TWO MORE HEROES OF 1976 GRAND SLAM WALES SIDE JOIN ‘ROLL OF HONOUR
Two heroes of the 1976 Wales Grand Slam winning team were surprised to find themselves added to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame’s ‘Roll of Honour’ ahead of last weekend’s Wales v France game at Principality Stadium.
To mark the 50th anniversary of that famous Grand Slam Terry Cobner and Allan Martin joined nine of their teammates on the most exclusive list in Welsh sport at the pre-match function in the President’s Suite.
As was explained to the gathering, 1976 was an unforgettable year for Wales and its capital city.
* The Prime Minister, James Callaghan, represented Cardiff South-East.
* Cardiff’s Peter Rodrigues collected the FA Cup at Wembley as captain of Southampton.
* A blazing summer brought the city its longest heatwave.
* And a pint of beer cost 33 pence.
But most unforgettably of all, Wales won the Grand Slam at what was then Cardiff Arms Park. They broke records from the start – beating England 21-9 at Twickenham, Scotland 28-6 and Ireland in Dublin, 34-9.
Wales had scored 11 tries and conceded just one when they went into the mighty finale in Cardiff against France, who were also unbeaten. Something had to give on a day when Sir Gareth Edwards overtook Ken Jones to become Wales’ most-capped player.
France outscored Wales 2-1 on tries and they would have had another but for JPR Williams’ famous, or infamous, tackle on Jean-Francois Gourdon, a penalty try today but not 50 years ago. Wales won 19-13.
Incredibly, that Welsh team was almost unchanged from the start in January to the finish in March. Only two alterations were made, Tommy David for an injured Cobner at the halfway stage. The only substitution came in the last match, Mike Knill stepping into the front row and then only because Graham Price emerged from a scrum unable to see where he was going.
Wales had completed the Slam with just 16 players and one substitute. To show it was no fluke they did it again two years later, with 16 players and no substitutes.
Central to their success was a pack of forwards led by No 8 Mervyn Davies that provided a constant stream of possession. No wonder so many of that side had already been inducted onto the WSHoF ‘Roll of Honour’.
JPR Williams, Sir Gerald Davies, Steve Fenwick, JJ Williams, Phil Bennett, Sir Gareth Edwards, Tom David and Mervyn Davies were all previous inductees, as was replacement Derek Quinnell.
The first to join them was second row Martin, who became the 208th ‘Roll of Honour’ member – and the 47th Welsh rugby international.
“We start with one of the biggest members of that 1976 team, a man of many parts. He could jump, catch, push and kick – he was an athlete ahead of his time. He also formed one of the great partnerships in the history of Welsh rugby,” said WSHoF Trustee Rob Cole..
“In a country that has lauded its half-backs above all others for the best part of 140 years, it is interesting to note that Gareth Edwards and Barry John played 23 times together for Wales and Edwards and Phil Bennett were partners in 24 games.
“Allan Martin and Geoff Wheel packed down together in the second row for Wales a record 27 times – winning 20 times together and drawing once. No scrum, no game. No line-out, no attack. The show ponies can’t operate without the piano shifters.
“And so the man we honouring is one of the great grafters. Allan Martin won 34 caps for Wales, including two Grand Slams and four Triple Crowns. He twice toured with the British & Irish Lions and played in one Test; he was a barbarian and played first class rugby until he was 42.”
Welsh Rugby Internationals on ‘Roll of Honour’
Phil Bennett, John Bevan (RL), Liza Burgess, Terry Cobner, Tom David, John Devereux (RL), Sir Gareth Edwards, Non Evans, Sir Gerald Davies, Jonathan Davies (RL), Mervyn Davies, John Dawes, Ieuan Evans, Steve Fenwick, Arthur Gould, John Gwilliam, Carwyn James, Barry John, Adam Jones, Cliff Jones, Ken Jones, Lewis Jones (RL), Robert Jones, Ryan Jones, Allan Martin, Jack Matthews, Bryn Meredith, Cliff Morgan, Gwyn Nicholls, Graham Price, Derek Quinnell, Maurice Richards (RL), Clive Rowlands, John Taylor, Delme Thomas, Billy Trew, David Watkins (RL), Bleddyn Williams, JJ Williams, JPR Williams, Martyn Williams
RL = Inducted as Rugby League and Rugby Union players
The next addition, No 209, was the current WRU President himself, Terry Cobner. He had been wondering all week why his wife had been so adamant that their two daughters wanted to come to the game. He had no idea what was about to unfold as his family sat at his table with great pride as Dave Cobner, another WSHoF Trustee, read out his citation.
“Very, very few players have played for Wales on a regular basis without ever losing a match at Cardiff Arms Park. The next inductee onto the ‘Roll of Honour’ belongs to that rare breed, not that you’ll ever hear him mention it.
“Not one undefeated match, not one undefeated season but four, from January 1974 to March 1978 – three Five Nations titles, two Grand Slams. Outstanding
“His winning mentality had been forged in the furnace of a town famous for its ironworks, Blaenavon. The man we are about to honour took that iron will with him wherever he went for club, country and the British & Irish Lions.
“His club record alone is a hair-raising one which may explain why he hasn’t got any – more than 400 matches for Pontypool over 15 years, 10 as captain. Had there been an Anglo-Welsh League, Pontypool under his on-field leadership would have been serial winners.
“On debut for Wales against Scotland he delivered the only score of the match, a converted try. In New Zealand with the Lions in 1977 he played a major role as pack leader and coach during a series when the Lions forwards outplayed their opponents.
“Almost 20 years after bowing out with the Grand Slam in 1978, he returned in a new role as the Welsh Rugby Union’s first director of coaching, a post he held for eight years. These days, he is the Union’s President.”
Sir Gareth Edwards handed over the awards at an event that marked an historic moment in Welsh rugby history.