Wales v England 1976 Scrum V Classics

Travelling to Twickenham in the '70s held no fear for the Welsh.

In 1976, England were holders of the wooden spoon

and the rivalry was becoming increasingly one-sided.

The men in red had lost just once to their nearest neighbours

in the previous 12 meetings.

That solitary defeat was in 1974,

it was a match that JPR Williams missed,

thus keeping his undefeated record against the old enemy intact.

I was very fortunate, having spent most of my rugby career

living in London, that my best record was against England.

Not only had I played against them at Under 15 and Under 18 level,

as a junior, and never lost,

I played at senior level on 11 occasions

and came out with 11 Ws.

MUSIC: "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult

The previous year we'd had six new caps over in Paris

and managed to win against the odds.

The charge downfield from Graham Price.

Price. This could be a dramatic score.

They'll never believe it in Pontypool!

The great strength, to me, I think it's the same in all teams,

really, is your strength in depth.

We had lots of very good players

who could not get near the international side.

Most of our play was off the cuff. We practised a lot.

We were very confident in each other's ability.

There was a lot of good running off the ball.

At the end of the day,

it was just a self-belief.

There was no telling off of players who did things

which the coach didn't agree with.

You were allowed to have a free hand and if it didn't come off,

then that was just bad luck, but if it came off, it was great.

Wales were the reigning Five Nations champions

and the key to that success was stability.

We had a settled side at the time.

Having Gareth Edwards at scrum-half certainly gave the team

a tremendous confidence.

And apart from a few occasions,

it was virtually Barry John and Phil Bennett throughout the '70s.

Windsor throws, Mervyn Davies, again.

We had very good forwards who were mobile as well,

but we had the half-backs

to bring the best out of the outside-backs.

It's going to be another try for JJ Williams. He's made it.

Virtually the same, that same team stayed together

although there had been a little bit of a furore in Wales

that Phil Bennett was demoted to number three

in the outside-half position,

but fortunately, from Phil's point of view,

John Bevan and Dave Richards were injured, so he came in

for the first game in '76, which happened to be England at Twickenham.

England was never an easy game,

although it was a very lucky ground from my point of view.

They're a very good pack of forwards and David Duckham

and John Spencer in the backs, but I think probably their weakness

was they could never settle on a half-back combination.

I played with them against a lot of the English players

and they should have been a better team than they were.

The referee, the little Frenchman George Domercq,

town mayor of Bellocq, and this is his third major international match.

Mr Domercq has a reputation for keeping play moving,

for playing the advantage law to its limit.

And I'm sure everybody here hopes that's how he'll referee

this match today.

Wales, they have won the toss.

It's Martin Cooper to kick off for England.

And the match gets under way with Cooper's long kick,

up to his opposite number, Phil Bennett.

And what a heart-warming welcome for Phil Bennett

as he made his first good, clean catch and his lovely touch kick.

His partner there, Gareth Edwards,

the most capped scrum-half in the world. 42 internationals.

Tony Neary wins the first line-out.

Beaumont drives on the peel.

Back it comes to Lampkowski, to Cooper.

Cooper, his kick half charged down by Bennett into the Welsh 25.

John Williams saves for Wales.

John Williams, who has the arm strength of a forward,

but losing it. Lampkowski, Cooper, along the line.

Maxwell, David Cook caught by Fenwick, gives it to Squires.

Squires trying to run past JJ Williams. Good tackle, there.

Kicked on by Maxwell.

Bobby Windsor with the first throw-in of the match.

And there's a chance for a try there but the referee was unsighted.

The referee undecided.

Peter Wheeler dashing through there, Andy Ripley there as well.

And the large English contingent here calling for all the poundage

that the English pack can put into this scrummage.

Lampkowski tries to get the scrum straight.

Wheeler wins his first strike.

The Welshman managed to turn it, but good work by Ripley.

Cooper, missing a man.

This is a great chance for Hignell.

Interception by Fenwick.

England still as close as that.

And a penalty for, I think, going round in an offside position.

Found by Allan Martin. Edwards. Phil Bennett.

The big man, Gravell.

Gives it to Evans, the Swansea flank forward.

Out there to Fenwick. Tries to give it to Cobner.

Bobby Windsor has it and he's got Ripley as well.

Cobner feeds it out to Bennett. What a marvellous catch.

Out there to Gravell. The kick through meant for Gerald Davies.

Hignell. Hignell caught there by John Williams the full-back.

That's Lampkowski in front of the English posts.

The red jerseys have massed quickly, there. Ball held.

Wales not responsible for the stoppage.

That's the England 25 and Martin Cooper signalling to his backs

to move forward.

See how England's backs are lined level with the rear feet

of the scrummage, which is the offside line,

knowing that Wales have the put-in and that their backs

will probably attack. Mervyn Davies caught in the pick-up.

Drive away, there, by Lampkowski.

Maxwell out to Cook.

Cook with Squires outside him. This is Squires. Over halfway.

Running past Gareth Edwards. There's support, there.

What a fine bit of running. Maxwell's up there, too.

And eventually it's Phil Bennett who clears.

And the crowd here really lapping up every moment of this

tremendously exciting opening ten minutes or so.

You can see the big men, there. Mervyn Davies, number eight.

Further on you see Allan Martin, once he straightens up, number four.

6 ft 6, pretty near.

And with a great jump capability

but it was Mervyn Davies, Edwards, Bennett.

They've missed out Fenwick.

Get through to John Williams from Gravell.

This is John Williams, who sets a new Welsh record today.

34 caps, the most capped Welsh full-back,

beating the great record of Billy Bancroft of Swansea

way back in 1890-1900.

And Wales have cut the line-out to four.

Charlie Faulkner, number one, Geoff Wheel, Allan Martin, Mervyn Davies.

Great jump by Martin. Edwards.

Gives it to Graham Price. Price, what a good move!

And there you saw the aggression of those Pontypool forwards,

much to the liking of the Welsh section of the crowd.

Graham Price, number three, the tighthead prop,

getting to within a couple of yards

of the English line.

Bobby Windsor, one of the seven British Lions

in the Welsh side, throwing in.

Meant for Mervyn Davies.

Cobner was going through, Lampkowski got in well, too.

The whole of Wales calling for a little bit extra, here.

It's England's put-in.

Wales probably opting for an eight-man shove or for a turn.

It certainly is very dangerous for the English

because there's their goal line.

You can see the rear feet,

erm, Ripley's feet are only a metre away.

Oh, it's a score, there!

What a tragedy for the English,

but what a bit of quick thinking by Gareth Edwards.

And Gareth Edwards the toast of Wales at this moment.

It really all looked so simple.

You can see how the ball stuck there, and Gareth Edwards,

who needs no second invitation,

was over in a second with that great strength of his.

Ripley trying to hold it in to catch someone offside.

Lampkowski straight back to Hignell.

The catch there by Gareth Edwards,

and it was a penalty for a mile offside.

George Domercq, the referee, of course,

waiting for the possible advantage, you never know,

Edwards might have got it away

and someone might have run and scored a try.

But they didn't.

Allan Martin from about 45, 45 metres.

Martin hit it well, looks good. It is good.

No wonder those Welshmen are absolutely delighted,

because Wales have suddenly stretched ahead by 9-0

with 20 minutes of the first half over.

Cooper restarts.

Fran Cotton in there, but Allan Martin offside.

And Alastair Hignell asked to try another penalty goal,

and I suppose at this stage, Welsh hearts are very happy indeed,

and it will take a really good goal kick like this

to lift England just a little bit.

Those were two real hammer blows within four minutes by the Welshmen.

And it's astonishing how one really good goal kick

can lift the confidence of a side.

CROWD SINGS

Although Alastair Hignell having to kick through

this great volume of song.

Hignell.

Oh, long and far! What a goal!

Bobby Windsor checking up every time on the signal.

Allan Martin beats Wilkinson to it,

but Tony Neary makes a great break through.

What a drive by the English skipper. Great control of the ball.

In goes Peter Wheeler. Wheeler setting it up beautifully.

Lampkowski to Cooper, to Maxwell, to Cooke. Out to Squires.

Squires has Hignell outside him.

Hignell, almost up to the 25.

Tackled by Bennett. Inside there to Keyworth.

What a move by England, and great cover by the Welsh.

Peter Squires the injured player,

and this will be disappointing for England

if he has two retire altogether,

because he's snapped up a good few tries,

seven altogether in international matches.

Peter Squires of Harrogate and Yorkshire,

and England a man short as Phil Bennett lifts it high to Hignell.

Hignell in. Evans takes it on. Feeds out to Gravell. Gerald Davies.

Davies trying to come inside Duckham.

Good tackle by Duckham, and a touchdown by Lampkowski.

Number 16, the replacement, is Peter Preece of Coventry,

who's no stranger to the international arena.

This will be his 12th international match.

There are the boys at the tail, Mervyn Davies and the big man,

Ripley, marking each other, great rivals.

Lampkowski tackled there by Mervyn Davies.

Oh, what a great bit of number eight play that was,

the tackle and the robbing, and the making the ball available.

Gareth Edwards again.

Gareth Edwards seems to have a road map of every ground

in the British Isles, showing him little spaces in between the bodies.

Once again, an Edwards kick

puts the pressure on England.

The hooker throwing in, of course, is really like an extra flank forward.

You see Peter Wheeler there. When he throws in,

if Wales gets the ball,

he's got the shortest cut, really, to the Welshman.

The first bad pass from Lampkowski.

Oh, great scrummage thrust by England.

Nonetheless, from Mervyn Davies to Edwards, to Bennett, to Fenwick.

They've missed out John Williams, the full-back. JJ.

This is John Williams now.

Can John Williams score his third try against England? Yes, he can!

It all came from this feed by Mervyn Davies.

And then the slick passing,

and the crucial pass was this one here by Fenwick,

missing out JPR Williams and giving it to JJ.

Then did you see that marvellously improvised pass inside by JJ?

And this is JPR, who used all of his 14 stones

and his acceleratory power to get there.

A real battle between those two hefty young giants

standing number two in the lineout.

Geoff Wheel. There's Billy Beaumont, with the sideburns.

Two great, hefty lads they are,

and they get that fast ball that's so difficult to control.

Edwards.

David Duckham.

Not a great pass. Maxwell in trouble. Cooke as well. That's Peter Preece.

Back goes Phil Bennett.

Yes, they'd love that one down at Stradey.

Phil Bennett marvellous in that cover position

and absolutely secure with the kick.

England using the tail. Ripley getting it to Beaumont.

Trying to tie in the Welsh flankers.

And again going round, I think, on the wrong side.

Once again, then, a chance for Alastair Hignell

to repeat his feat of the earlier stages with his penalty goal.

Hignell...

Long, far, drifting in.

Oh, another beauty!

Hignell.

WHISTLE

The referee's whistle has gone for half-time.

And Wales have reached this interval stage leading 15-6

having had the satisfaction of scoring two very good tries.

One an opportunist affair and the other one created.

We just got together and said,

we've weathered the storm, the first 20 minutes.

We're in the lead now, Albeit by not a great margin.

Let's up our game second-half and finish them off, basically.

Erm, and, so Merv was a man of very few words,

but he tended to lead by example, and we just followed him, and erm...

As they say, the rest is history.

HE LAUGHS

Phil Bennett, then, starts the second half.

Charlie Faulkner tries to collect it in.

I'm sure Tony Neary made the point to the English side that they

need an early score, really, to bring them right back into this match.

Lampkowski to Cooper.

Cooper angling the kick,

but John Williams the full-back well positioned.

That one through the gap and Cooper there covering his own...

not very good kick.

Hignell himself coming up to help as well.

Wheeler throwing.

Lampkowski taking them on again, this is his forte.

Cooper almost through on the crash ball.

Mervyn Davies rescuing again.

Evans the flanker out to Cobner.

Cobner feeds on there to Edwards. Great stuff by Wales.

Fenwick, JJ Williams.

JJ Williams, will he score another kick-ahead try?

Hignell again saving for England.

But JJ Williams showing how absolutely lethal he is...

..in the narrow space and with that deft little chip kick of his.

It's brought him so many tries. He really is a past master at that art.

Gareth Edwards trying to get them straight.

Bobby Windsor has won the strike. Mervyn Davies holding it in.

He's going for the pick-up, but the boot got to it.

Edwards to Phil Bennett. That's Gravell, the big Llanelli centre.

Trevor Evans the Swansea flank forward.

Edwards, there must be a score here. Fenwick.

Fenwick trying to charge his way over.

And it's back again to Gareth Edwards.

Edwards held out just a yard short.

One thrust after another by the Welshman. And superb English defence.

They really blocked the gaps there.

England again showing excellent scrummage control.

This front row is very powerful. Lampkowski to Cooper.

Cooper through into space. In comes John Williams.

John Williams would make a marvellous flank forward, I must say.

Was a great thrust. See how the ball is made available.

Evans the flanker caught by Ripley. In goes Lampkowski.

This is Peter Preece, out to Cooper. Cooper to Cooke.

Cooke gives it to Maxwell. Maxwell half through.

David Duckham was outside him on halfway.

Gives it to Cooke.

Cooke coming inside, showing great resolution

in his first international.

Tremendous roar from the England support here.

They realise that an England try would cut the gap dramatically.

And they enjoyed that little bit of neat play by the English

midfield and outside.

And those sides have just got the 15 minutes left.

Wales know that one more score would seal it.

England know that one more score would give them

great heart for the concluding stages.

Tony Neary stood off that scrummage in a sort of stand-off position.

Now Lampkowski has stayed clear, and there's his service to Cooper.

Oh, and the missed field there and the pick-up by Bennett

and a real chance for JJ Williams.

Who's going to get there first?

It's going to be David Duckham. That was a great chase.

The Welsh forwards almost destroying that one, but not quite.

Lampkowski, Cooper.

Oh, what a ricochet for Peter Preece!

Out there to Maxwell. Maxwell getting clear. It's Maxwell and David Cooke.

And back goes Phil Bennett.

Andy Maxwell perhaps kicking just a couple of yards too far.

If it had stayed short of the line

he might have had more chance.

Bennett with a drop-out. Beautiful kick.

Up goes Bob Wilkinson as he's tackled there by Graham Price.

But the referee deciding that Graham Price had tackled Wilkinson

who wasn't in possession.

There will be a lot of argument about the likes of that because, you know,

you go in for the tackle, I think,

assuming that the fellow has the ball.

And if he doesn't catch it, of course, he tends to be knocked over.

But it's a penalty to England and a lot of the crowd whistling

because I think they'd rather see England going for the try.

Hignell.

That looks better, and it is.

15-9, then, for Wales.

With the four-point try, of course, that means that England just need

one try and a goal to draw level.

They haven't long.

Wales within 10, 12 yards.

Leading there by six points.

And almost into injury time.

Edwards goes to stand-off. Now it's Bennett.

JPR the full-back, is he going to get his second try?

Oh, what a killer blow for the Welshman!

JPR Williams the full-back scores the try

that must sew it up for Wales.

That's his fourth try for Wales against England.

1970, '72 and two today.

And he appeared from absolutely nowhere.

Notice him coming in there.

Notice how he runs across from left to right

and takes the little scissors pass.

And how he straightened through a gap as wide as a barn door

and just kept charging on.

His strength eventually took him over

despite a tremendous effort by David Duckham.

That was a great try. And Fenwick puts the finishing touch to it

by kicking the conversion,

his third successful kick of the day.

Gareth Edwards.

WHISTLE

The referee's whistle goes for the end of the match.

And Wales have stretched away to that handsome victory.

by 21-9.

Their biggest victory ever here at Twickenham.

The previous best was 12-3.

We have the try scorers of the match here.

JPR Williams got a couple for Wales and Gareth Edwards.

John, look, have you taken medical advice on your face today?

Let's have a look.

It's not a very pretty sight, I'm afraid, Frank.

I think I'm getting a bit like...

I'll be renamed the Henry Cooper of rugby. I seem to be cutting easily.

This side, of course, that's last week's.

That's last week. I'm trying to hide it.

I've had those stitches out today after the game.

I collected a couple on the other side.

So I'm not having the best of luck at the moment

although I was quite pleased with a couple of tries today.

The victory that day at Twickenham was the first step towards

a quadruple Triple Crown and paved the way to a Grand Slam season.

They followed it with a comfortable win against Scotland in Cardiff.

Trefor Evans. Does what he did against the Scots last year.

And then they piled on the points

during a record win over Ireland in Dublin.

Space there, Edwards, will he get that record try?

Has he got it? It's given.

Gareth Edwards with his 18th try.

It's a penalty.

That result set up a tantalising finale against France which

included another memorable JPR moment.

John Williams puts it in to touch at the corner flag.

# Ain't no stopping us now... #

But it showed what a great side we were at that time

and that we were able to absorb pressure.

And a lot of the games that we won in the '70s

were in the last 20 minutes of the game.

And that, I think, showed our fitness, our skills,

and our temperament as well, because nobody ever panicked.

Even if we were losing, 20 minutes to go,

there was an innermost belief amongst the players

and as part of the team that we still could come out on top.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd