GERALD DAVIES

[duceoldschool]

I never appreciated why the Welsh considered themselves as having great sides or great players until I saw this video. Boy they were good alright. You have to wonder what ever happened to a country that used to produce such world class players. What a great shame for Wales and the Rugby world as a whole. I think those players would've given today's All Blacks (especially the backs) adamn good hurry up, well, at least they would've been their equal anyway.

[Pagra50]

What impresses me is the committment those guys had to play 15 man rugby. Their mobility as team, great individual skills,physical ability, total support, and extreme confidence is lacking in so many a international sides today. Outstanding.

Thanks for the post!!!

[GWAussie19]

Ha ha. Gotta love the welsh, they sure are a passionate bunch. Still don't recall them ever beating the All Blacks during this era however. Still the welsh team in the 70's was a mighty fine one, better than they've ever had.

[blairomatic]

@GWAussie19

Wales lost 16-19 (1972), 12-13 (1978) and 3-23 (1980 Centenary Test) to the All Blacks.

However, we (NZ) always feared playing the Welsh in this era.

[mizofan]

@blairomatic It was unfortunate for Wales to meet the All Blacks with the worst teams in that decade (not in grand slam/unbeaten seasons) and the 1978 match, after Edwards, Bennett and Gerald Davies had retired, was very controversial. By 1980 Wales, with those legends gone, were already in the long decline. In the 70s Wales had the best international record and played beautiful Rugby, also the heart of the best ever Lions in 71 and 74. Most of the time since, Wales have been poor or crap

[TheHughes56]

@blairomatic Yes, the results show that. But I do think the great Wales side of 70-71 would have beaten the All-Blacks. It was a travesty you have to admit that the 78 result is tinged somewhat with events that occured.

[mizofan]

@GWAussie19 Wales' best teams of the decade in unbeaten/grand slam seasons simply didn't play the All Blacks, who lost at home v England and France and had a very hard time v the Springboks. The infamous match in Nov 78 took place after Edwards, Bennett and Gerald Davies had retired. Wales had comfortably the best record of any team in the decade, played the most beautiful attacking Rugby and were the heart of the best ever Lions in 71 and 74,as well as the Baabaas in 73.

[kelvinl228]

The arrogance of the southern hemisphere is blown away softly like the first summer breeze as I remember the those Welsh players .

[BenKHouch]

if im to be fair he was POSSIBLY the worlds best WING...*POSSIBLY*..u try paint a picture that SW is an OUTSTANDING player and that the rest of wales are *so-so* players,and that NZ are a great team but *in no way do they have an individual that is better than SW in 08*...its thinking like that is why u havent beat NZ in 50years pal. not since the 70s does Wales have an arguement that they have an individual player better than any individual in an All Blacks side...

[BenKHouch]

also as u say, u dont watch JR much...im guessing youve only seen him play a few games whilst playing for the ABs. Ive watched Joe play for Auckland NPC,Auckland BluesS14, All Blacks-as well as others(baabaas,Jr Abs,Wesley College)..and ive seen SW play for Ospreys,Wales and B&IL. Im mearly stating my thoughts on the 08 season through watching BOTH players play for club and country. Im not saying SH are better cause im from the SH..i watch S14,Heineken,Magners,Currie Cup,6N,Tri Nations.all rugby

[dylan0572]

"john your too slow!" At 1:54 funny.

[BenKHouch]

u want more?

[hywel99]

@BenKHouch ok that maybe true actually, i am welsh and was brought up on this stuff so im biased i guess! thanks for going so out of your way to prove me wrong. After checking though, you're an aussie so I bet that you would have hoped to find an Australian golden era example. Why not enjoy the quality of the rugby instead of finding some way to rubbish it?

[BenKHouch]

@hywel99 ..im actually a kiwi living in aussie so i have no allegences with OZ...if i had to name a OZ *golden era*...id say the 91-99 WC winning sides...or the 83-84,randwick sides(even though they lost to auckland,the aussies seem to think the early 80s was a golden era for them...the welsh era in the 70s was way better than those aussie eras..btw im not rubbishing the Welsh 70s..1 of the greats..all i mentioned is that that was 40years ago..

[hywel99]

@BenKHouch 40 years ago is a long time ago.. In my opinion the Welsh side of today shows glimpses of briliance. some real quality individual flair but totoally dissapointing results of late

[BenKHouch]

@hywel99 ..yes hence my *mild dig*...Shane Williams wasnt the worlds best player in 08...thats a fair comment too...Wales is like Ireland. U both have 1 or 2 good players...but can never get 22 worldclass players at 1 time..and if u dont u cant hold a *world challenging* squad for a few seasons on the trot. Hence why SA/NZ/AU have been #1 for the last 20yrs+...the S14 is goin downhill..the heineken is goin up..the deffernce in NZ/SA between the others is depth of quality players

[BenKHouch]

@hywel99 I ask a question: do u think SW was the worlds best player in 08?...be honest now...I personally find it hard because in 08 NZ won the Tri Nations,Bledisloe Cup did another Grand Slam and Joe Rococoko killed SW in Cardiff. yet the worlds best players were *alledgedly* 2 WEL,1SCO,1ENG,1ITA and D.Carter(DC had a pretty average year by his standards in 08)...i dont get it...NZ rolls the world in 08 yet 5/6 of the *worlds best* are NH players?...hmmm

[hywel99]

@BenKHouch It's difficult to say as rokocoko is playing in a stronger side. He deffinatly didn't kill shane in what I saw. In the first half Shane was the danger man and New Zeland were hanging on first half,. They're both great players but for individual skill and pace Shane has to be the worlds best. Did u see his try against France the other week? I don't know of any other player who would have scored from that position. That's just my opinion of course, I don't watch J.R play regularly.

[BenKHouch]

@hywel99 ..yes i did see th french/SW try. nice try..poor defense...but thats the 1st time ive seen SW do anything in 2years..he wpoty 08,then the next yr he cant even make the starting XV for the lions. i seriously wouldnt have SW as 1 of my top 5 world players. theres too many NZ/SA players who are world beaters. Richie McCaw,Daniel Carter, Victor Matfield, Bakies Botha, Fourie du Preez, its these sorta guys who are involved 80min of the game and win the match for u

[BenKHouch]

@hywel99 btw, to give u a *SH* update..Joe Rococoko is playn really weak...i cant see him in the all blacks this year...Lelia Masaga and Sitiveni Sivivatu/Cory Jane probably the All Black wings..Masaga/Sivivatu/Habana.­.theyre probably the 3 best SANZAR wings at the moment...given space-Sivi/Masaga/SW pretty similar...go watch their utube pages..they score freakish tries. but neither 1 of those wingers i mention is the worlds best player..McCaw is and has been for a few years now..everygame

[lickstickly]

BenKHouch, i think Shane was the best player of 2008, you have to think objectively, Shane was playing in a team which did not boast the quality in depth that NZ had, he is by todays standards a tiny playerwho does not boast massive size like Rokocoko and he scored vital tries in EVERY match that year, then proceeded to outclass the former worlds best player that year as well, what Shane has over the big guys is flair,vision and guts, he's a throwback if you will and the IRB saw that why cant u?

[BenKHouch]

this is how objective i am. I watch all rugby and i work with 2 Welshmen,1 other kiwi and 4 aussies. when I ask the 2 welsh guys if they thought SW was 08 WPOTY. they are STAUCH welshmen. theyve been to 2 WCs to follow wales. but without hesitation they say no. I make my view based on watching loads of SH and NH games..the IRB is VERY rigged....Yes he was playn NZ(who has plenty of talent)..

[BenKHouch]

the feeling in NZ was we knew we have so much talented player AND the NH hadnt won the WPOTY in seveal seasons, that they GAVE it to SW...if SW was a kiwi a feel he WOULDNT have won the WPOTY. NZ won tri nation/bledisloe/grandslam,mad­e SW look like a schoolboy in Cardiff,yet the IRB nominate 2xWAL,1xITA,1xSCO,1xENG,1xNZ as the best players, and u are trying to use the IRB as a *basis of credibility* for your SW arguement?..get REAL!dont get me wrong,SW is VERY talent,but NOT the worlds best

[BenKHouch]

96 All Blacks team rated the best team of all time by Martin Johnson,John Eales,Phillipe Sella,Sir Brian Lahore and Joel Stransky

[BenKHouch]

Sir Brian Lochore*

[TheHughes56]

@BenKHouch But that team did not win the World Cup in that era!

[BenKHouch]

the golden era of welsh rugby...40years ago...long time ago...this footage is giving my monitor cobwebs. Longtime between drinks for the Welsh

[hywel99]

@BenKHouch Show me an era when any other country could match this..

[BenKHouch]

@hywel99 NZ invincibles...killed this welsh era..or the 86-90 All Blacks...undefeated

[metallilanguage]

love the line outs: no lifting, no distance

[tomoken86]

Wow! This is so exciting.Thank you very much for editing.

[thofman08]

And that magical voice of Bill Mclaren... RIP. Ah, how little remains from my childhood.

[calengr1]

liked the 5:50 comment.....oh this is so exciting

[bigbadboogieboy]

Brilliant, made my day, thanks!

[chris2138]

how crap are the other nh teams ? lol wales just walked through them all

[isitonthereenough]

@chris2138 They owned every1 in the 70's

[rhysazovic]

thts rugby! true hard menn!

[mrbillymorris12]

the wales team of the 70s was the greatest rugby team of all time

[marcellin20]

actually they struggled to beat nz. Remember 1953 was the last time they beat nz. This is one part that most nostalgic welshmen forget. It was still the dominant side in the northern hemisphere

[mrbillymorris12]

the only wales new zealand match i can recall was in 78 when we were leading with a few minutes to go and the english referee gave a penalty for something and we lost 13-12

regardless, wales still had the best team of all time in the northern and southern hemisphere in the 70s

[mizofan]

@mrbillymorris12 I was at that 78 match, Wales without 3 great retired legends dominated, Gerald Davies' replacement on the wing blew a sitter, and then at the end came the infamous planned dive by both Haden and Oliver- admiited by Mourie and Haden as planned to con the ref.

[chanctonbury63]

@mizofan The ref later said he gave the penalty for obstruction. I was at the game too, not far from the lineout, and I was livid too.

[mrbillymorris12]

and of course you would say that because you are a new zealander

they lost twice in 1969 when they were emerging as the best team but not at their peak...and then again (only just) in 1978 when they were beginning to fade

you cant measure it by their record against new zealand - for instance i consider new zealand to be the best team in the world now and i think they have been for quite some time and yet they havent won the world cup since 1987

wales were the best ever in the 70s...end of

[marcellin20]

they played twice in 72 and 78 and they lost both these test. Wales who were considered a great side only managed a draw against the springboks in the same decade. The boks and allblacks were the dominant team of that decade however out of the two the boks were dominant over the allblacks so in this case south africa would be considered the 'greatest team in the 1970s.

[mrbillymorris12]

like i said before...you cant judge a sides greatness by its record against one team

ive already made this point

new zealand have been the best team for ages and havent managed to win the world cup since 1987 - but they are still the best team around

this was the case with wales in the 70s

the lions and the barbarians beat south africa and new zealand and both the lions and the barbarians were basically wales with one or two irish and english players thrown in

[marcellin20]

I thought we were talking about the dominance of the Wales team....not the British Lions team. Yes the Lions did dominate both team that decade but history will go down as the Lions team, not the team of Wales. Its a matter of how a 'nations' team performs against the best opposition available that decade to establish who the greatest team 'ever' was. There was no world cup around in the 70s so it meaningless to make comparisons to a world cup win. Im sure there isnt a world cup of the decade.

[mizofan]

@marcellin20 Nonsense. Wales' top teams in the 70s in their grand slam/unbeaten seasons never played the All Blacks, who (unlike Wales) lost at home to England and France. The infamous 78 match was after Edwards, Bennett + Gerald Davies retired. South Africa were hammered by the Lions at home. The Wales team that drew with the Springboks at the very beginning of the decade was yet to peak, and the Springboks didn't have a good tour of the UK .Wales had the best record and attacking rugby

[marcellin20]

actually Im English who happens to follow the allblacks more than my shitty team. Thought you'd figure out Im English as we tend to roll our eyes backwards when we hear about Welsh dominance in rugby lol. usually in the form of taking the piss out of your team. No harm intended to the dominance of welsh rugby back then:)

[mrbillymorris12]

so youve put on your profile that youre from new zealand just because the all blacks are the best team

and welsh rugby isnt doing so bad at the moment

better than england anyway

[mrbillymorris12]

you have lost what little respect i had for you after saying that

you cant support another country just because they are better or more entertaining

and i dont really take offence when english people roll their eyes at us when we say we were the best ever because we know and everyone else knows that we were and frankly the english are extremely arrogant and just cant accept that wales are better than them at anything

[mizofan]

@mrbillymorris12 You're quite right, the All Blacks only played Wales in 2 weaker seasons, in 72 after Barry John retired, in Nov 78 after the other legends apart from JPR had retired, and even then had to resort to the infamous planned cheating, chosen by an English (not Welsh) newspaper recently as among the 5 worst ever sporting cheats. Wales had the best record of any national team that decade, most tries, most points etc, the All Blacks even lost at home to England.

[mrbillymorris12]

they had the best number 8 of all time - mervyn davies

the best scrum half (and player) - gareth edwards

the best fly half - barry john

the best full back - jpr williams

and other legends like phil bennett, gerald davies, john dawes, jj williams, john taylor, delme thomas, denzil williams and so on

the names just roll off the tongue

[mrbillymorris12]

plus lions and barbarians sides of the 70s were almost completely dominated by welsh players

[badboy300568]

@mrbillymorris12 i make you right, this is the reason i love rugby

[euroextrovert]

@mrbillymorris12 Greatest Rugby UNION team of all time (perhaps) !

Great team I grant you. I grew up duringf those years and remember those teams like it was yesterday. However ther is another code that has been around for a long, long time and which currently supplies the top Rugby Union teams with may stars.

Rugby LEAGUE !!

[chanctonbury63]

@mrbillymorris12 They werent, but they were pretty damned good. They never beat New Zealand.

[mizofan]

@chanctonbury63 Wales were best team in the 70s; All Blacks beaten at home by France and England, comfortably beaten in the decade by the Boks who had a very bad time v the Lions and on tour of Britain. Wales had the best winning record in the decade, scored easily the most points, tries. The Wales teams which played the ABs in 72 and 78 came in weaker seasons- first after star Barry John retired, 78 after the retirement of Edwards, Bennett, Gerald Davies, and by infamous planned cheating

[TheHughes56]

@mizofan I think the great Welsh team of the early 70s would beat the All- Blacks and are truly the greatest iNTERNATIONAL  Team ever! What memories. Barry John has to be the greatest ever in his position. What grace and change of pace.

[TheHughes56]

Respond to this video... This is awesome stuff. There will never be another team as good as this one. And Imean anywhere in the world,past or present!

[mizofan]

@chanctonbury63 As well as having greater success, Wales also played with far more entertaining panache than the ABs and Welsh players were crucial for the best ever Lions teams too. Wales hammered England time after time, yet England beat the ABs in NZ, Wales comfortably got the better of France in the decade, but France got the upper hand of the ABs.

[chanctonbury63]

@mizofan I take your point, but thats `third person` rugby. Noone but noone expected England to win in NZ. 1958 (I believe) was the last time Wales got the better of NZ. Im half Welsh. Rugby was a blast in the 70s. It was truly wonderful. I also had the great pleasure of being a junior at Old Deer Park at that time as well!

[TheDavelogan]

@mrbillymorris12 They had some of the best players of all time. But they didn't beat the All Blacks.

[MacavitysCat]

It's enough to make a grown Welshman cry. Poetry in motion.

[MrHousey36]

..and they didn't even get paid.

[AmazingCymru]

Barry John :D

[LeighPing]

Superb dummy ball by John Taylor. Awesome skills by Wales.

[CleHle]

yeahhh :)

[nickysilks]

No lifting/holding at the line out makes for quick ball and more attacking-Bring it back-Today's game seems boring compared to the 70's!

[dylan0572]

John your too slow!

[timechannel]

If you don't pick Gareth Edwards,Barry John,JPR Williams and Gerald Davies in your all time great team ,you must be insane ..Southern Hemisphere..or Welsh (10 Years old)

[goosoid]

Even though these guys werent the muscle bound freaks that play now, I would rather watch the 1970's games as it looks more authentic. They look like guys you would pass on the street or work with, just with phenomenal talent. Monay has fucked the game as it has football. I would rather watch the Air NZ Cup than the Super 14 or Heineken Cup, as at least you might see guys succeeding through sheer talent and hard work, not coddled through "academies" where they learn 1 style of play.

[lecroix3]

FYI, they have the academies at the air new zealand cup level as well.

[goosoid]

I think you mean that academy players also play Air NZ Cup? Of course, but there are also a lot of players (especially in the minor unions) who never went through the academy system. I think that is great as some players (especially non-Pacific Islanders) need time to develop as players.

[lecroix3]

I meant that all the unions in new zealand have an academy. Its great that you dont have to be in an academy in order to make it to a preofessional level in new zealand. you just have to have come from a nice college.

[ericsanjo]

sin los forwards no son nada

[WELLBRAN]

Gerald Davis was a fantastic player

[generaleSherman]

BEST TEAM EVER, no doubt !!!

the speaker says at 9.24 '' magical interplay between backs and foreward '' and it's true, modern rugby was born !!!

and look what a individual tecnhique and what a fantasy and confidence in the open play, great great !!!

[twotellys12]

new zeland looked like little boys back then ...had to cheat to win ...OHHHH i forgot they still do, and the rest of the southern hem.....

[goosoid]

1. 1953; 2. You are a retard and obviously know nothing about Rugby, as the All Blacks arent even in that video (I think you are mixing them up with Scotland, but the All Blacks only wear black shorts); 3. I dont think passing the ball beyond first five is illegal, though, watching England play, you would think it was.

[LeonWgner]

The best try in the history of Rugby, better than the Edwards Barbarian try,

Barry John's try against New-Zealand Universities game on the Lions 71 tour.

[Niallersz]

The handling is just awesome, like really really phenominal the speed their comin on to the ball

[kristian0NZ0surfa]

great video

but when are yah gonna get a victory over us

[mycal64]

Great video! Takes me back to my childhood in Cardiff when we`d play rugby on the tarmac in the street. I think it`s the sound of Bill Mclaren`s voice that brings back the strongest memories. We even sneaked into a few games at the Arm`s Park in `78!

[stani0n101]

such an amazing sport and so good to watch! so much action! and is so better that football.

[stani0n101]

this wales team was amazing however rugby has changed soo much, the standard is alot higher and it is alot more physical if this wales side were playing against the rugby now it would be very different. Still really good for thay era

[HitMeQuick]

some things that never age: a good old fashioned hand off, some of the sidesteps and dummy's are breathtaking, the running of Barry John and the handling. Great stuff

[rennie6767]

Wow what a golden era it was for Wales,I remember as a boy I used to buy rugby magazines and I used to love reading about these Welsh wizards....what a wicked reverse pass 9.13 by Gareth Edwards.

[rhysazovic]

why wasnt there rugby world cups in the 60s and 70s?

wales woulda won all of emm!

we were too good!!

[WazQuaz]

The Welsh sides in the 70's were one of the best sides in the world.

[mizofan]

ah ha great to find you here WazQuaz- glad you've enjoyed it. I forgot to mention on your videos about the brilliant winger Gerald Davies, who's prominent here you'll have noticed. He was great on the Lions tour that beat New Zealand in 71 too.

[timechannel]

Everyone knows about great No 14s..Wales have a great No 11 now

[mizofan]

Never has a video here contained so much sporting genius as this (and part 2)- this was the most beautiful and exciting team at any major sport.

[jjmc60]

Magical stuff!! Backs running onto the ball; a steep line; 15-man rugby. And all so natural. Oh, and "Claude Spangerro". Takes me back. Thanks for the post.

[alun101]

Thanks for posting.

Diolch am postiau.

[monkeyboydai]

I regret not being old enough to have watched them play. This is what rugby is all about...

[Matthewfawr]

I'm no expert on Rugby but I love it all the same - it's just phenomenal. It seems to me that no side these days plays rugby in the same way. Wales made it look easy!

[yokohokomoko]

The games changed to much for comparison. Back then it was much more about skill, and now its much more physically intensive.

[Matthewfawr]

Yes, it was also a lot faster. Great to watch

[tetomedina2007]

who's the fly half?

[firefox1275]

Barry John, then John Bevan and then Phil Bennett

[termoso]

The best rugby side ever. Extremly talented fast rugby. 09:18 reverse pass simply magical. Bill McLaren voice is a perfect match.

[sausagewort]

Everyone says defence has improved these days etc etc... If an on-song Welsh side of the seventies played the All Blacks/South Africa/England today they would still destroy them. JPR, Edwards, Davies and Bennett could probably beat them on their own

[firefox1275]

I agree, but I think it may be close as the boys are getting on a bit now

Most of them are in their 60's

[sausagewort]

Close-ish, maybe.

[mizofan]

Yeah, but as Max Boyce said, in the 70's England used to train against dummy models of these Welsh greats, and were delighted not to be losing too heavily. Then there was the time the whole Welsh team were taken off with food poisoning, leaving Gareth playing England alone. Groans from the Welsh supporters soon turned to cheers as Gareth scored.

[firefox1275]

After the game, his team mates were angry with Gareth because he let England score a penalty, but Gareth explained he couldn't help it as he also left the field with food poisoning with 20 minutes still left to play

[o0NicolaiP0o]

@firefox1275 What are you guys talking about? Is this an inside joke? :) I never heard that "story" or whatever it is.

[philchen63]

@sausagewort I think defence has improved,but if those 70s boys were playing today,their attack would also be better than it was-that's quite a thought.....JPR bigger (and harder!),Gerald faster,Gareth and Benny harder to catch.''Ifs'' can be so much fun,however the natural talent they had would shine.That generation was exceptional,really exceptional.Cheers,Phil

[sausagewort]

@philchen63 Good point, to think that they all played rugby as well as having jobs... with a modern training regime/diet it's scary to imagine how good a team they could have been, although with the extra money maybe they wouldn't have had the hunger? Incidentally, my mum went out with Gerald Davies when he was at Cambridge - his jerseys used to be frying on the radiator, still can't believe she didn't take one as a souvenir!

[jbnbnbnn]

Excellent compilation.

[mizofan]

Superb compilation. Wales' greatest prop scoring at 5:00!

[onemorethingsir]

Wonderful team...great passage of play in the game against ireland in 1976 near the end, what a try that would have been!