Fly-half Billy left the kicks to others

BILLY Griffiths rolled off the assembly line at the Welsh fly-half factory in the mid-1950s whereupon he set about making the most of his lavish running and passing skills without bothering unduly about kicking goals.

Had he made himself a specialist like most of his contemporaries, Newport would have been celebrating a victory almost as every bit as the one over Wilson Whineray’s All Blacks in 1963. They would have beaten Avril Malan’s three seasons earlier but for a series of mishaps in front of the posts.

Griffiths had arrived at Rodney Parade from Pontypridd the previous summer with the Springbok fixture the main goal. When the big day dawned, January 11, 1961, the Black-and-Ambers’ international full-back Norman Morgan had been ruled out by injury on Boxing Day.

The non-kicking flyhalf found himself reduced to the role of hapless bystander, watching Brian Jones and Barrie Edwards miss five penalties between them. “Newport should have won,’’ Springbok president Danie Craven said at the time. “They have restored my faith in Welsh rugby.’’

A Welsh triallist whom Wales never quite got round to capping, Griffiths turned down an invitation to try his luck with England after they discovered an ancestral link. It had to be Wales or bust.

Griffiths played more than 500 matches, the vast majority for Pontypridd and Bridgend, then coached both clubs. He guided the Bridgend of Meredydd James, Gerald Williams, Gary Pearce and the late Gareth Williams to four successive Welsh Cup finals at Cardiff Arms Park between 1979 and 1982.

Billy Griffiths died last month at the age of 84. His funeral takes place at Coity Crematorium in Bridgend this Friday at 1.45pm.