WHY BENNY’S SIDE IS THE BEST OF ALL
A WISE man once described the past as a foreign country, adding: “They do things differently there.”
No-one can surely disagree with such a take on matters. Anyone in any doubt should turn to the history books and familiarise themselves with the exploits of one Jehoida Hodges in 1903.
The Wales prop switched to wing during a Test with England after an injury and proceeded to score three tries in a 21-5 win in Swansea.
Whatever, previous generations have thrown up some outstanding Welsh club sides.
A crowd of 58,000 once watched Neath beat Llanelli in the Welsh Cup final at the National Stadium. It was a golden era for the Welsh All Blacks, with world records for points and tries in that campaign, and the following season they gave an outstanding New Zealand team a hurry-up.
How did the Neath of those days compare with the best of the best in Welsh club rugby over the past 50 years?
Here’s how the top 10 looks from where MARK ORDERS is sitting...
10. PONTYPRIDD 199597
Under Dennis John, Pontypridd had been steadily improving over a prolonged period, with Neil Jenkins at fly-half and a rough-and-ready pack that featured Phil John, Nigel Bezani and Dale McIntosh.
The Valley Commandos downed Neath 29-22 in a classic cup final in 1996 and were league title winners the following season.
There was a one-in, all-in mentality about that side. But John’s Ponty could also play and had a true matchwinner in Jenkins.
9. PONTYPOOL 19721980
Pooler had a bone-crushing pack, built around legends such as Graham Price, Terry Cobner, Bobby Windsor and Charlie Faulkner.
Sides were bulldozed to defeat under the direction of Ray Prosser.
If they had a failing in this era, it was that they were limited behind compared to some of their rivals.
Still, there were not many who could stand toe to toe with one of the great club packs.
8. CARDIFF 199398
Alex Evans steered Cardiff to a Welsh Cup success in 1993-94, the league title the following season and an appearance in the European Cup final – still the only Welsh club to achieve such a feat – in 1995-96.
The club then went in for the rugby equivalent of shopping at Harrods, acquiring Rob Howley, Dai Young, Gwyn Jones and Leigh Davies.
They bristled with power, quality and intent.
7. SWANSEA 199195
Swansea had long been the great underachievers of Welsh club rugby, but they made a transformative coaching appointment when they brought in Mike Ruddock in 1991.
The new man wasted no time in toughening his side by recruiting Garin Jenkins and Scott Gibbs, with Aled Williams adding a dash of class at fly-half.
Within a year, the All Whites had won the league and beaten world champions Australia, finding a consistency that had for so long eluded them.
A further league crown followed two years later.
6. PONTYPOOL 198388
Pontypool were all but irresistible during 1987-88, when Mark Ring made his way to The Park to play alongside David Bishop.
Ring’s arrival helped give Pooler the class to complement their traditional forward strength.
They lost only two games all campaign, to Bridgend in an early-season game and to Neath in the cup.
They won four Welsh titles in the 1980s, but it is hard to imagine their fans had it so good as in the year they had Bishop and Ring directing matters.
5. SWANSEA 19972001
Which way would Swansea head after Mike Ruddock’s departure to Leinster in 1997?
Plenty expected them to head downhill. But it didn’t turn out that way.
Another shrewd coaching appointment saw John Plumtree brought in, with his reign hitting a high in 1999 when the Whites routed Llanelli 3710 in the ‘Men against Boys’ cup final.
They had a year earlier crushed
Pontypridd 45-27 at Sardis Road to win another league crown, playing a Super Rugby-style game.
4. CARDIFF 198187
Another golden era for Cardiff, one that saw the likes of Terry Holmes, Gareth Davies, John Scott, Mark Ring, Bob Norster, Alan Phillips and Adrian Hadley all perform great deeds.
Five Welsh Cup final successes were duly notched up, while in 198182 the club completed a league and cup double.
Some of those named above were exceptional, not least Holmes.
It said everything about him that he proved a worthy successor to Gareth Edwards for club and country.
Australia claimed a Grand Slam on their 1984 tour.
But they didn’t beat Cardiff, with the Arms Park club recording a 16-12 triumph.
3. LLANELLI 199293
It was trebles all round in Llanelli as the team coached by Gareth Jenkins pulled off the feat of winning the Welsh league, the cup and achieving victory over then world champions Australia.
They used the rapier more than the bludgeon, with the likes of Ieuan Evans and Nigel Davies to the fore, while they also boasted an outstanding back row in Mark Perego, Emyr Lewis and Lyn Jones.
They were easy on the eye and played with a swagger, piling up huge scores in the league campaign that year.
They were one of the most stylish sides Welsh rugby has seen.
2. NEATH 198691
Mean hombres, indeed, who also had a wonderful fly-half in Jonathan Davies during the first part of this era.
Neath had been building as a force since 1983 but really started to hit their straps in the mid-1980s, with Davies a glittering presence.
Even when Davies left, Neath pressed on, a key victory coming when they defeated a superb Pontypool side 20-9 in a Welsh Cup semifinal in 1988, with Phil Pugh and Rowland Phillips bottling up David Bishop.
The following season they set a world record for points (1,917) and tries (345) in a season, not so much defeating opponents as flogging them.
Fitness levels were high and a hard edge provided by the likes of Pugh, Brian Williams and Mark Jones.
1. LLANELLI 197276
How good were Llanelli at their zenith in 1972-73?
They had arguably the greatest coach the game has seen in Carwyn James and a genius at fly-half in Phil Bennett, who was one of eight players who were either Lions or would go on to achieve such status.
Not only did they defeat New Zealand, they also went on to win the Welsh Cup, thrashing Cardiff 30-7 in the final.
Under James, they perfected the art of being able to rise to the big occasion.
They could cut loose in style, with Bennett pulling the strings, but if it came to a tactical battle then Felinfoel’s finest knew how to get the job done as well as anyone, as he showed when controlling play sublimely in the 9-3 win over the All Blacks.
Bennett, JJ Williams, Ray Gravell, Roy Bergiers, Chico Hopkins, Derek Quinnell, Delme Thomas and Tommy David would see out their careers having secured coveted Lions status, while there were also stalwarts such as Gareth Jenkins, Hefin Jenkins, Roy Thomas and Barry Llewellyn.
This was just a magnificent club side, strong in all departments. Four Welsh cup wins on the bounce in the 1970s underlined their quality.