Rugby and violence
THE abiding memory is of the rain, a supporter at the Bridgend vs New Zealand game in 1978 remarked, was non-stop rain and overwhelming anti-climax.
He might also have mentioned the ugly stamping incident that blighted the match.
All Blacks prop John Ashworth brought his foot down on the face of JPR Williams, slicing it open and forcing the iconic full-back to leave the field for urgent medical attention.
Forty-one years ago this month, Jim Callaghan’s Labour government survived a vote of confidence, Liverpool ended Nottingham Forest’s 42-game unbeaten run in the league and the BBC were hit by a series of strikes.
And Bridgend had an outstanding rugby side. They were one of the best in Wales at that time, winning Welsh Cup finals in 1979 and 1980.
They possessed steel up front in the shape of forwards like hooker Geoff Davies, prop Ian Stephens and lock Billy Howe and class behind in the shape of JPR Williams, Steve Fenwick and wing Viv Jenkins.
Many home fans in the 15,000-strong crowd who packed the Brewery Field that day believed their team had a decent chance of downing the All Blacks. But the appalling weather ruined the match as a spectacle and the incident involving JPR Williams led to boos and bad-feeling, with bitterness lingering in some quarters even now.
What happened was simply wrong. But the immediate aftermath reinforced JPR Williams’ image as a man apart.
How did the game and the grim episode at the centre of it unfold?
We time-travelled back exactly 41 years...When JPR Williams pulled back his bedroom curtains that winter’s morning just over four decades ago, his spirits must have sank.
Despite having a number of nononsense sorts up front, his team were more renowned for their flair.
The rain that started in early morning and continued on and off throughout the game meant there was to be no spinning the ball around for the Brewery men that day.
If they were going to get a result, they would need to do it the hard way — by subduing the All Blacks up front. Muck and bullets were to be the order of the day.
There were to be no trimmings. Bridgend were entering on the cusp of a golden era that would see them win successive Welsh Cup finals.
“The majority of our players may not have been capped but we had a balanced squad and felt we could give anyone in the UK a game,” says centre Lyndon Thomas, who played alongside Fenwick.
“We were quietly confident we could give a decent account of ourselves against New Zealand, too.
“But the day turned out to be filthy — in more ways than one — and that dictated how the match would be played.”
Bridgend had found a hard-nosed front five in Stephens, Davies, Meredydd James, Roy Evans and Howe, while Gareth Williams featured at openside flanker.
Even by modern standards, their pack had bulk and height. Behind, Fenwick was the midfield rock around which so much revolved, while Gerald Williams and Ian Williams were talented half-backs, Ian Davies and Jenkins fast and elusive wings and JPR Williams topped up their Test quality.
New Zealand were led by Graham Mourie and had Andy Haden, Gary Knight, Dave Loveridge, Bill Osborne and Mark Taylor in their side.
No one wanted to be at the bottom of a ruck back in the day.
Thinking about it, it’s not a great place to be in the modern game. But, back then, there was a reasonable risk that the poor sap who found himself floor-bound as two packs contested the ball might end up with the odd scratch or two.
What happened to JPR Williams that day was of a different dimension altogether.
New Zealand prop Ashworth came in, and events took on a gruesome complexion.
In a chat with The Guardian years after, JPR said: “He came in and raked me, tearing a huge hole in my cheek. I lost two pints of blood and had to get 30 stitches.”
The rain was swirling and visibility wasn’t great, but from 60 yards across the field, Williams could be seen emerging from the ruck, for all the world looking as if he was auditioning for a Hammer horror movie.
Red streamed down his face and onto his blue-and-white hooped jersey.
Supporters howled their disgust and what had happened.
The home players were none too impressed, as well.
“I had a good view of the incident and it was a proper stamp,” said Thomas.
“He also seemed to have a second go.
“There were other people stamped on during the game as well. But our forwards gave a big account of themselves and stood their ground against a strong New Zealand pack.
“I remember John Billot’s report in the Western Mail the next day. He was unimpressed with the way the All Blacks had conducted themselves, while a Kiwi journalist whose report I heard about put blame on Bridgend.
“But there was no excuse for what happened to John.
“It was an awful incident.”