'The Day The Pubs Ran Dry!'

[TRF_Cymro]

(Delme Thomas carried off after the victory)

​

Twas on a dark and dismal day in a week that had seen rain,
When all roads led to Stradey Park with the All Blacks here again,
they poured down from the valleys, they came from far and wide,
There were 50,000 in the ground and me and Dai outside.

The shops were closed like Sunday and the streets were silent still,
And those who chose to stay away were either dead or ill,
But those who went to Stradey park will remember till they die,
How New Zealand Were defeated and how the pubs ran dry.

Oh the beer flowed at Stradey, piped down from Felinfoel,
And the hands that held the glasses high were strong from steel and coal,
the air was filled with singing and I heard a grown man cry,
Not because we'd won but because the pubs ran dry.

Then dawned the morning after, on empty factories,
For we were still at Stradey, bloodshot absentees,
But we all had doctors papers and they all said just the same,
that we all had Scarlet fever and we caught it at the game.

Now all the little babies in Llanelli from now on,
Will be Christened Roy or Carwyn, Derek, Delme, Phil or John,
And in a hundred years from now they'll sing a song for me,
About that day the scoreboard read Llanelli 9- Seland Newydd 3.

And when I grow old, my hair turns grey and they put me in a chair,
I'll tell my great grandchildren that their Datcu was there.
And they'll ask to hear the story of that dark October day,
When I went down to Stradey park and I saw the Scarlets play.

Max Boyce

For those unaware it's 40 years ago to the day that Llanelli beat the All Blacks 9-3 at Stradey Park. Scarlets and Wales Fly-half legend Phil Bennett provided much of the inspiration that day and the conversion of Roy Bergiers' solitary try, while Andy Hill struck a long-range penalty was enough for Llanelli to walk away with the win.

THE TEAMS

Llanelli 1972: Roger Davies; John J. Williams, Roy Bergiers, Ray Gravell, Andy Hill; Phil Bennett, Chico Hopkins; Tony Crocker, Roy Thomas, Barry Llewellyn, Delme Thomas (capt), Derek Quinnell, Tom David, Hefin Jenkins, Gareth Jenkins.?Replacements: Selwyn Williams, Alan James, Chris Charles, Brian Llewellyn, Gwyn Ashby, Meirion Davies.

New Zealand 1972: Joe Karam; Bryan Williams, Bruce Robertson, Mark Sayers, Duncan Hales; Bob Burgess, Lindsey Colling; Keith Murdoch, Ron Urlich, Graham Whiting, Andy Haden, Pole Whiting, Alistair Scown, Alan Sutherland, Ian Kirkpatrick (capt).?Replacement: Grant Batty.

 

[Draggs]

Did Llanelli beat the All Blacks?
Why do they not bring this up more often?

 

[FlukeArtist]

Awesome poem

 

[dullonien]

Did Llanelli beat the All Blacks?
Why do they not bring this up more often?

Yeah, not sure why more is not made of the fact that Newport have beaten New Zealand, especially considering how much is made of the Llanelli victory.

 

[SelimNiai]

Don't the pubs always run dry in Llanelli?

 

[dullonien]

Don't the pubs always run dry in Llanelli?

Only when there's reason to celebrate, like a sunny day....

 

[Draggs]

Yeah, not sure why more is not made of the fact that Newport have beaten New Zealand, especially considering how much is made of the Llanelli victory.

Because Newport have also beaten the Springboks and Australia, all within less than ten years of each other.
We will let the Turks have their 'moment', but remember that the most successful Welsh team with respect to the Southern Hemisphere is in Gwent.

 

[psychic duck]

Because Newport have also beaten the Springboks and Australia, all within less than ten years of each other.
We will let the Turks have their 'moment', but remember that the most successful Welsh team with respect to the Southern Hemisphere is in Gwent.

I didn't know that fact. The Men of Gwent have been very modest about that compared to the other Welsh clubs boasts of beating SH teams.

 

[Draggs]

I didn't know that fact. The Men of Gwent have been very modest about that compared to the other Welsh clubs boasts of beating SH teams.

Yep, if you ever go to Rodney Parade during the week and run into one of the people working there, you might be able to get into the trophy and function room.
They have the Springbok head up, and the various trophies won over the years. Plenty of old jerseys, including my personal favourite, a Montgomery Springbok jersey (second is Matt Perry's from 1999 Five Nations...)

Newport RFC have actually beaten South Africa twice, and were the closest side to beating the 1924/24 Invincibles. Just days earlier, New Zealand thumped Swansea RFC, and did the same to Leicester days later.

Yay! I derailed a Turk thread.