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Newport RFC |
South Africa |
Points |
9 |
3 |
Tries |
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Conversions |
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Penalties |
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Drop Goals |
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Goals From Mark |
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Venue |
Home |
Game Category |
Touring |
Attendance |
20000 |
Referee |
F. C. Potter Irwin |
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A mighty performance was witnessed at Rodney Parade when the Usksiders pulled off their first of four victories over major Southern Hemisphere international touring teams.
Rugby had been started in South Africa in 1861, they first welcomed the British Isles in 1891 with the tourists playing and winning 20 games! Rugby Union prospered - South Africa improved - in 1896 the British Isles were defeated in one of the test matches - in the 1903 tour South Africa won the series 1 nil with 2 drawn games. They travelled to Europe in 1906 - the first time the nickname 'Springboks' was used - lost only two games, to Scotland and, I have to say it, the team at the other end of Cardiff Road (17 v 0). In October's Rodney Parade game Newport were not outclassed, but overwhelmed by the size and physicality of the South Africans and lost 0 v 8 in front of 19,000 spectators.
Compared to most Welsh towns the town visited by the 1912 Springboks had a broad based economy, with foundries, engineering works, a cattle market and shops that served much of Monmouthshire. With heavy industry so thriving, Welsh commerce and shipping flourished equally. Electric trams had been introduced in 1904 and in 1912 the Argus was carrying advertisements by Newport Corporation Electricity Department with the slogan "Electricity is the next best thing to Daylight".
But we should not run away with any impression of good times for all. There was much industrial strife with tempestuous unrest throughout the South Wales Coalfield and heavy industry. In 1909 39 lives were lost in building new docks in Newport. Working people's lives were hard - life expectancy for men was only 50. Nevertheless, it was a golden age for Newport, and so too sport in Newport - in particular that under the umbrella of Newport Athletic Club with a record of success in Cricket, Hockey, Gymnastics, Athletics and Rugby being established.
Pride and confidence in the town was demonstrated when the South Africans arrived the day before the match to be entertained - with a tour of the expanding Docks on a grey, raw morning with rain falling. Their train met at Newport station, they were drawn through High Street and Commercial Street with horses and their drivers' whips decorated with rosettes of green colour. The Transporter Bridge, opened in 1906 was also on the agenda, after which lunch was taken at the Queens Hotel where the Newport captain Walter Martin, in looking forward to the game, and perhaps recalling the physicality of the 1906 encounter whilst surveying the tourists sat before him, said ".... he did not know whether he felt more like David before Goliath, or Daniel in the lion's den, but he was reassured because he felt that the South Africans hearts were as big as their bodies."
The auguries for the game were not of the best. "Dromio" in the Argus wrote "Newport in the last 3 games have been poor in attack, and in the last 2 games have been weak in defence. .... Unless Newport do a great deal better in their tackling against the South Africans they are going to have a very bad time indeed." The opposition were undefeated in games against Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Monmouthshire, Glamorgan and Llanelli. Despite making special arrangements for ticket selling 3 days before the game the Argus reported "NO GREAT RUSH FOR SEATS". .... One enthusiast was present as early as 7 a.m. but only half a dozen or so had joined by nine, and at 9.30 about 100 persons were formed in line, awaiting their time to book." With production of the official programme sold to a Newport printer there was to be no team news until the evening before the match.
But the rugby supporting public turned up in their droves. 20,000 arrived to see "Victory of Newport" as The Times proclaimed it. The game was dominated by the thoughts and actions of the home teams superlative half backs. Tommy Vile and Walter Martin. The visitors had a larger pack and much quicker backline than the Black and Ambers but were often pinned back in their own half by the precise kicking of the half backs as well as Fred Birt from the centre and Herbert Wreford at full back.
Against predictions, Newports forwards managed to hold their own against the powerful opposition and made great efforts to hit the tackles hard and disrupt the continuity of the South Africans. Aggressive tackling dislodged the ball from the carrier on several occasions, hence stopping promising attacks.
Just before half time, following a tremendous forward surge, Jack Wetter managed to cross the try line but was recalled. Soon after however, the ball was worked quickly to Birt who dropped a goal to give the home side a four point advantage. Soon after the break, the South Africans swarmed up field and Douglas Morkel scored underneath the posts but amazingly, defied his reputation, by missing the conversion.
Wreford was by now performing heroics with several last ditch tackles to keep the opposition backline out but it looked as if South Africa would gain the decisive score at some stage. Suddenly, Wetter broke and sliced his way through the cover defence. He raced up field and lined up a pass but much to everyones surprise he instead choose to kick towards the posts. Van der Hoff raced across to cover and dived towards the bouncing ball but missed it and was beaten to the touchdown by Fred Birt who had chased well to follow the move. Birt also successfully converted his score to finish the game with all of his teams points and an ecstatic cheering crowd.
it is worth noting a few newspaper headlines: The Daily News and Leader "It was a great personal triumph for Birt .... who was carried shoulder high from the field". The Daily Telegraph "Newport played extremely well but the gaining of the victory was the work of one man. Birt ..." . The Western Mail "First to beat Springboks .... Birt's brilliance ... a record gate.... as an individualist Birt is a phenomenon". Still creating headlines sixty nine years later 'Fields of Praise' the official history of the WRU records "Newport, with five Welsh caps and the English international, Bob Dibble, in the pack, .... won a pulsating game" .... "Birt had secured an inestimable prize for Newport".
After the post-match dinner in the Kings Head Hotel the South African captain William Millar "...... then presented to Mr. Walter Martin the springboks head, given to the team by the Kimberley Evening Star as the mascot, to be presented to the first team defeating them ... He hoped that .... when [Newport] saw it .... they would think not only that they beat the South Africans but that the South Africans took their defeat in a sporting spirit. There might be as much honour in losing as winning a game...". Most of you will know that trophy still sits proudly in the clubhouse.
The coverage of the game in the Western Mail and South Wales Argus was immense spreading across many columns with the following days' editorial in the latter entitled "Hands Across the Sea":-
"By their defeat of the South Africans on Thursday the Newport Rugby Football Team have added one more to the athletic glories of the town. The Springboks came as an all-victorious side. ... Newport surpassed themselves. They responded to the call made upon them; they revealed unexpected powers; they played as they have not played for years; and they won deservedly...".
This fantastic achievement in Newports history was to be repeated over fifty years later, when the 1969 South Africans also lost at Rodney Parade. It is worth noting that the Welsh national team did not achieve its first victory over South Africa until 1999.
The Times of 25th October 1912 reported the momentuous game as follows:-
"RUGBY FOOTBALL"
"NEWPORT v. THE SOUTH AFRICANS"
"VICTORY OF NEWPORT"
"After a most strenuous struggle and a fast and exciting game, played in perfect conditions at Newport yesterday, the South Africans suffered their first defeat, Newport winning by one goal and one dropped goal (9 points) to one try (3 points)."
"Newport deserved the victory, if only for their remarkably sound and highly intelligent defence, the disciplined restraint in which the whole side shared, and their purposeful adherence to a plan of play. They ran few risks in attack, and although the forwards on the whole beat the South African forwards in the scrummages and usually got possession of the ball, the advantage was utilized for kicking into touch in preference to opening out the game with a view to passing advances by the backs. Only once in the first half did T. Vile and W. Martin depart from the game which they had set themselves to play, and on that occasion a try would probably have resulted if J. Wetter had not knocked the ball on. For the most part the backs kicked into touch and devoted their energies to spoiling the South African advances; both the centres in particular did splendid work in this respect, and the whole line, although outpaced, were most effective in keeping to their places and marking the opposing player in the same position."
"The forwards aimed at checking the numerous attempts of the South African forwards to initiate passing amongst themselves or their backs. In spite of this the South African forwards repeatedly got away or were able to set their backs in motion; indeed, the forwards showed quite as much skill in initiating advances at the lines-out and in the loose and in keeping movements in being as at Cardiff on the previous Thursday, but they were very much more often checked at the beginning of those movements, and the defence was of a very different character from the feeble and far from combined defence of Glamorgan. The South African backs had many chances, and when in motion always looked dangerous. The Newport defence was, however, well combined, and it was to this fact and the soundness of the tackling that the failure of the South African attack to score more than one try was due. The Newport forwards realized the value of close dribbling against the South African backs, and, although they offered an occasional chance of converting defence into attack to the South African backs by kicking too hard, their close rushes with the ball well under control always gained ground. The Newport forwards lasted right to the end of a very exhausting game."
"T. H. Vile and W. J. Martin had on the whole the better of J. Immelman and F. Luyt, although the last named more than once beat Vile by stealing away on the blind side. The South African centres, G. M. Wrentmore and R. Luyt, made several fine independent runs, but they rarely made real openings, and relied too much on the pace and cleverness of J. Stegmann and A. Van Der Hoff. F. W. Birt was responsible, however, for some most effective spoiling, and, if he did not always check the opposing centres, he often compelled them to pass too soon. In spite, however, of the good play of the Newport forwards and their adherence to the rule of tackling the man with the ball with a view to keeping the team combination of the South Africans from having scope to develop, the South African backs would have scored at least three tries but for the fine tackling of W. P. Geen and C. S. Plummer, the Newport wing three-quarter backs, and of H. Wreford, who saved one certain try by just stopping Van Der Hoff on the line. As has been stated, the task of the wings was rendered easier by the "shepherding" of the Newport centres and the way in which the three-quarter back line kept their relative positions. The wings were always able to secure a side tackle."
"J. Stegmann showed more resource and resolution than on any previous occasion, and he led up to the only try by securing the ball in the loose at end of a Newport advance, going straight through in highly opportune fashion and passing to D. Morkel when clear. There were some 20 minutes left for play at this point, and the try was under the posts. Newport had led up to this point by a goal finely dropped by Birt, after passing deliberately designed to give him the chance of which he made such good use. F. Luyt failed with an easy place kick, however, and Newport still led by one point. For nearly ten minutes the South Africans attacked, and rightly ran every risk to secure a lead. Then the Newport forwards broke away, and Birt, getting the ball in the loose, ran straight ahead and then kicked past the South African full-back. There was a scramble for the ball, but Birt regained it and scored a try under the posts, from which he kicked a goal. This was just before no-side, and although the South Africans made desperate efforts to reduce the lead they were never again dangerous, and Newport won a great game by nine points to three."
"There were over 20,000 spectators, and there was naturally a scene of great enthusiasm at the close."
"The teams were:-"
"SOUTH AFRICANS.- J. J. Meintjes (Griqualand West), back; J. Stegmann, R. Luyt, and G. M. Wrentmore (Western Province), and A. Van der Hoff (Transvaal), three-quarter-backs; J. Immelman and F. Luyt (Western Province), half-backs; W. A. Millar (captain) and G. Thompson (Western Province), D. Morkel and A. S. Knight (Transvaal), J. S. Braine, E. Delaney, T. Van Vuuren, and J. D. Luyt (Eastern Province), forwards."
"NEWPORT.- H. Wreford, back; C. S. Plummer, F. W. Birt, J. Wetter, and W. P. Geen, three-quarter-backs; W. J. Martin and T. H. Vile, half-backs; R. Dibble, H. Welter, H. Uzzell, I. Williams, A. Bell, C. A. Anderson, J. Beames, and J. Williams, forwards."
"Referee.- F. C. Potter Irwin."
The excitement of the game is apparent in this account by "Dromio", W. J. Townsend Collins, taken from his book 'Rugby Recollections' published by R. H. Johns, Newport in 1948.
"HOW NEWPORT WON THE SPRINGBOKS HEAD"
"When the South Africans came to Britain in 1912, under the captaincy of W. A. Millar, they brought with them a stuffed Springbok's Head, to be presented to the team who first defeated them. They had the trophy with them at Newport on October 24th: it went no farther, for they were unexpectedly beaten. The South Africans were taller, heavier, stronger, faster; yet they could not win. Why? The result turned on superior tactics and superlative captaincy. Newport, with that brilliant strategist, T. H. Vile, at inside half, with that other great captain, Bob Dibble, leader of the pack, went on the field with a definite policy. They knew they were slower behind and lighter in front, so they laid themselves out to turn to account their own powers and qualities, and to limit the opportunities of their opponents. They did their utmost to prevent the Springboks from gaining possession; and their consistent touch-finding gained ground and conserved the energies of the forwards, who thus were able to bring into play their special qualities - dribbling and following up. The game was exciting from the first moment. Several times the South Africans were only kept out by great tackling; on the other hand, Walter Martin, Newports captain and outside half, burst through once in brilliant style, and a try seemed certain on the left wing; but Fred Birt knocked on. When the Springboks got to the Newport 25 with a rush, Birt and Herbert Wreford drove them back to their 25 with sound kicking. The forwards took a hand from a line-out, and Harry Wetter crossed the line, but was called back - Forward pass! However, this left play near the line; the ball was worked back smartly to Birt in front of the posts, and with a soaring kick he dropped a goal. So just before the interval the home side had a lead of four points. In the second half, Jack Wetter, playing at centre, passed inward when he was expected to pass outward, and the ball went to the ground. Dick Luyt, the hero of the South African team, playing at centre, picked up smartly, ran through, and a couple of transfers left the ball with that big, fast forward, Douglas Morkel. He was clear, and raced in behind the posts. Unaccountably, though the charge was disallowed, Dick Luyt failed to send the ball over the bar, and the one-point lead which should have been South Africas was Newports. The Springboks flung themselves into the game with fire which seemed certain to burn a way through Newports defences. A reverse pass opened an attack on the right; and from Dick Luyt's pass J. Stegmann burst for the corner. He was clear of W. P. Geen, but Wreford went for him, checked him, and forced him against the corner flag - a near thing for the winning try. Once more the Springboks sent the ball out swiftly - this time to the other wing, and the giant Van der Hoff launched his 14 st. 7 Ibs. of bone and muscle for the corner flag. He seemed certain to score, but again Newport's full-back made a tremendous effort, crashed into his man, and just saved a try. Time after time the Springboks attacked. Had Newport wavered, - had a man among them lacked resolution, - their defence would have been pierced. When he found that Newport were like a stone wall, Douglas Morkel tried to get over it - he put up an immensely high kick, and followed up. It looked as if he had done the trick - for Martin failed to catch. But he had prevented the high rebound on which Morkel counted, recovered himself, and saved the situation with a brilliant kick to touch. Newports supporters breathed again. Was Springbok aggression to continue till the end? Was it to be rewarded? Were Newport to be penned down in the danger zone? No, Jack Wetter put in a brilliant burst, and, when expected to pass, put in a twisting cross-punt which turned the ball towards goal. Van der Hoff raced for it, dived for it over the line, missed it, and Birt, who had followed up in great style, fell on the ball. He converted his own try, and Newport led by nine points to three. With five minutes to go, Newport gave nothing away. Twice the Springboks kicked over the line, and minors were conceded. When the ball went to Newport in reply to the drops-out, they kicked to touch. They continued till the end the policy with which they began - they took the safe and easy gains of touch-finding, they deprived the Springboks of opportunities to attack; and so they won a historic game and won the Springbok's Head."
© 2003-2017, Friends of Newport Rugby Trust |
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