Scotland v Wales 1971 Scrum V Classics

Wales entered the 1971 Five Nations as joint champions

and they played like champions on the opening weekend in Cardiff,

dispatching England with ease.

I think he's going to make it.

And Wales have won another great victory over England.

22 points to six.

Beating England at the Arms Park was a great start to the season for us.

We played some really good rugby, very confident rugby.

Under John Dawes, we had started to develop this very attacking style.

And it all went very much to plan

and it was the perfect start to the season for us.

Thousands of expectant fans then boarded flights to Edinburgh

where Wales' next opponents were lying in wait.

Murrayfield was a ground they relished playing at.

Always a very special occasion,

just because of the number of Welshmen there.

I always remember Merv and I would walk down Princes Street

and you felt as if you were in Cardiff, not in Edinburgh.

In those days, the huge bank down one side of Murrayfield,

you could always pay at the gate and get in.

I think I played up there three times

when there were over 100,000, so it was very, very special.

This is the 75th match between Scotland and Wales.

Wales lead in the series with 40 victories to Scotland's 32.

Just the one change from the team who beat England by 22 points to six.

Ian Hall coming in there at centre, number 12.

That's John Dawes,

skipper of Wales for the fourth time in an international,

leading his side onto the field.

Number eight there is big Mervyn Davies,

number nine, the brilliant scrum half Gareth Edwards.

Number six, Dave Morris of Neath and number seven there,

John Taylor, the other flank forward, from London Welsh.

The Scottish side for the day, of course,

is the same one that lost to France 8-13 three weeks ago.

Number eight leads Scotland on.

Peter Brown, captain in an international for the second time.

There he is. This big 6ft 4 number eight forward.

So sit back and enjoy a thriller, and don't adjust your sets -

this match is coming at you in both black and white and colour.

And there's a change right away at the start.

Instead of Barry John kicking, taken by John Taylor to the narrow side.

This is John Dawes.

And well tackled by John Frame.

Down from McHarg. Paterson, high one. In comes John Williams.

Williams, I think, penalised for not releasing.

Although, mind you, when you see all those bodies,

it makes you doubt whether that was it.

But anyway, the penalty to Scotland.

And here once again is the captain, Peter Brown,

with this target, 40 yards perhaps.

That looks better. It could just get there.

The captain puts Scotland ahead, 3-0.

18 minutes of the first half gone.

Penalty against Scotland.

Couldn't tell whether it was for not straight or whether it was dipping.

There he is, the man who set a new Cardiff record with four drop goals

in club match against Llanelli not so long ago,

but here with the attempted penalty. Barry John, dead straight.

No wonder they're delighted

because that levels the score at three points all.

It's Scotland's throw and again, Peter Brown right at the tail.

Interesting to see if Carmichael goes for a peel.

He has, Brown, there's Carmichael.

Llewelyn got it. Penalty against Wales.

And this is Peter Brown.

It's going to curl in.

With just under ten minutes to go to half-time,

two penalty goals to one, Scotland lead.

Now, this will be interesting.

Think of all the kind of moves we could get from this scrummage.

And interesting too that Mervyn Davies, the Welsh number eight,

has come off the scrum.

He's leaving seven forwards.

That's Mervyn Davies, there's the move. Barry John.

Biggar couldn't hold it.

There's a chance for Gerald Davies, but it was touch in goal.

My memory was feeling that we were always the better side,

but that every time we tried to sort of put a mark on the game,

especially in the first half, something would go wrong

and we'd make a bit of a hash of it.

But as the match progressed, Wales began to breath some life

and colour into their performance. At about the same time,

the BBC entered the glorious age of Technicolor.

Delme Thomas. Edwards to Barry John.

Hall. John Dawes.

Again, Williams in the line. He's over the 25.

In to John Taylor. What a magnificent move!

That really was a great try.

Now, watch it. Delme Thomas won it with a straightforward jump.

The important thing is when John Williams, number 15, gets the ball,

you notice how the defence went for Bevan and he caught them

on the wrong foot.

And John Taylor, like a good flank forward, driving in to score.

The conversion over.

And so Wales go ahead 8-6, as the whistle goes for half-time.

At half-time, John Dawes was the man who dominated.

No coaches giving speeches or anything else.

And he was all really emphasising that we had a very big second half

in us. We'd got control of the game, we'd got the lead and it was time

we settled down and played the rugby that we were capable of.

See almost the whole Scottish 15 lined up on halfway,

as Turner kicks off to start the second half.

Barry John from inside his own 25.

Let's see if the Welshmen try to turn the scrummage,

as Scotland put-in, or whether they'll just try a straight drive.

They've turned it.

You see what a mess it makes of the scrummage

and Scotland penalised again.

I think for coming off the scrum when the ball was still in it.

Not retiring. Barry John.

He's switched and he's linked up the forwards. That's Denzil Williams.

On the Scottish 25.

Edwards.

Edwards is going. He's going to score!

It was the forwards who did it. It was the ruck. Dave Morris's feed.

And you'll notice how again the defence tended to go out.

Edwards with that great half side-step, half swerve at the end.

John Taylor kicking from that right-hand touchline

because he kicks left-footed.

And the natural thing with his left foot is to draw

the ball in from left to right, as he looks at the posts.

Just indeed as he did twice against England.

It could be far enough, but it drew in just a bit too quickly.

Nonetheless, Wales very solidly placed at the moment.

11 points to six, two tries to none, they've scored.

That it, with ten minutes of the second half over.

A heel against the head for Laidlaw. Paterson out to Turner.

Turner running past Barry John. John tackled him. Peter Brown.

John Williams.

Ian Smith.

Still a handy one. Gareth Edwards underneath.

A bit unlucky there. His foot went away from him.

This is Biggar. MacEwan, out to Brown.

McLauchlan, basketball, on to Frame.

Frame tackled by Mervyn Davies on the Welsh 25.

Frank Laidlaw doing well in those scrummages.

He's taken three tight-heads and conceded none.

Brown on the pick up.

Well tackled by Edwards. This is nicely out to Steele.

Steele chased by Bevan and tackled by John Williams.

Billy Steele who scored that fine Scottish try against the Frenchmen,

has come on an awful lot since he started playing for Bedford.

Five yards from the Welsh line.

Bevan throws, Laidlaw.

Almost doing a Welsh.

Frank Laidlaw in the five yard area,

very quick to get on to that knockdown,

the way Watkins did here for a try.

And Maurice Richards as well, you'll remember a couple of years ago.

Bevan again. Delme Thomas palms. Edwards. It's a try for Carmichael!

Sandy Carmichael going through quickly onto the tap down.

This is one of the problems of tapping near your own line.

It bounced just short of Gareth Edwards.

And he certainly went for Carmichael.

But that really cuts the deficit now. Wales ahead 11-9.

13 minutes of the second half gone.

And this is the Scottish captain, Peter Brown,

kicking, in essence, from the wrong touchline for him.

Right-footed, partly round the corner.

But he bends the ball about 14 times before it gets there.

Just like that. But it bent the wrong way this time.

You can feel the excitement here, as Barry John restarts.

Two points between them.

Peter Brown leaps. McHarg takes on Llewelyn.

McHarg. Paterson to Turner.

Turner to Frame on the burst, trying to run past Dawes.

A beautiful tackle by Dawes. Roger Arneil, inside to MacEwan.

The Scottish flank forward's there quickly.

Gordon Brown on halfway. Out to Turner. This is Rea. Frame.

Billy Steele trying to come inside Bevan. He's inside the 25.

Frame again, ten yards short. Knocked over by Barry Llewelyn.

Murrayfield a seething cauldron of excitement and tension,

as Scotland fight back.

That's the Welsh goal-line.

Barry Llewelyn on this side of the front row for Wales,

packing against Sandy Carmichael.

Edwards, pushed into touch by Paterson.

Scotland leaving Gordon Brown at the front, McHarg, Peter Brown

and Arneil. Arneil palms to Paterson.

Turner.

Three yards short.

They're bringing the best out of the Welsh defence.

Peter Brown... And it's a try?

It's going to be a penalty.

Mr Titcomb standing two or three yards off the goal-line.

Perhaps a bit of handling in the ruck there.

A lot of people will ask perhaps why advantage wasn't played,

but in any case it's a penalty to Scotland.

You notice the Welsh team won't charge. And it's Peter Brown.

Peter Brown's third penalty goal of the match puts Scotland ahead 12-11.

17 minutes of the second half over.

And there'll be a lot of controversy and argument about that decision.

Brown gets it. Paterson to Turner, trying the drop goal. He's sliced it.

Sometimes tries come from slices, but they'll have to come back

to the other side of the field. Biggar to throw.

Gordon Brown at the tail. Paterson to Turner.

Out to Rea. To Turner again.

Turner must score, but they've got to come back.

They've got to go back.

The touch judge's flag is still up.

And I think, perhaps, a foot was in the field of play, or...

Anyway, the referee has changed the throw-in again,

it is going to Gerald Davies.

Paterson once again to Turner.

On the Welsh 25.

Well, there are a lot of strange things going on down there.

The situation is that Scotland are ahead by 12 points to 11.

We are almost into the last quarter of the match,

just about 20 minutes of the second half over.

Gareth Edwards.

Fine kick.

That is up to the Scottish 10 yards line.

This is Biggar to throw.

Brown seems to be in two, McHarg at five.

Edwards, Barry John.

Nicely along from Hall to John Dawes, this is Bevan inside Steele.

Beautifully tackled by Rea.

Kicked on by John Taylor, booted on by Barry John.

Can John make it? This would be a remarkable score!

CHEERING

It was Bevan coming inside that started it

that's Rea's beautiful tackle, still outside the Scottish 25, remember.

Now, look how that little tap by John Taylor

and the bounce of the ball helped Barry John there.

The beautiful pickup and then for a little man of his weight,

prepared to run and run and keep running.

And he is, he's going to take the conversion as well.

It looks dead simple from up here.

Well, I suppose there will be a bitter debate as to whether

Barry John should have been given or taken the goal-kick.

It could be an important one

because Wales would have been 16 points to 12 up,

however, they have this two-point lead.

Jock Turner's kick-off cleared by John Williams.

And with about 16 minutes of the match to go, plus a brief,

brief addition for injury time,

it is this line at the 10 yards outside the Welsh 25.

Scotland cutting once more to a shortened line.

McHarg palmed, Paterson could not hold it. Evan Davies going through.

It is a penalty, perhaps for going through too quickly.

Brown here is one of the most popular players with, er,

with players and with crowd in Scotland.

But he would enhance his popularity a bit if he bombed this one over,

it's a good 35, 40 yards.

It is a scruffy looking one.

As they say, and probably as Peter Brown is saying,

"It doesn't matter how they get over, as long as they do."

That's it, then, one point in it, 15 minutes,

15 minutes of the match remaining,

the short kick-off to Gerald Davies,

Wales right back in the game

as Davies takes it up to the Scottish line.

MacEwan back there saving.

In goes Dave Morris trying to wrench it clear.

That tremendous Welsh drive.

They'll probably have to scrum it five yards back.

But Welsh enterprise at its very height there.

Losing the lead and almost taking it back within seconds again.

Barry Llewelyn and Jeff Young will want to take this one.

They have, it's beautifully channelled, it's out to Barry John,

this is the drop goal.

He didn't get it right. Ian Smith on his own goal-line.

Ian Smith on his good foot, too, but he sliced it.

That should have been well away out of danger.

Instead, Wales pressing still 10 yards from Scotland's goal-line.

I won't say, "Sit back in your seats and relax,"

but we've only about 10 minutes of the match to go.

It's absolutely wide open, Scotland 15, Wales 14.

Once again, Gerald Davies to throw.

Roger Arneil, look at him at the back of the Scottish lineout,

ready to get out at Barry John if Wales win the lineout.

They have from Thomas, this is John, he steps inside Turner,

this is a lovely run, he's almost up to the 25,

he's got Bevan outside him.

And it's McLauchlan back clearing.

The Scottish 10 yards line, then.

Seven minutes of the match to go.

Scotland 15, Wales 14.

Peter Brown palms, McHarg takes, out to Paterson.

That's into the space, back goes John Bevan.

Steele comes at him, he charges it down.

Into the Welsh 25, Williams tackled by Arneil.

This is Chris Rea, Rea for Scotland!

Can he score? Yes, he can!

It just goes to show what fast following-up can do.

This was Bevan, you see, the charge down by Steele.

This was a crushing tackle by Arneil on John Williams and you'll notice

how Rea, although half held by John Dawes, again ran and kept running.

Peter Brown with a conversion attempt.

Well, you could almost feel the dismay from the Scottish supporters,

but Scotland are leading by 18 points to 14,

that could still be an important conversion to miss.

Still on Scotland's 25,

four minutes to go, 18 points to 14, Scotland lead.

Gerald Davies throws, Delme palms to Llewelyn.

Edwards to Barry John, he steps inside Turner and Arneil.

He's tackled by McHarg, it's fed out to Edwards again,

chased by Gordon Brown, across goes Ian Smith

but it went directly into touch.

They will come back almost to the Scottish 25.

Five yards inside Scotland's 25, Biggar to throw.

Knocked by Delme again. First time he's missed his man,

but this is Ian Hall, John Taylor dribbling on.

It is out from Barry John to John Dawes, 10 yards short,

Barry John still tackled by Steele.

Tremendous efforts by the Welshmen to pull this match out of the fire.

Three minutes to go, plus injury time.

Steele to throw in, that's the Scottish goal-line.

Scotland four points ahead at 18-14.

Delme Thomas again. Edwards to Barry John,

out to John Dawes, John Williams,

Gerald Davies, can Ian Smith get him?

It's Gerald Davies for Wales!

Delme Thomas palming, you will see, see that huge, long pass.

Now again, they missed out Hall the centre.

Can you see how Gerald Davies,

who scored two lovely tries against England, went outside Smith?

This is John Taylor...

..kicking from, for him, the correct touchline.

It is high enough...

what a conversion!

'It was obviously one of those situations straightaway,

'I realised where we were,

'you are either going to be a hero or a villain

'and all I remember was sort of thinking,

'"Whatever you do, don't duff it,

'"make sure you really strike it and just give it a good wallop."

'I remember, actually, running back without showing any emotion at all,

'I don't know why, and then getting back

'and once I joined the guys in the other half of the field

'it was suddenly, "Yes!"'

Enterprise again, Turner couldn't take the long throw from Biggar,

this is Hall.

Jeff Young, the hooker. Trying to smuggle it to Llewelyn.

Here is Llewelyn. Tackled by Arneil. On halfway, thrown down by Laidlaw.

Fed out from Dave Morris. Gareth Edwards.

You can't get any better than that.

Forwards driving on, winning the ruck ball.

The scrum-half putting his team up into the opposing 25.

A huge crowd here have seen

one of the best internationals for a long time.

Waiting as the seconds tick away.

We are almost three minutes into injury time. Wales lead by one point.

Gareth Edwards looses off a monstrous dropkick.

The referee's whistle goes.

And Wales have won a tremendous and remarkable victory

by 19 points to 18.

'On the pitch itself when the final whistle went, it was madness,

'it was madder than any other game I ever remember.

'Again partly, I guess, because of the number of people there

'and because of that bank, everybody could flood onto the pitch

'and they did. It took us forever and ever to get off the pitch.'

I always remember that

and people were lifting people up and dropping them.

I remember somebody picking me up and then just dropping me.

I suddenly found myself sort of flat on my backside,

on the pitch and getting up and running off.

Into the changing room, huge emotion, Clive Rowlands,

as you well know, I am sure, is a very, very emotional man.

He admitted he couldn't watch the conversion.

So, he went in the bath with his coat on

and everything for not having enough faith.

There was faith in abundance back in Cardiff as Wales went on to win

a triple Crown, beating Ireland by 23 points to 9.

Next, they flew to Paris where they beat France

and secured their first Grand Slam in 19 years.

It was the start of the second golden era of Welsh rugby.

And that is it. And Wales have done it.

Wales have beaten France by 9 points to 5.

And Wales have won their first game in Paris

since 1957 and won the Grand Slam for the first time since 1952.

What a tremendous climax this has been to one of the finest seasons

of rugby that I can ever remember.

Winning a Grand Slam for your country is an amazing feeling,

it's the ultimate achievement but then there's one more.

The Lions tour at the end of that '71 season

was also very, very special for the Welsh guys, all of us felt that

if we were really going to make our mark at the top of the rugby world,

we had to do something in the southern hemisphere.

And we felt that by playing attacking, wide rugby,

we had a chance against the All Blacks

and this was a now-or-never situation

and it was very, very tight,

they were still good but we pulled it off.

That's it, a drawn match, 14 points all at Eden Park

but the British Lions have won the series.

The '71 vintage were the first and only Lions side

to ever win a Test series in New Zealand.

It remains a unique achievement that's never been repeated.

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