Wales v France 1972 Scrum V Classics

1972 was a testing year for Great Britain.

The miners' strike, leading to power cuts

and lengthy blackouts throughout the country.

It ultimately led to the downfall of Ted Heath's Conservative government.

Later that year,

work on the infamous Spaghetti Junction near Birmingham

was completed at a cost of nearly £10 million.

On the rugby pitch, Wales were undergoing something of a revival.

The previous year, they'd won their first Grand Slam since 1952.

And many of those Grand Slammers reaped the rewards of their success.

A great season for me, I suppose, because on the back of that,

I went with a lot of the Welsh boys to New Zealand

on a three and a bit month tour

with the British Lions, so I was lucky to be in a good side there

and get noticed and get plenty of ball.

Bevan went on to score a record equalling 17 tries in New Zealand

as the Lions won the series.

'Good stuff from John Bevan.'

The Welsh contingent returned home buoyant

and were confident of retaining their Five Nations crown.

Things started brightly at Twickenham.

# Bobby's all right

# Bobby's all right... #

But after that, it was back to Cardiff,

where the Scots were dispatched with ease

and the crowd bore witness to one of the most iconic tries of the era.

A kick ahead by Edwards. Can he score?

It would be a miracle if he could. He may well get there...

And he has.

The sheer magic of Gareth Edwards has brought

the whole of this stadium to its feet.

So, after two wins from two, confidence was high.

Next up were the French in Cardiff, who'd had a mixed campaign to date.

Hello. Well, April in Paris may be magnificent

but the thousands of Frenchmen who are in Wales today

are finding that March in Cardiff has its charms, too.

Leading up to France, we played a good bit of rugby again,

so we weren't going to change our style in any way.

They were also a very good side. A bit like the Welsh, in many ways.

They'd the confidence to put the ball into space and take people on.

Not afraid to make mistakes.

Sometimes, sides are great, but they don't want to make mistakes

so they play a percentage game.

That wasn't the French way, and it certainly wasn't the Welsh way then.

Villepreux says they're ready.

John Taylor kicks blindside.

And that really is a thumping psychological blow

right at the start of this match.

The pressure immediately on the Frenchman,

right at the very start of this match.

Sillieres, their left wing, prepares to throw in.

Knocked back by Claude Spanghero.

The French forwards holding it -

they didn't want to throw the ball back wildly there.

And a Welshman has got offside.

It may have been Delme Thomas on the wrong side of the ball.

And that's a very cute counter by the French

as Pierre Villepreux takes the penalty.

And it'll be Gerald Davies to throw in for Wales.

The little fellow who has scored two tries

in each of three internationals...

Knocked by Mervyn Davies, that long pass to John.

This is Arthur Lewis.

He gives it to Bergiers.

Bergiers, can he make the line?

Fine tackle there by Barrau two yards out from the French line.

Fed to Gareth Edwards. A great chance for Bevan...

but he'll have to come back.

What a disappointment for John Bevan and, obviously,

it had been a Welsh infringement that prevented the try.

Ten minutes of the first half over. No scoring.

Territorial advantage to Wales,

but it's a penalty against them here, for, I think, foot up.

And, yes, I was going to say,

I wouldn't be surprised if he tries a shot at goal.

Now, this has certainly sent a few gasps of surprise

round this huge crowd. This is Pierre Villepreux.

That's halfway, which means,

because he's almost in front of the posts,

that he's got to kick this ball

something like 58 yards to reach the posts.

Villepreux, of course, is one of the biggest place kickers in the game.

He kicked a place goal from 70 yards in New Zealand.

One of the most prolific points scorers in French rugby history.

And this certainly would be a captain's effort,

if he could put his side ahead.

Villepreux...

Big, long, high...

11 minutes of the match gone.

Pierre Villepreux gives first blood to France.

Edwards... Barry John...

Biemouret couldn't hold it, but Skrela does on his own 25.

Dave Morris, just beaten to it. A pick-up by Taylor.

But it's been nudged forward.

Well, John Taylor - Lions colleagues called him Basil Brush -

he's a fearsome looking fellow

and he made up his mind there

that the Frenchman was going to know he was fierce as well.

At the French 25.

Penalty, I think, against Benesis, the hooker,

and here Villepreux comes up to find out what the infringement was.

Barry John, then, with a great chance to level the scores.

15 minutes of the first half gone.

Barry Johns' penalty ties the score at three points all

and hoists his own total for Wales to 81 points.

Delme Thomas gets it. Edwards, to Barry John.

He picked that one out there. This is Lewis, Bergiers.

Williams in the line, John Bevan trying to run inside Duprat.

Trying to find John Williams.

Williams to Lewis. Biemouret has Lewis.

The ball had been knocked forward.

The first quarter of the match over, 20 minutes gone,

three points all, a penalty goal each.

They are ten yards outside the French 25.

A penalty against Benesis again, I think,

for either dipping too low or being too quick.

Barry John, then.

And a little further with his second penalty goal puts Wales ahead 6-3,

21 minutes of the first half over.

Their first shot and line-out in the match.

Esteve, Claude Spanghero.

And Dauga bumps to Barrau.

Must have been a bit of pushing, I think.

Once again, Barry John. Look, he changes to the left foot.

It's a big kick, sliced it a little. That's Sillieres...

Sillieres, trying to run past Mervyn Davies.

Berot, magnificent pass to Maso.

This is Lux. Lux is over halfway.

This is for Duprat.

John, astonishingly, had dropped straight back for the touchdown.

It was a wonderful French movement, a difficult French movement.

Now, that's the French 25.

Watch for this pass, not from Sillieres,

but this one, from Berot.

He took and gave in a split second, and that released Maso.

The big occasion gets everybody else excited,

but not B John Esq, late of Llanelli, now of Cardiff.

Roy Bergiers, I'm delighted to say, fit again.

Barry John drops out to restart.

Claude Spanghero and Esteve go up.

Delme Thomas to John Lloyd,

to Edwards, inside to Jeff Young.

The counter attack by Biemouret.

Esteve going for it, but Delme Thomas got a boot to it first.

That's Delme Thomas, treble British Lion on three British Lions tours.

The first one, before he'd been capped for Wales.

Barrau to Berot.

Gerald Davies.

Sillieres, caught by John Williams and Gerald Davies.

In goes Skrela, the flank forward. A pick-up by Dave Morris.

Tackled by Biemouret.

The pick-up and feed out by Lewis to Barry John, to Bergiers.

There's a half overlap here.

Bergiers, tackled by Barrau.

And Villepreux saves as Bevan chases.

Bevan throwing. Dauga got to it.

Barrau...

Mervyn Davies, fettled by Esteve, number five.

And Esteve was offside

and approaching within ten yards of an opponent waiting for the ball.

Barry John with another penalty attempt.

And it's virtually the same place in the same angle

as for his last successful kick.

Is it slanting in?

CROWD CHEERS

9 points to 3, Wales lead. About 11 minutes or so to go to half-time.

Barry John has hoisted his points tally for Wales to 87,

only one behind the Welsh record held by Jack Bancroft.

They're almost on halfway.

Offside against Dave Morris.

I was going to say, there will be some fun and games on here,

but it's the goal kick.

You notice, he's kicking into the breeze.

Not very strong, but certainly, a factor in a kick of this distance,

a kick of 55 to the halfway line,

plus one, plus a bit more for the angle.

Pierre Villepreux...

It's another monstrous kick.

That's incredible!

That is absolutely astonishing.

And that's the kind of effect it's had on the French supporters here.

It cuts the deficit to nine points to six in Wales's favour,

seven minutes to go to half-time.

Duprat. Delme Thomas. Edwards.

Huge pass to John.

On the overlap, Bergiers to Lewis. Williams in the line.

This is Gerald Davies, trying to run outside Sillieres.

It's a great kick, but John Taylor looked a bit in front.

Could be a try for John Williams.

But he must have knocked it forward.

Gareth Edwards, with the longest pass in rugby at the moment.

This is Barrau, Frenchmen over, inside to Berot.

A good bit of acceleration there.

Dauga is up after it. That's Dauga, gives it to Claude Spanghero.

They're into their 25.

Out to Benesis. A try for Sillieres, is it?

Good tackle there with Gerald Davies and Gareth Edwards both there.

Sillieres thought he had it down.

It was Gerald Davies who pulled him over.

You notice the ball didn't actually get down.

On the Welsh ten yard line.

Benesis, going round the front.

-WHISTLE BLOWS

-Helped by Esteve.

The referee's whistle goes for half-time.

We've had five penalty goals.

It's 9 points to 6.

I think that's a fair reflection of play.

I feel that the Welshmen have had more of the pressure,

but certainly it's a game that either side can win and

everything's going to depend on

what must be a tremendously exciting second half.

This is Biemouret, gives it to Claude Spanghero,

again to Biemouret, over the 25.

The French, waxing stronger here as Dauga drives in,

but a counter kick by Gareth Edwards.

Villepreux could well drop a goal here.

No, he got underneath it.

Bergiers waits.

Calls for the mark.

Perhaps he could've ran out but it was a defensive position.

Oh, he's sliced that one.

Dauga waits.

Dauga to Villepreux.

There's the kind of switch the French are masters at. This is Maso.

Maso looking inside for Duprat.

Barry John is underneath it. Esteve is there. Biemouret knocks him over.

Gerald Davies tackled by Berot!

Mervyn Davies in two yards from the Welsh line.

John Williams thundering forward.

But they're only ten yards from the Welsh line.

It's Edwards to Barry John.

And Barry John gets the credit,

but the real credit went to the Welsh forwards

who won that maul ball...

crucially, so near the danger area.

Ten yards outside the Welsh 25.

Edwards hurried into that pass.

Barry John picking that beautifully off his toe.

There's a chance here.

It depends on whether Bevan can get a bounce or not.

Duprat using his pace.

Bevan, and a chance for Dave Morris!

But the referee has blown

and the touch judge's flag is up,

and everybody here is most annoyed.

Dave Morris of Neath has been deprived of a try.

Was it in touch?

I wouldn't have thought so, but the touch judge was only two yards away.

There hasn't been a strike against the head so far in this match.

Benesis must be worried, because, if he gets his foot up

too quickly here, or dips down too low,

it could be another penalty goal.

The first one against the head. To Barry John.

To Lewis.

Lewis almost to the line...

It must be a score for Gerald Davies!

Watch for the switch pass, that was the thing that did it.

Then this thrust by Lewis.

He's not the fastest centre in the world but he made the overlap.

And Gerald Davies broke the Villepreux tackle.

But that's a handy try indeed for Wales.

They're ahead now by 13 points to 6.

Ten minutes of the second half over.

Over the top to Barrau. Gives it to Spanghero.

To Dauga.

That's a good bit of work,

but Azarete absolutely flattened by Barry Llewelyn.

And penalised, I think, for not releasing.

But it's a Welsh forward who was hurt in that clash.

The Welsh and French substitutes are up in there

in the players' and officials' box.

And Derek Quinnell, who is amongst the Welsh replacements,

has never yet got his chance for Wales.

And for the moment, he's got to be patient.

Mervyn Davies all right.

Barry John pushes Wales up to within 12 yards of the French 25.

Mervyn Davies, number 8, John Taylor, 7.

Penalty again, against Wales, I think

for getting in front of the ball before it's left the line out.

Barrau to Lux.

To Esteve.

To Dauga.

It was knocked down by Bergiers.

This is Berot, the stand-off half.

Berot, Dauga, Villepreux.

John Williams waits on his own ten yards line.

He loves to take them on, this lad.

That was high.

Dauga is being penalised.

Bevan throws. John Taylor pushes...

John Lloyd is tackled by Biemouret.

That's John Lloyd, the Welsh skipper, number 1.

Ten yards outside the French 25.

I wonder what was wrong with that one.

-CHEERING

-Is it because...

-CHUCKLING:

-The referee is always the butt of the crowd's amusement!

Penalty against Barrau for not straight.

That could be a very important mistake indeed,

because Barry John has a kick well within his range and from the

correct side of the field, because he'll attempt

with his right foot to draw it in from that right upright.

Barry John, then!

And Barry John, apart from putting Wales ahead by 16 points to 6,

with about 12 minutes of the match to go,

now becomes the Welsh player with the record number of points,

beating Jack Bancroft's record of 88, Barry John now with 90.

Barrau with a little kick.

Gerald Davies. Barry John.

Bergiers. This is Bevan.

Now, Bevan would run through a barn door.

He hands-off Duprat. He's over the 25.

It's a race with Villepreux.

Bevan has scored!

It was the pass from Gerald Davies that started it.

Now watch how young Bergiers gave it quickly,

and how Bevan changed his direction twice.

The pulverising hand-off, the perfect kick ahead

and the pace of the young man.

And that's the happy young John Bevan.

Wales now well in command, leading by 20 points to 6,

with seven, eight minutes of the match to go.

He's decided to kick for placement.

John Williams.

Duprat.

Dauga.

Spanghero.

Hands-off Bergiers.

Delaying. The interception by John Lloyd.

Mervyn Davies.

Gareth Edwards. He's almost over the 25.

A magnificent tackle by Barrau, the French scrum-half.

Gerald Davies restarts.

This is Barry Llewelyn.

Now it's come alight,

as John Williams is tackled by Lux.

Dauga goes in for it.

So does Maso.

And so does Bergiers.

And Mervyn Davies, who's in trouble there, has been struggling on a bit.

There's no doubt that for the last quarter of an hour or so,

he's been feeling that damage he got in an early collision.

And, of course,

the happy situation of Wales in the lead by 20 points to 6.

Going into injury time. And Mervyn Davies is going off.

And this is a fascinating situation.

Because it's a question of who comes on?

Is it going to be Derek Quinnell?

We're into injury time

and if a replacement comes on at all, then he's got his cap.

And Derek Quinnell, who's been so near his cap for so long,

could well come on to put his name in the book.

A great ovation for Mervyn Davies who gives nothing short of 100%.

Derek Quinnell standing by.

It's a question of whether the Welsh selectors feel

he should go on or not at this stage of the match.

We've played almost three minutes into injury time.

And imagine the feelings of Derek Quinnell, knowing that, if he

gets onto this field, he's got his cap, no matter what else happened.

-CHUCKLING:

-Edwards...and Biemouret having a slight misunderstanding.

Back to Barry John.

Duprat.

John Williams chasing up that time.

And you can see how keen Derek Quinnell is

to get onto this field.

"Get out the way!", he says to the policemen.

LOUD CHEERING

And listen to this roar for Quinnell!

And that's one of the great moments

of this international championship campaign.

Derek Quinnell, a British Lion before he gets his Welsh cap,

and he's waited so long.

At last, he gets his Welsh cap.

Thomas. Edwards to Barry John.

Bergiers to Lewis. Williams again in the line, out to Gerald Davies.

Davies trying to come inside Sillieres.

And Quinnell has it.

He's a great tank of a forward, this. A great utility man, Quinnell.

Can play in the middle row, as a number eight, as a flank forward.

And he takes Dauga.

This is Spanghero.

Esteve - the lock forward.

Biemouret again. Spanghero once more.

Now the switch from Barrau.

To Berot.

Villepreux.

Dauga - out at centre.

Well tackled by Bergiers again.

Benesis thrown away by Quinnell.

The referee's whistle goes for no side.

And by one, two minutes only,

Derek Quinnell gains his cap.

Wales have won a famous victory by 20 points to 6.

Barry John... Bergiers.

It was a convincing win for Wales and a memorable one for John Bevan.

But despite his valuable contribution,

he remains modest in the extreme.

It wasn't characteristic, I don't think,

because I never kicked the ball.

If I kicked the ball it went the opposite way I wanted to kick it.

I had a hell of a lot of luck with the bounce.

It's about the only kick I've ever kicked that actually bounced up

nicely for me and I scored a try so, I was delighted with that.

The ongoing troubles in Northern Ireland meant that the France

game was Wales's last in the 1972 Five Nations.

Neither Wales nor Scotland were willing to travel to Dublin

to fulfil their fixtures.

Wales finished top of the table

but the championship was declared incomplete.

It was a strange feeling for me personally.

I thought, "Are we still a good team?" Obviously we were,

we won three games but it seemed a bit incomplete that we

couldn't have gone to Ireland, they might have beaten us, who knows?

We were playing quite well, but we didn't get the opportunity

and we never will obviously so...

But then that's the way it goes,

as I said, at the time those decisions were made

and you've just got to go with them.

But a chance to prove their worth came later in the year

when they took on New Zealand.

John touched down again but it was ultimately in vain.

Bevan over the 25. What a run.

And it's a try for Bevan.

But a month later in a game many viewed as a Lions-All Blacks

rematch, John Bevan was a member of an all-star cast that took its

place in the history books.

Brilliant, oh, that is brilliant.

John Williams, Brian Williams.

Pullin.

John Dawes.

Great dummy.

Tom Davies. The halfway line.

Brilliant by Quinnell.

This is Gareth Edwards. A dramatic spurt. What a score!

He may not have played his part in that try, but John Bevan did

score one of his own that helped put the result beyond doubt.

Burgess.

Oh, interception by Quinnell.

Here's Dawes. This is John Bevan.

Williams can't get him, so strong this fellow. What a try!

I was glad to get a try that day, to be honest.

It wasn't my best game ever.

It's just fantastic being part of the game, to be honest.

Just a tremendous occasion.