South Wales Daily News

ST INTERNATIONAL ■; OF THE SEASON. | WELSHMEN WIN WELL. NGLAND V. WALES. JIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. HISTORY OF PREVIOUS TOURNAMENTS. (BY OLD STAGER.") Tbe first cf this season's matches in the Inter- stional Rugby Football Tournament was de- cided at Gloucester on Saturday, when Wales ined a well-deserved victory over England with k score of two converted goals one penalty goal o a try, or thirteen points to three. Vihite the dinners won well, especially as two of their flayers were incapacitated during long periods of e game by regrettable but purely accidental in- juries, disappointment was keen at the mediocre [Quality of the English Bide, which did aot reach the standard of the previous worst fifteen representing England in recent years—that which was so utterly touted at Swansea last season. In that memor- able engagement at St. Helen's the Welsh team i tfut on a bigger and record score, bat far fewer | mistakes were then made and more brilliant play Tras contributed by the winners, while frequent [ chances to add to the score were not lost as was sihe case at Gloucester. Daring the opening ^stages of Saturday's game the winners were prejadiced by the palpable nervousness of several iof their backs, and practically throughout Hell- isgs plajed heroically with a fractured forearm, and Daviea showed equal pluck by resuming bis position when he was scarcely cognisant of f what was happening so dazed was he as the re- | *ult of a kick. Oa the 27th inst. Wales will meet | Scotland at Swansea, when a stiff contest can be expected. It is probable that little change will [ be made in the borne side. Hellings' place will 'aave to b3 filled, but not more than one other f change should be made in the pack, even If that be desirable, as no single individual imong the eight tarnished bis reputation. At half and full back the men could not be Improved upon, and especially seeing that tbe lame will be on their own club's ground it would be unwise to disturb the Swansea three-quarters. The story of Saturday's game is told in detail below, and there follow opinions on the match and players which show that the impressions of .'ew football critics coincide. THE CKOWJL) ASSEMBLING. COLLAPSE OF A STAND. Interest attaching to the game waa not nearly to great as that which was excited in the last game between the two countries at Swansea, During this week, however, a good deal more attention has been devoted to the game. and the reserve tickets were taken up during the past couple of days. The Gloucester Executive had anticipated an attendance of 30,000, and ac commodation was provided for an extra 10,000 spectatorti. There wa-i not so great a rush for places as was witnessed at St, Helen's at Swan- sea 12 months ago. Arrangements for entrance and exit had been conveniently planned, with the result that there WRB practically no crush at the States, and good hnmour prevailed amongst the crowd, which began to assemble two hours before the time announced for the kick-off. A band occupied the centre of the field of play, and capi- iaJly renaerej recent operatic music, interspersed [with other selections, thus pleasantly whiling F away the long wait in the dry and frosty air. The ground had been encircled by special stands erected for the occasion, so ihat the field of play resembled an amphitheatre. Great care had been cxtrcised by the executive to make the stands strong enough to prevent all fear of a breakdown. Despite thefeo precautions, one of the smaller stands on the popular side collapsed, and unfor- tunately two of the spectators were slightly injured. The hopes that a record crowd for an English match would have assembled were doomed to disappointment, but onstdoruig that this was the fix-sit English match played .u tha West country the people rolled in in greater numbers than most of the visitors from Sonth Wales had anticipated. Welshmen wers ia strong force, numerous excursion trains. "especially those from the Rhondda and adjacent valleys, being crowded. The ground, which had been protected by a thick swaddling of hay, had been preserved from the keen frost which has prevailed in the district, and though it had been jast a, wee bit nipped since its en- velope had been removed, it was in really fine condition for the time of the season, and favoured neither tide's style of play. A little rain which fell in the city early in the morning cleared- away by midday, and there was every prospect when the game commenced that there woald be no further fall of rain. There was little justification for prognosticat ing the issue of the match. To Welshmen, the English side was quite an unknown quantity, aod it was a case of hazarding a goeas to tip the result. The Englishmen must have profited by the lesson received at Swansea last year and took special rains to alter the constitution of their forwards, endeavouring as far as possible this season when, according to leading English critics, there is a paucity of talent to select from, to place eiiihs men moie after the old stamp of scrummager than a pack individually fast and clever in open play who had curled up as Welsh teamg have so often done in front of Yorkshire bashers—as they did at St. Helen's in 1889. | Solidarity of scrummaging power was arranged, aa man had not been seen in association before, one could only surmise the probable re- suit. e Primarily in this, as in everv other case in which the Welsh team is engaged, the controll- ing factor iu the game was to be found iu the relative merits of the two lots of forwards as distinguished from individual performances. On the other hand Walts was represented by eight men, the bulk of whom may properly be des. cribed as veterans, and could not be expected the equal of the packs put out daring recent season, I give my vote for Wales for the reason- that the visitors have had more experience ton gether, and that they have a decided pull in combination, seeing that their halves are club matee, and three of their three-quarters have f worked harmoniously iu the ranka of the Swansea team for two seasons. The advantage generally accruing from locale was reversed j n this case, inasmuch as to the -Englishmen the Gloucester ground was really s'.tange, while everyone of the Welshmen had sem • tlmos played upon it. While the crowd was gathering a collection was made for the Reservists' Fund and apparently there was a liberal response. As the band stiuck up the march of THE MEN OF HARLECH." some diversion was caused by the liberating of a goat in front of the grand stand and the British flag was hoibted in themiddle of the field amidst enthusiastic cheering by men representing the various branches of the Army and Navy special applause being given for our Jack Tars in recog- nition of their splendid achievements at the front. THE TEAMS. Wales was fortunate to be represented by the players who had been selected by the Union, and againj>t whom little adverse criticism has been raised. Nat so England, who had three absentees. en, of .Liverpool, stood down, preferring to take hllfL t-f representing Ireland, for whom his brother has. played so well and so long at balf- ,JI*f," qualified for any country, owing to was stated h^t- Rt Gibraltar. His defection the sfrene^ Northerners to have added to Northumberland p ^Bel? his place on the *0t .Q&ipMrf .0 prov. thorough scrummaging. The, t ™ ever handicapped England considerably fnrnn one will maintain that Nicholson, of Birkenhead Park, is as clever in attack as is the International ;bom he repr.eeente-Robinst)D, of Petley Park The players lined out as follows 7 THE PLAYERS. ENGLAND. *H T Gatnlin (Somerset), (back), 8 F Coopper (Devon), G Gordon Smith (Blackheath), •V Brettagh (Lancashire).. Nicholson (Cheshire) (three-quarter-backs) jt H Cattell (Midland Counties) (captain) and .1 G llar.-iden (Yorkshire) fhnlf-backs), T> (Northumberland), vi, Bell (North umbel-laud), W Cobby (Yorkshire), •1 tt^kerham (Yorkshire), SR.. aT,oan (Bristol), G T fi" s (Richmond), JB^rtt(CheSe<]Re °Uiver8Uy)' *°d »W j WALES. !W Lle^f,rf>ft [Swttnaea) (captain) (back), D Hees fu yn (Llwynvpia), G D»vUb^"ls^), W Tre^ r^Swaasea). and •" ""Wl"ck"■ *G Boots «F Millar f\T^ort)' liThoma8(fc^«Aah>, 'J I Hodges$" £ '*). *1 Blake (OardmT\0nJ' W H Williato,7>'a^ ftmtnry 'nera,1 opt-.= ia .-Booth wbles, but in accordance with the plan of the field pub- { lished in our morning issue, ths sidea lined out j as shown in the following :— I PLAN OF THE FIELD. GREAT VICTORY FOB WALES ENGLAND BEATEN BY 13 POINTS TO THREE. THE GAME. There was sitting accommodation for quite 10.000 people when the teams entered the held. As they appeared, the Welshmen first, the flag was again hointed, and from about 15,000 to 20,000 chroats God Save tbe Quecu was struck up and anng with great enthIlS;1.3m, the people baring their heads, and the band accompanying. Bancroft led his men into the field, and was given a special cheer, Cattell fol- lowing almost immediately, and receiving a simi- lar ovation. As usual the Englishmen, in all white, looked big enough to eat their opponents, but the advantage in weight, so far as the scram- magers were concerned,resttid with Wales, Millar and Hellings leading the way. A minute or two after the arranged time, 2.30, Bancroft started play from the town end. The keenness of tbe visi- ting forwards was evident. for a few of them got in front of the ball, and a scrummage was ordered at halfway. From this maul there was every appearance that England was going to MAKE A SENSATIONAL START. The forwards broke up the scrummage and Cattail took up the ball and started passing to the left wing. A bad was made to Cooppar, and had be taken it there was every chance of his slipping between Llewellyn and Ilees. A second bnrst followed, and at this time luck favoured the Englishmen. Another pass was, however, missed, thÍiI time Gordon-Smith being the offender. Then the Welsh forwards broke through, and fol- lowing up well play was taken to the home 25, where Nicholson saved. A little loose kicking followed, and the players on both sides seemed too excited to taiie advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves. What seemed like A DANGEROUS AGGRESSIVE MOVE- MENT by Wales's left wing was started by Lbvd, but Trew failed to take"the ball, and Bret- ta,rgh put in a good uunt. Llewellyn however gained grouod from f, rotum. Almost immedi- ately afterwards Galolil1 got in a really fine kick, and his forwards following up well Bancroft was charged, but yet managed, with K. wonderfully clever swerve, to put the ball safely over the touch-line. Before Wales could get to the bplf- way again, however, Bancroft was tackled, but first Llewellyn, then Phillips, using the acme of judgment, transferred play to their opponents' 25. In the en-ceeding play a. delay occuried throngh injury to Hellinga's arm, but after the wounded limb had been wrapped up the burly Llwynypiau resumed play, and soon tho Welsh forwards took advantage of a clever dribble by Lloyd, and were forcing play within a few yards of the English goal-line. Here they were penalised, presumably for off-side play by the forwards. At this stage special smartness was displayed by Phillips, who robbed the home side of any advantage. The home forwards tried their utmost to make their weight felt, seeing that they had the big advantage of a strong wind in their favour. By this time the Welsh front contingeat had settled down very nicely, and seemed to have quite the measure of their opponents. Phillips started passing on the 25 linej and Rees, Lloyd, Davies, and Trew handled the ball, but the Swansea left wing was unable to get between Nicholson and Brbttargh. This round of passing caused great cheering from the crowd, and evidently had an inspiriting effect upon the Welshmen, who now played up as though the fats of the Empire rested upon their scoring. Llewellyn fielded in- the loose, and punted with the idea of putting his forwards on side, but Brettargh stopped the success of this manoeuvre. Bryce, Hellings, MiUar, and Blake then led a series of forward dribbling rushes, but Gordon-Smith, Brettargh, and Gamlin saved the position. Two penalties were awarded to Wales, from one of which Bancroft came very near to landing a goal. WALES DRAWS FIRST BLOOD. Play had proceeded for exactly a quarter of an hour when the Welsh forwards, who showed far greater speed than their opponents, were milking. taid after raid on the goal-line, Hellings eventually crossing with a try, which Bancroft converted amidst general applause from the crowd. The kick-off was followed by a magnificant kick by Gamlln, and immediately afterwards Bancroft sustained his reputation by gaining touch far down the field, after displaying the skill which has made him so famous by tiring out the English scrnmmagers. Lloyd then came into prominence by making a capital opening. Kees received the ball from him and passed to Davies, but his trans- fer to Trew was just a little bit too high. Here was a chance for Nicholson, but Kees divining the critical position dashed in and punted to safety. Thirty-five minutes had now nearly expited, and with the exception of the opening two or three minutes ENGLAND HAD BEEN CONFINED TO DEFENCE, and the venue had been inside their 25. A sel- dom seen movement was now introduced by the Welsh forwards. It was started by Bryce, who was playiog a brilliant game, and Millar, Wil- liams, and the Newport couple leading the others. The ball was swept well into the visitors' quar- ters, and there Llewellyn's speed prevented Gordon-Smith from scoring. For the next five minutes the English forwards were seen to advan tage. They burst their way throngh several scrummages, but the balf-backa saved in very I plucky style. Oa three successive occasions George Davies and Trew robbed the forwards of the ball, whilst the Ensrlishmen were not allowed to get over the Welsh 25 line. WALES PENALISED; Wales seemed likely to get away again when they were penalised. Tho ball was placed for Gamliu in a fairly good position, but his aim was not accnrate, and Bancroft running out kicked into touch near the 25 flag. The game was being maintained at a terrific pace, and Coopper twice made his mark close to the rri?e ^0n "le Welsh side of half way xhe first time the Devonian twisted into touch without gaining any appreciable advantage, and on the second occasion he kicked high with the idea of putting his men on side. Bob Thomas I put in a nice tackle, and Lioyd following up, re- gaining neutral ground. Half-time was fast approaching, and the English forwards now heeled the ball with some daree of success. The ball did not, however, come from the heels of the forwards either quickly or straightly, and Cattell secured it oftener than not from the side of the scrummage. A SPLENDID DEFENDER did Phillips prove, and on the rare occasions the ball could be parted with the centre three- quarters made the mistake of holding on too long, with the result that the Welshmen were able to tackle before real advantage was threatened. A few minutes only remained to the interval when Wales had travelled to England's 25 line. A penalty was given against the invaders at this point, but once mor,) little advantage accrued, and Llewellyn receiving possession dodged two men and then ran along his wing, cleverly passing the ball to his forwards. Brice seemed to be the only one on the alert, and he jumped at theball,which he barely missed. A few minutes cessation of play occurred, Brettargh receiving a smack on the side of the head which necessitated his retirement. This was when WALES WERE PRESSING STOUTLY. Prom a line out the forwards started a bout of l passing, and a transfer meant for Rees came to his toes, and the English centres prevented any interpaasing. It was policy for the English to do what they were now doing in confining them- selves to defence, but it was not wise for the cap- tain to play on the Trong side of the scrummage. Several times he prevented the Welali halves from putting their three-quarters in motion be- fore he was penalised. Bancroft had the ball placed for him a few yards from the touch-line, and about 45 yards from the goal-line. How Btrong was the wind was evidenced by the arc made by the progress of the ball, which fell wide and short. The Welsh backs were no N attack. ing.tho Swausea players getting the ball amongst them, with the result that TRE W NEARLY MADE ANOTHER TRY. As George Daviea was passing to Trew he was knocked^ out, and his wing wa3 unable.to get clear. For 60 fleet a man a try was a foregone conclusion had he been able to take the ball. When half-time was announced Wales were five points ahead, and there was no reason to fear but that they would maintain their ascendancy to the very end. Half-time Score— G. T. M. WALES 10 0 ENGLAND 0 0 0 louring the interval the crowd walked about on the ground and miugled with the players, as is genei it) in south-eonntry matches, but seats were resuwed without aPPRiem friction after the inter- nal. IheWelshmenappeared to have worn far better than their opponents. The kick- off was followed u t■'ew'Jvb0« though v«ery hotly pressed by a rn1;h of the English forwards bearing down upon him, made a tricky run and punted to halfway. Nothing of any moment happened for the next few minutes, and then M&rsdeu got away from the scrummage and running on his wrong side, but though he travelled a dozen yards he was prevented from passing by a fine tackle by Lloyd. The Welshmen, however, got their own back again, but they wera penalised,' the Eng-% lish captain calling upon Gamlin to take tbe kick, This was practically from the saros position as that which had fallen to Bancroft in tin >-i stages pf the first half. The kick was it particu- laily poor one. Bryco fielded, and after a. charac- j teristic gallop gained ground with a kick to touch. What was the first reaM*- j DANGEROUS-LOOKING ATTACKING j MOVEMENT for the past 35 minntes now came from England. J Marsden started Gordon-Smith, who made a It great run through, but was tackled by Llewellyn. From the ensuing scrummage the ball camo out to Marsden, who after making a good run gave Brettargh a good chance to put in Nicholson. The Birkenhead wing man made the most of his advantage, and ran round rrew, who had run in to support Davies, and scored a try wide. ¡ HATS WERE FRANTICALLY WAVED on this success. Gamlin, however, failed to equalise the points, his kick ghort and nar- Tow. The English forwards than settled down to hard scrummage work, and from four succes- sive mauls they fed their halE-backs. Tackling by the Newport half-back^ was good, but once Gordon-Smith made a strong run,and then passed to Brettargh, but the latter'g transfer being too Gordon-Smith made a strong run,and then passed to Brettargh, but the latter'g transfer being too short for travelled up still fell quite out of the way of the Birkenhead wing. This sort of thing had been going on for quite five minutes, when the Saxons' front rank DASHED AWAY WITH A RATTLING DRIBBLE. They passed between George Davies and Rees, but Bancroft belied his reputation for bsing averse to stopping a "rush by fairly diving for the ball. He also a minute later staved off a second rush by a flying kick, which lauded' the ball in touch by halfway. Here England get a "free," but Muliips making his mark sent plav into the 0 Eugli'jh 25. Then Nicholson pat in a punt, bat for off-side scrummaging occurred at the point where he kicked. A couple of surprising inci- dents followed. After passing started by the halves inside the English 25, Llewellyn beat his immediate opponent, Coopper, but when within less than a, yard of the English goal-line he was dragged down by Gurnhn-a magnificent tackle. As in the case of the English try, this brilliant attack was followed by an immediate score, for the half-backs, getting clear, out-tricked Cattell and Marsden, and from Rees to Daviea, then to Trew, the ba.U was passed in perfect style. So rapid wore the transfers that THE ENGLISHMEN NON-PLUSSED, and Trew made a try, planting the ball behind the bar. Bancroft converted amid a, scene of great enthusiasm. George Davies was tackled by Brettargh after be had parted with the ball, but the celerity of the English player in doing this removed all objec- tion as to tbe lawfulness of the collar. The Swa.n- sel], left was forced to retire, and during his abs.'nce for quite 15 minutes England, at the Welshmen's side of the field, were kept well in hand. Simultaneously with the return of Davies England had a free kick from halfway. Again Gamlin'3 kick was a poor one, and once mora Bryce fielded the ball, and punting over tha heads of the centres showed greater speed than they, a.nd just failed to get up to Gamlin, who, however, gained comparatively no ground with his kick to touch. No s-ioopr had the Welsh Fifteen settled down than their backs began to attack. Bees looked all over a scorer when he was stopped a.t the extreme right-wing, and then liloyd wa3 only pulled down with but iriche3 between him and the line Jind the third try for Wales. At this time England's play resolved itself into a mere defence, and they excelled in this direction, KEEPING OUT ATTACK AFTER ATTACK, signal luck attending their efforts. Trew receiv- ing the ball after general passing kicked over r-iicholson's head a.nd ran at fast speed, putting bis colleagues on side. In the race for the ball Gamlin was aided by sheer lack, as the ball bumped at all awkward angle, and went into touch-in-goai. After this England had a chance to attack, and good work was done by their left wing The forwards followed up in a body and rushed prla.7 to within a yard or two of the Welsh line The ball went over the line, Bancroft kicking dead, but for some informality a sernaimage was re-formed just outside. There was VERY LITTLE SKILL IN THE ENGLISH ATTACK, and Llewellyn gained ground on his wing. Nicholson afterwards secared tho ball, which Trew was waiting for, but he lost a good oppor- tunity by wildly throwing the ball behind him. Gamlin made his mark, and another shot for goal was made, this being worse than any of his pre- ceding attempts. The attack was relieved and play removed to the home quarter, where Lloyd, thanks to his resourcefulness and speed, ma.de an opeuing fpr Rees and Llewellyn. He had sneaked the bali from Marsden and starting with a dribble, had picked it up, and Rees had passed to Llewellyn just at the proper time. Llewellyn showed the great speed which he possesses, and played for a, repass. Blake, getting the ball, was unable to make satisfactory use of it, inasmuch as Trew was a. good way out of his place. Hodges, who had been deputising George Davies, was next prominent in passing. The ball came to the left wing, but no score re- sulted. Then Davies gave a very smart pass to Rees, who was brought down almost dead on the goal-line While play was still within England's 25 Marsden, who had been following the practice of Cattell by standing offside, was caught, and a penalty gave his opponents' side three points. Bancroft made no mistake with his kick. No side came almost immediately, and Wales had won well, and by mort) than the difference indi- cated by the score, because of the fact that they bad been frequently pIRyb only six forward?. Final Score- G. T. M. J WALES. -i. "3 0 2 ENGLAND 0 10 One penalty. RESULTS OF MATCHES UP TO DATE. 1880. At Blackheath. England won by eight goals and five tries to nil. 1882. At Newport A North of England team won by one goal to one try. 1883. At Swansea. England won by two goals and four tries to nil. B 1884.-At Leeds. Englan-l won by one goal and two tries to one goal. 1885.—At Swansea^ England won by one goal ana lane »(• p. oue goal and one try. 1836. At Breath.o England won by one goal and two tries to one 1887.-At T.Jlanelly. Dra,wll, neither side seoring. 1888,-No match owing to <1ispute. 1889.—No match owing to dispute. Dewsbury. Wales won by one try to nil. 1891. At ^Newport. Englaiid won by two goals and one try to one goal. one try to one goal. 1892.-At Blackheath. England won by three coals one try and tnree minors to three miners 3893.—At Cardiff. Wales won by one point-!™ eoals (one dropped) two tries to one goal^j tnre* to-ss. ] 894.—At Birkenhead. England won by five goals (one ficld) to one try. 1895.—At Swansea. England won by one goal three tries to two tries. 1896.-At Blackhea th. England won by two goals five trier; to nil. 1897.—At Newport. Wales won by one goal two tries to nil. 1898.—At Blackheath. England won by one goal three tries to one dropped goal one try (14 points to 7). 1899-At Swansea. Wales won by four goals two tries to one try. 1900-At Gloiieester. Wales won by three goals (one I penalty) to one try. BTmMAJRY. Score. Won. Drawn. G. T. England ..— 12 29 33 Wales a 1 is 15 j (BY OLD STAGER.") REMARKS. I While, the Welsh victory was well earned, and every man on our side deserves credit for in a measure contributing to this achievement. The win, handsome as it wae. must not be taken tj indicate that the winning team is anything like the calibre of that which routed the English- men at Swansea. We had been led to expect an all-round improvement in the English side. We were assured that their forwards were not only powerful, but that they had more than average cleverness, and if not 1>0 fn.st would possess more cohesion in the manl. In this we were very greatly disappointed. True the English pack made the pace at the start a fair cracker, but it is open to question whether these scrnmmagers as a whole would not have made a. more miserable exhibition than did the eight atSwansea bad Wales bean able toop pose them in equal narnl)eibthrorghont the game. And during the lang absence of George Davies tho forwards were further weakened by the re- moval to the three-qiT>ner line of Hodges, who had been playing a sterling game. In my opinion the chief honours of the victory an fell upon the Welsh forwards, and there was not a man on the English side who was much better than our weakest man. Bryce stood ont I prominently M the best scrummager of the day, judged in any phase of play. The () p Aberavon constable displayed unequalled cleverness and indomitable pluck in the game against Ireland at Cardiff last year, and to-day he undoubtedly established his right to be in- cluded in the roll of the comparatively few really great forwards. There was some concern before the match as to whether Hellings would be prohibited from playing, fearing tbat he would be unfil. The Welsh Union (after their experience at Edin- burgh last year, when Hellings and another had palpably weakened their side because of their having played jyj a match a day or two before the International; had mrde a rule to the effect that any player selected for an inter-conn try engage- ment may be suspended if he endangered his condition by plav ing in a match after the Saturday previous to an International engage- ment. Hellings, however, had only taken part in a junior team match at home, and it was satisfac- torily explained that he bad improved and not in- jnred hie* fitness thereby. Consequently he retained his position, and proved that he is equally plucky as he is good as a forward by keeping at It whilat he was suffeliog much pain. The other old members of the pack worked grandly together, and though they showed higher skill than the recruits, the three latter—Millar, Williams, and Thomas —played a hard and sound game. It may be that the Onion will go outeide this pack for their team against Scotland. They may find one man of higher all-round skill, combined with weight, but they will be unable to find men of more stubborn determination, and further they cannot make themselves more St than these. In this connection it is as well noS to discount the fa.ct that the calibre of the Scot- tish forwards we met at Edinburgh last year was vastly different from the English packs of recent I years. Dnring the opening stages of the game Wales were very seriously prejudiced by the palpable nervousness ci the new Swansea players, but frequently in the second half when they settled down they did much better than the English three-quartera. The best men among the backs, as a whole, were Bancroft, Llewellyn, Lloyd, I and Phillips. The excellent combination be- tween the halves aDd three-quarters resulted as we predicted it wouM. The combination among the Englishmen was absolutely ail. Mvatjf aw played without (serious regard for the task, that he was one of the fiftesu. Had the unfortunate accident not happened to Davies, which naturally greatly affected the combined play of the Welshmen, aa well as weakened the forwards, the Swansea three-quarters would have had far more oppor- tunities of showing what they can do in attack. Daviea and Rees did well, particularly well, in the defence, but in attack neither contributed anything approaching brilliance. Trew, on the left wing, now and again did a smart thing, but he was not the success which had been anticipated by his admirers. It is fair to him, however, to say that the accident to Davies handicapped him more than a little but his failure even to touch his man when Nichol- son Hcored England's solitary try was inexcusable, as the bull in coming to the right wing had come slowly and de- scribed half a circle.' Trew's try, however, was a, beauty, tho passing leading np to it being par- ticularly clean and swift. In Met, the balk of the spectators were under the impression that the ball lay under Davies when he had transferred it to Trew. Dan Rees introduced no sensational play, but bis defence was superb, and he fell in line with Llswellyn very well indeed. Llewellyn's speed was never more useful, but his defence was the leading characteristic of hIS all-round good play, and he frequently gained relief for his forwards by his clever screw kicks to touch. Of the four opposing three-quarters, the left wing pat in the most work, although it was the right wing who scored. Gordon Smith's grand dashes were neutralised by his reckless passing. Brettargh kicked well, and bis defence was truly excellent, and he has the essential qualifications to make a topping centre. His weakness, however, is a proneness to kick, as was often demonstrated to-day. Still, Nicholson is an awkward man to play centre to, and though his try may gain bun re-selection his superiors in English football are not few. At half-back there was bnt one side really in it so far as scientific attack is understood in this nait of the country, Marsden was slippery, and may be class," but if he possesses the powers which have been attributed to him, he certainly did not I iihow them to-day. When in the closing minutes of the pJay he was penalised, it was not by any means his first offence. A very average half-back he appeared to be, and unless there is a decided slump amongst ths Irish and Scottish players in this position the Yorkshireman is likely to meet his master every time. Irrespsctive of his ten- dency to hang on to his opponents' side of the the scrummage illegitimately, bis defence was sound. Cattell, the captain of theEnglisbmen, was not seen to nearly such advantage as when he appeared in tho Newport match at Blackheath in the eaily part of the season, and some of hIs play was scarcely "sporting." But he had to face in young Phillips a half-back who eclipsed his best club performance and he, with Lloyd, worked with a rarely bettered swing. Bancroft, who was making his 28th consacu- fcive appearance in International football, might have been making his debut in International engagements, so thoroughly did he discharge his onerous duties as custodian. His position during the time George Davies was out of the field was the most difficult which any other player had to fill. In no single department of the full-back game did come anywhere near the veteran master, who deserves hearty congratula- tion upon his wonderful record and for the able manner in which he generalled his side. OPINIONS ON THE GAME. INTERVIEW WITH PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS. VIEWS OF THE WELSH SKIPPER. Bancroft who captained the Welshmen, and did so most admirably, was naturally jubilant at the victory. It was, he said, a. very hard fight in which the wind played a. big so often did the breeze change, an so powerful were the Rusts, that he ha.d in the whole course of his long experience found it such an awkward factor to contend against. As for the piayers the Swansea backs undoubtedly suffered from extreme nervousness in the first half of tho ga.me, bnt after this nervousness had worn away they did much better. George Davies, in his opinion, was not able to play with justice to his side after his accident. Whilst refraining from singling out any one of the forwards he could not help but admire tho plucky display of Hellings, seeing that theLlwynypia representative had sustained a. most painful injury very early in the game. Brettargh struck him as being the best all-round back on the En, lish side. THE REFEREE. Mr Adam Tnrnball, of tbe Scottish Rnby Union and the referee of the game, was seen by one of our representatives immediately Rt tho close of hostilities. In reply to questions he said: Certainly, it was a, nice, pleasant game, looked at from tho point of view of myself as referee. It was fought oat wall and in capital good temper by both sides, and there was no dis- play of bad feeling, It was aho a very fast game, e3Du;i.iHy dtuvag tha first 20 minutes, when the pace was ao hot that I really did not expect tha playerB would be able to last out. Wales certainly deserved their handsome victory. It was one of the best fought and most pleasantly contested g.t.mes I have ever had the pleasure of refereeing at. THE ENGLISH CAPTAIN. Mr Cattell, the famous International and Blackheath half-back, and captain of the English team, was seen at the pavilion rumediately after the whistle blew. How was it that Wales beat year team asked our man. It was in my opinion," he saia, « a matter of combination more than auythiug else." How about the Welsh pack ?'" Undoubtedly Wales beat as forwaril,ant1 that made all the difference. They controlled the field pretty well m the scrummages, and a.s a. re- snIt got the ball out to their side and gave their backs more cha.oce;:¡." Does the score ctrike you as being a correc- oritenou of the play ? No, really. I don't thiok-thongh Wales wr9 certainly the better team—that they were ten points better thaa we were." Have you ILuythiugto say as to the play of your men ?" Generally speaking, I think they played well, and I should especially like to single out R. W. tion among the pack for special tnen- ENGLISH OFFICIALS RETICENT. Generally speaking, the English officials seemed diBiuclined to speak. Gurdon and f^-l excused themselves, and Mr Jhimedf with the remark that he officials t€am won- Of the Welsh MR A. J. GOULD. said he did not think the game waa quite up to ma™ ™ but that was to be expected with so W 1 S PiayerS ^akiDfJ Part- H9 thought the ,V# dl.3h i°™ar<*8 fi°oa- that they would have to play better to beat Scotland. MR LIVINGSTONE, OF THE SWANSEA CLUB. thought Wales was better all through. Of the three-quarters Rees, as well as George Davies did excellent defensne work. and ou the aggressive Trew was excellent. The W dab Union secretary and other members of the Union exprcssed themselves as being thoroughly delighted with tbe Welshmen's play, particularly seeing that their side had been Fnfnrvt^ na ■S:reatJ disadvantage through the injury to Davies and Hellings. PRESS OPINIONS. (PRESS ASSOCIATION.) The Press Association reporter, who, by the way, is an old Gloucester player, writes -—It must be confessed that the game was a fit tie disappointing, the play for the most part being only moaerale. The Welshmen quite deserved their victory, but with a little luck the game might easily have gone the other way. The Welsh fifteen owe their success mainly to their supeiior nff PA«™IRD'3 B™a"n03s- Their backs brought Laa hi r0 s £ 0.nd passing, but their work was by DO means as effective as was the case at yeai\ L1°yd and Phillips, the ont nf thl querU'y K'lihy of picking the ball ?iSCramvmaRe'-a;n(i Wales were penalised <. mes, but still the halves made some 0*n tho rivhfn''n^S T i°r *^r^e quarters. On the right wing Llewellyn plaved very finely, using his great pace to good purpose, and Davies •m^etW0P°d cantr^- Bancroft at !™TJV"-S USOpl ,f0rm' ki<*ing#>Vvith his old power, but he irequeinly ran unnecessary risks. However, the English forwards were not smart advantage of any blunders by Ban- ITMlM Snmbafk, DearI? alwfty« getting in r rS DSl,sh fotwards Jarmanwas ^frtTn Ih r ™0St j,ro:ni'»onc, doing excellent work in the line-out, but on the whole the scrum- u *PP°1iR6,1uS. Marsden did very ratf-p.ll ml >a<cir, but lio had a poor partner in Cattell, who was slow and often at fault. Of tha r f? BrettarSh was perhaps the beat, ft™ 11 Wa? his wing man, Coopper, was neglected; but the Devonthree' "It,* °* ^orm» being seemingly over- come by the importance of the occasion. "Nichol- sn wa.s speedy, but Was not sound in taking I Gamlin kicked well at times, but has been seen to better advantage, "'here were two or three mishaps in the course of the game, Hel- • ngs, Brettargh, and Davies ben1# hurt, but all. j being aole to resume after a brief rest. The game leit the impression that both teams will need istrengthemjig to have a real chance against II Either Ireland or Scotland. SUNDAY SPECIAL." It cannot be said tha.t the England a.nd Wales ma.tch at Gloucester prodoced a particularly good display of football. There corwd be no question that the Welshmen thoroughly deserved their victov, but their success was raaiuly brought ¡ about by the feeble tackling and weak passing" of the Englishmen. In one respect Wales showed themselves distinctly superior, the whole team being much smarten and quicker in their move- ments than their opponents. They did not always do the right thing, but whatever they did they accomplished in very quick fashion. As was generally expected, the English forwards showed superior form to the pack that was so badly, beaten at Swansea twelve months ago, but they were not able to entirely control the ball in the scrummage. The game was chiefly remarksble for mistakes on both sides, and with a little luck the result might easily have been reversed. j Wales crossed the English line twice, as against one score by their opponents, bat as a. matter: of fact there wall very ltCle to okoom behreenÎ two teams. England might easily havo added to their score, but the side never seemed to properly get together, being for the most part at sixes and sevens. The Welsh three-quarters were, generally speaking, clever, and in the last five minutes might with a little luck have scored more than once. Gamlin was an indifferent full- back—it will be remembered that a fortnight back I spoke him as akin to the player who is extraordinarily good at rehearsal, but often fails to come off on the night "—but Bancroft, apart from his gallery play, was distinctly fine. He kicked with his usual power, and the penalty goal which he placed in the last minute waa certainly one of the features of the match. "THE REFEREE." Kept np at high pressure from start to finish, the Btraggle was a most interesting one to watch, for,at various times it produced play not only of a high order, but demonstrated to the spectators plainly to what beautiful perfection tho Welsh- men have brought the art of swift and low pass- ing. Considering the resources that England have it seems almost incredible that her players after years and years appear mere novices at passiug. From this it must not be gathered that Wales owes her victory entirely to the marvellous celerity of her back division. Far from it. Her forwards were about ss sterling a lot as ver went on a football field. Heavy, burly, and splendidly trained, they repeatedly pushed the Englishmen off their feet, and being past masters in the art of dribbling they seldom resorted to this strategic movement without taking the ball with them. Tho victory by 13 points to 3 was decisive and complete. For the first five miuufcea England played at such a break-neck pace that they almost demoralised their rivals. In the first two minutes, thanks to irresistible forward rushes, play hovered close to the Welsh goal line, and danger threatened. Luckily, hawever, the Welsh rear division never lest their heads,and the thrso-qu&rters, tackling with great brilliancy, avert2u a score,whieh might have com- pletely altered the aspect of affairs. By degrees the foreign brigade felt their feet, so to say, and driving theiir opponents back were after- wards masters of the situation during the first half. The English forwards at times did well, but failed to last, and thoy will have to be radically changed when Ireland is met in a month's time. Their halves, playing behind a beaten let. were outclassed, and ware only saved from utter dia- aster by acme good work by the three-quarters, of whom Nicholson was th j best. Gamliu at iuH- back did well, tackling superbly, and kicking at times very finely into touch. "SUNDAY TIMES." The Welshmen thoroughly deserved their win, and their score of three goals to a try completely reflected the mediocrity that has of lata year.; overtaken Rugby football in England. The Eng- lish forwards worked prstty hard, and in the first ten minutes of each half they forced the game so well that it was only bad luck -that prevented their turning the match. The Welshmen out- classed the Englishmen outside the scrummage, bui. the English forwards would have done better had they not been slack in following up. Ban- croft wail allowed time after time to play his fancy football whece in the ordinary way he would have been tackled. Cattell was an utter failure at half, bat Marsden played very well. Apart from Brettargh there was little to say in excellence of the English three-quarter line. GamLin at fall-back began badly, but finished I well. The Welsh three-quarters and halves were excellence itself, but tho pack were not such a good lot aa last year. I "SUNDAY CHRONICIjE." In the first half the pla.y was lacking in points of interest, for the Welshmen generally did the pressing, a.nd England was fully occupied in de- I fensive work. Hellings, u Welsh forward, early got hurt, and went back as a sort of general utility man, 60 thai his mishap did not so ranch weaken the visitors, who fairly held their oppo- nents. As the game proceeded the superiority of Wales became more a.nd more pronounced, and their three-quarter back line worked in perfect unison a.nd with great effect As a result England were overwhelmed. Their forwB.rds did not. rise to the occasion, and Gamlin, the full back, fielded slovenly and kicked badly. In Rugby football the predominant partner is not England, who hardly afford common sport for the other nations in the British Isles. I The Argus, of Newport, describes Boots as the finest forward on the field. I Several members of the English Union, seen by a Leader (Swansea) representative, said Wales thoroughly deserved to win. The passing of the three-quaitera was simply superb-in fact, tho best they had seen in an International match for some time. A REGRETTABLE FE \TURE. The Welsh forwards a.nd halves were load in their protests against the tricks of Cattell, the English captain. One of the Welsh forwards re- marked laconically, Ho is the biggest pig tha.t ever played football One of the Welsh halves came up at the moment, and corrobora.ted the I opinion with a contemptuous toaa of the head.— Daily Post, Swansea. THE FINANCIAL RESULT. A HEAVY DEFICIT. The total receipts amounted to £98.. As the expenditure, including the guarsvntee of JE300 to the English Rugby Union, is estimated at £1.600. thin means that the Gloucester Club loses over JE600 by the venture. The proceeds of the England v. Wales match at Swansea last year reached £1,491183 6d, while the record gate'' taken in Wales was at the Irish match at Cardiff in 1899, when the sum was £1,833 18s 6d. A PLUCKY LLWYNYPIA MAN. PLAYING WITH A BROKEN ARM, It now transpires that Hellings, the Welsh forward, played during the greater part of the game with a broken arm. After leaving the field Mr W. E. Rees found that Hellings was in great pain, aud on the arrival of the Welsh team at the Ram Hotel he sent for Dr. Jones, of Gloucester, who, after examination, found that Hellings had broken his arm just above the wrist. The medical gentleman at once set the broken member. On all hands the greatest admiration was expressed at the pluck displayed by Sellings in playing through the game when in such great pain. AFTER THE MATCH. PUBLICAN'S TRAGIC DEATH. Whilst leaving the grounds after the match a man was seized with a fit and died. The I deceased is said to have been a well-known Gloucester publican. GLIMPSES OF THE PAST. To-day's match is the 17th of the series, and I though to an enthusiastic and patriotic Welsh- man dilation on his countrymen's earlier perform- ances against English Rugby texras is not a pleasant task. there is consolation in recording that during recent years the country have had tbø better of their battles, and tbat the last con- test ended in their signal victory with the gaining of the highest number of points ever recorded against an English International team. The early history of the tournament consists mainly of triumphs for England which spelled, oftener than not, humiliating defeats for the Principality. point wiH be appreciated from the statistics, for up to last season's ga.mea,t Swansea England was credited with a. dozen wins and the fine total of 29 goals 34 tries, while Wales had been victorious but three times and had put on the comparatively miserably small aggregate of 8 goals 11 tries. Ten successive defeats had been inflicted upon Wales before we gained our first victory and since then, though wo have suffered defeat more frequeptly than we have ^achieved success, we have never failed to score against our opponents. This long sequence of wins by England was after all only to be anticipated, inasmuch as at that time our clubs numbered about one to ten, aud we had not been able to excite the interest of the type of men necessary for winning Rngby matches As a rule we were simply overwhelmed by the sheer strength of the stalwart Englishmen. It should be remembered, too, that while the game was not the popular institution it now is in the Princi- pality, it had been practised and developed in tho country of its birth for many years, and that England had actually been opposing Scotland annnallv for half a dozen years before the date of our first engagement. As a matter of fact THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL was England v. Scotland, won by the Scots at Edinburgh on tho 27th March, 3871. Ireland's first appearance in the tournament was at the Oval on February 19th, 1875 aud the date of the first Welsh match against England was also on February 19th, but six years later. However, during these ten years of humiliation the standard of club pla.y in Wales advanced considerably, 0.11.1 before the time of oar first win at Dewsbury in 1890, onr premier clubs were able to best the best organisations in the sister countries. In the initial game Wales were beaten at all phases of play, and retired with tho huge total I of 8 goals 5 tries piled against them—this score, which was to love, being the heaviest of the whole series. Before the monotonous sequence of de- feats was broken England had registered 6 goals 13 tries to 3 gonls 2 tries. To the ex-Cardiffian Buller" Staddeu belongs the honour of having scored the winning point in the first victory gained by Walas, this being a try made by clever manoeuvring on the line-out on practically a mud heap at Dewsbory, for which club he was playing when he secured his Webb cap. Another interest- ing feature io that match was that it was the occa- sion of Bancroft's debut to classic contests, and it is noteworthy that since the Swansea custodian hasuever failed to gain his cap, to-day's being his 28th consecutive ^m*tch. Since their first win our men have only thrice failed to cross their pre- sent opponents' lines,and singularly these occa- sions have been when the games have been decided on the famous RectoryField. BAD LUCK AT BLACKHEATH has attended the Welshmen. In 1892 the ^Bnglifihm.-in's score was 3 goals and a try, and three yeara ago when thev ran up 2 goals and 5 trICS. -This last was really the most decisive defeat of the lot, for though Wales were placed at considerable disadvantage by accident to Badger which deprived tbe side of a centre three- quarter during the bulk of the play, there was no adequate reason for the great collapae such as could be advanced whjn in '94 the Yorkshire scrummagera risked their necks for reputation on a frozen ground at Birkenhead Park, and the win was by 5 ROals (one field) 1 try to a try, the solivi^y point for Wales being due to a cleverly conceived individual effort by Parfitt, of New- port. OUR CLUB SUCCESSES have been continued, and this year we have demonstrated superiority to all the English; tealDS of class, with the sole exception of Cam- I bndge University, who however did not beat Car- dials weak and unrepresentative side so much as to prove their title to be called by many Metro- poHlan critics "tbe boBtEn^iish elbu sideforyeaxs." BW»F*n€WJi«» haw bo6ir»dvanccd-tg to prove their title to be called by many Metro- poHlan critics "tbe boBtEn^iish elbu sideforyeaxs." BW»F*n€WJi«» haw bo6ir»dvanccd-tg explain away this or that crashing defeat. While it is true tha.t the representatives of the Princi- paJity have had a daal of hard luck, and that the refereeing has often favoured the side stronger in strength than in skill, the main reason why our teams have been thrashed has unquestionably been onr lack of stalwart ssrummagera ill certain seasons, and the FAILURE OF SELECTION COMMITTEES to reeognisa that club partisanship must be subordinated when discussing the merits of can- didates for caps. In both these respects there has been a. marked improvement in recent years. Our forwards have been of a stamp that could not be routed, and though frequently beaten in open rashes and lines out, they have on the whole justified their selection by securing possession of the ball in the tight scrummages and so provid- ing our backs with opportunities in attack such as they did not receive in previous years. In attack onr backs ha.d been uniformly great, but even with the forwards fairly routed IS they have often been, F.ngland's scores would not have been so overwhelming if the men behind the scrum- mage ha.d been stronger and heavier, and not lacking in defensive ability. In some cases- a conspicuous cxan ple being at Blackheath in 1892—our eight forwards actually outplayed the opposing nine, but Rowles of Penarth, called up p.s a reserve, ivas quite off-colour, and the break- down was at half. Other matches, where oar general play has been prejudiced by inefficiency of half-backs at defenca,were the last at Swansea aud that at Blackheath, when Ba.dger's collar- bone way cracked, and his fellow clubmen Davies and Morgan, sterling halves as they were in attack, signally failed in defence. In 1898, too, the match wight have been handsomely won had Biggs and Elliott placed up to their club form, THE MOST EXCITING MATCH ever played between the countries was that which took piano &t Cardiff in January, 1893. The park was frost-bound early in the week, but by the em- ployment of devils the playing space was thawed sufficiently to allow of play. The crowd was the largest ever assembled to witness an inter-country match in Wales, and the character of the nlav kept excitement at fever pitch. It was in every senue a grand game. In the first half their forwards, ld by the burly Bradshaw, and with S8. M. J. Woods unstoppable in the open, fairly smothered our lighter men, but they could only manage to score a goal and a try. On crossing over, to the delight of the spectators, it was evident that tbe Welshmen ls?.d played within themselves. Scoring for Wales was started by Hannan, the Newport forward, who dashed from his own quarters to halfway, where he judi- ciously passed the ball to Arthur Goold, and the veteran three-quarter cork-screwed right through the opposing hicks and scored behind the posts, Bancroft converting. Two more tries were added, Norman Biggs making one, and Gould gaining a second, but the shots for goal were failures. Two more tries being secured by the Englishmen, Wales were still a couple of points behind, and it neede but:>. few miauies to no-side wheu I England was penalised on the edge of the touch- line about 25 yards off goal and on the grand stand side. The Welsh ca.pta.in (Goaid) wanted to place the ball for Bancroft, but the S.vanseaite elected to try a drop-kick, and gaining consent, he landed a fine goal, thus winning the match for Wale3 by a point. This match marks j AN EPOCH IN RUGBY FOOTBALL. It wa? the last time England faced Wales with three three-quarters, their players being Stod- three three-quarters, their players being Stod- I da.rt, Alderaon, and Lockwood. Marshall (who ran in three tries) and Bancroft divided honours ■ .along the backs and Bradshaw, whose chance came through illness to Allport, at a bound got into the champion class. This was our year of triumpb, Scotland falling to na at Edinburgh, and Ireland being likewise defeated at Cardiff. Our nest win over England was at Newport in the January of two years ago. Here, as when our first victory was achieved at Dewsbury, the weather aud ground were vile. Our team was well balanced—stronger in defence behind than j generally—and tbe forwards were men of weight, skill, and stamina,, who had been picked without i regard to club in terests. This match was won I by a goal a.nd two tries to nil. Arthur Gould made his last appearance as an International on this occasion. I THEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED. After improving the team which defeated Ireland I at Limerick, we were beaten by seven points, and again at Blackheath. The visiting scrnmmagers did all that was required of them, but though all he backs were a. bit off colour, the great failure was at half. Our forwards stood up to their opponents right manfully, and bad the halvss— notably Biggs—been able to do justice to their reputation the gatuo would have terminated otherwise. There was a, strange lack of variety in the half-back play, and this was all the more unfortunate as the English halves and three- I quarters were allowed to take liberties with the off-side rules. I LAST YEAR'S SENSATION ia well within recollection. We won well againBt a much poorer side than usual, and our display gavo promise of a markedly successful year. Yet we won but one match. Our team for 1899 was a great deal better tha.n onr present one, or indeed the best possible XV, available for selection. THE WELSH .TEAM. OUR FIVE RECRUITS. THE HIGHT CENTRE. All devotees of the ga.me of football in Swan- sea received with jubilation tho Hews that Dan Rees, first reserve three-quarter, was selected to play against England, in consequence of Nicholls —who \«a9 selected—being unable to take his place. The fact that three of the Swansea third line will play together must of necessity improve the combination. Trew on the left wing, partnered by George Davies, and Da.n Rees playing next to LI57;0Hyn, will without doubt prove a very power- ful quartette. The Swansea first fifteen ha.ve played 18 matches this sea.son with only one re- verse, and that sustained at Llanelly, December 16th, 1899, bnt on that occasion the Swansea three-quarter line was minus Dan Rees. This fplendid record clearly demonstrates that the team is in a. highly efficient state, and leading players culled from its ranks must be of higher than ordinary class. Dan Rees is 23 years of age, weighs 11 stone, and stands 5ft. 9%in. He commenced to take a pro- minent part in football in 1895, when he played wing three-quarter for the Hafod F.C., L very good organisation, which won the Swansea and District Challenge Shield three times in succes- sion, a result primarily due to the sterling play of Rees. Whilst a member of the Hafod he was spotted by the Swansea Committee, and was recruited into the ruaks of the Swansea 2nd XV., where he played as right centre three-qnarcer. In 1837 he was invited to take the same position in the premier organisation, whore he has played up to date with marked success. Last season Dan Rses scored 32 tries, a capital performa.nce, and so far this sea-sou nine tries stand to bis name. As to HIS CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS, be has good speed, and can frequently find open- ings with celerity. He has a swinging, awkward gait when he is in his full stride, which renders him difficult to tackle. His pace is very deceptive, as he gives long strides and travel1! much faster th1\>n his opponents imagine. Rees is conspicuous for the adroit manner he ca.n scoop up the ball and then dash for the goal-line. Being tall be can take a very high pass, but on tbe other hand he has sometimes an unfortunate habit of stumbl- ing when in the act of receiving the ball from a pa,S8 or scooping it np. This fault is very notic- able some days. However, he is a very hard player and never flags; in fact, no ma.n could play a more genuine game for his side. His form varies considerably. At times Rees is seen play- ing a brilliant game, one almost devoid of fault May he be in this happy mood to-day. THE LEFT CENTRE. Geo. Daviej after years of waiting, has at last secured International honours. There has never been a more consistent, honest, and useful centre three-quarter in the Swansea Club. True, there have been !11!\ny more occasionally bril- liant and showy centres in several clubs, but good all-round aolid players are to be preferred in inte'r-country gaires. A three-quarter must not always be entirely judged by the number of tries be registers in a season, but also by the number he is instrumental in scoring for his side. Geo. Davies wa.s 24 years of age last Christmas Day. He is5feet7f: inches in height, and weighs 11 stone 21b. From a boy he has been devoted to football. His first appearance in the Rugger world was made when: he was 13 years of age. When a youngster he played full back for Llandilo for severa.! seasons, and after- wards left centre lor two years. The last year he played for that town they only sustained one defeat, and that in the final cup- tie at Poutymister. In the season '95—'96 he played HIS FIRST GAME FOR SWANSEA I against Neath, and before the end of the game Prescott, who played left centre, got injured, and Davies took his place. This little contre- temps was the means of installing him perma- nently as a. left centre, as from that time up ta date Davies has invariably played in tha.t posi- tion for the Abertawe 1st X V, He has played in several county matchs with marked success-to wit, against Lancashire, when ho scored three tries against Somerset, when he dropped a goal and scored a try and in the Yorkshire match Davies registered a most useful try. He also took his place in the Glamorgan XV. against Somerset, Gloucester (county), and Cornwall, so he has done his share of work for the county as well as for Swansea. George Davies this season has shown A PENCHANT FOR DROPPING GOALS. Davies can kick with either foot. So far this season—up to Boxing Day iucia/tve—he has droppeJ six softia and also kicked one penalty goal, while he has registered eight tries. Thus the old Llandilo boy has already pnt on 51 points to Lis clnb's scoie. At one time George Davies waa stated to bo rather selfish in his f-ityle of play, but in atteck: ho in noted for his fine bursts, and par- ticularly his corkscrew runs. If not a verv swift runner, yet he is a very strong one and most difficult to stop. Feinting to pass has often led his opponents into difficulties, by bis snbsequently handing the ball to Trew or Dan Rees. In defen- sive tactics his tackling is of the highest order, Like Trew, he plays with great coolness and judgment, and can find touch at great length. His resourcefulness is rarely at fault. Perhaps HIS BEST BIT OF WORK was at Cardiff on November 18th last, when he scored two dropped goals (one with each foot) and a try. This fine display made his place in the Welsh International team a cortainty, as all adverse critics and even mild obiectorsto him. having a place were silenced at the conclusion of that game. No one need fear that George Davies, playing centre to Trew, will not distinguish him- self, as he rarely blunders. Big crowds will not daunt him, and if his play may not be brilliant and of the sensational order, except in the drop- goal line, yet it will prove most twefol, hard,