1980 New Zealand rugby union tour of Wales
Encyclopedia
The 1980 New Zealand tour of Wales was a collection of friendly rugby union
games undertaken by the New Zealand All Blacks
against Wales
that also took in two international games in North America en route to South Wales
. This was a single test tour against each of the countries played, with four games against Welsh club opposition.
Although the games were played within a tight schedule, the All Blacks were victorious in all seven matches. New Zealand scored 32 tries for and only conceding 2 against, for a total points tally of 197 to 41 over the entire tour.
This match is often remembered for a controversial refereeing decision by Scottish referee Allan Howie. Towards the end of the game, with the match still in the balance, Howie appeared to send off
the All Black lock, Graeme Higginson, only for a group of Llanelli players, led by Phil Bennett
to challenge the referee over the action. Higginson was allowed to stay on the field with Howie stating later that there was no sending off, and he had only giving Higginson a warning.
----
would continue until the final whistle. The fact that roughly 85% of the match was played in the Welsh half of the field correlates with the final score and the four tries from New Zealand that were without a Welsh reply. The defeat would have been far heavier, but Rollerson managed to convert only three of nine attempts at goal.
From this match only three Welsh players emerged with any credit. Full back J.P.R. Williams, scrum half Terry Holmes
and on the wing 19 year old Robert Ackerman
, whose excellent covering play of Stu Wilson
earned him a standing ovation when he left the field with an injury before the final whistle.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
games undertaken by the New Zealand All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
that also took in two international games in North America en route to South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. This was a single test tour against each of the countries played, with four games against Welsh club opposition.
Although the games were played within a tight schedule, the All Blacks were victorious in all seven matches. New Zealand scored 32 tries for and only conceding 2 against, for a total points tally of 197 to 41 over the entire tour.
Results
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | 8 October | U.S.A. United States national rugby union team USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position... |
San Diego Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... , San Diego |
Won | 6-53 |
| Match 2 | 11 October | Canada Canada national rugby union team The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the... |
Swangard Stadium Swangard Stadium Swangard Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. Primarily used for soccer, football, and athletics, the stadium is home to the Simon Fraser Clan football team. The stadium was home to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the NASL... , Burnaby |
Won | 10-43 |
| Match 3 | 18 October | Cardiff Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since... |
Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
Won | 9-16 |
| Match 4 | 21 October | Llanelli Llanelli RFC Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent... |
Stradey Park Stradey Park Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800... , Llanelli Llanelli Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby... |
Won | 10–16 |
| Match 5 | 25 October | Swansea Swansea RFC Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip... |
St Helens St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display.-History:Since the ground opened in... , Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
Won | 0-32 |
| Match 6 | 28 October | Newport | Rodney Parade Rodney Parade Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:... , Newport Newport Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent... |
Won | 3–14 |
| Match 7 | 1 November | Wales Wales national rugby union team The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with... |
Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
Won | 3-23 |
Touring party
- Manager: R.A. Harper
- Assistant Manager: E.A. Watson
- Captain: Graham MourieGraham MourieGraham Neil Kenneth Mourie is a former New Zealand All Black flanker and coach of the Hurricanes. He was one of the great All Black Captains in the late 70s and early 80s...
(Taranaki)
Full Backs
- B.W. Codlin (Counties)
- D.L. Rollerson (Manawatu)
Three-Quarters
- Bernie Fraser (Wellington)
- B.J. Robertson (Counties)
- Stu WilsonStu WilsonStu Wilson is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played for Wellington and New Zealand, captaining national team in the 1983 tour of England and Scotland....
(Wellington) - F. Woodman (North Auckland)
Five Eighths
- Nicky AllenNicky AllenNicholas Houghton Allen . He played nine matches including two tests for the All Blacks in 1980. He died from head injuries in rugby match in 1984.-External links:...
(Counties) - W.M. Osbourne (Wanganui)
- M.B. Taylor (Waikato)
Scrum Halves
- M.W. Donaldson (Manawatu)
- Dave LoveridgeDave LoveridgeDavid Steven “Trapper” Loveridge was an All Black great of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known in his time as the greatest halfback in the world .-Life & Career:...
(Taranaki)
Forwards
- J.C. Ashworth (Canterbury)
- Andy DaltonAndy DaltonAndrew Grant Dalton is an ex-All Blacks rugby union player who captained the side 17 times in tests...
(Counties) - Andy HadenAndy HadenAndrew Maxwell Haden is a former New Zealand rugby union player, who was a lock-forward for Auckland and New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s.-Life and career:...
(Auckland) - G. Higginson (Canterbury)
- G.R. Hines (Waikato)
- R.C. Ketels (Counties)
- G.A. Knight (Manawatu)
- Murray MextedMurray MextedMurray Graham Mexted is a New Zealand rugby union player who played 34 tests for the All Blacks from 1979 to 1983. He also played 38 non-test game including 7 as captain. During his time with the All Blacks, he wore the Number eight jersey and was considered an excellent ball winner and an...
(Wellington) - Graham MourieGraham MourieGraham Neil Kenneth Mourie is a former New Zealand All Black flanker and coach of the Hurricanes. He was one of the great All Black Captains in the late 70s and early 80s...
(Taranaki) - G.H. Old (Manawatu)
- Frank OliverFrank Oliver (rugby player)Francis James "Frank" Oliver was a New Zealand rugby union player. He was born in Dunedin on December 24, 1948, making his provincial debut for Southland in 1969. He later also played for Otago and Manawatu....
(Manawatu) - H.R. Reid (Bay of Plenty)
- Mark ShawMark Shaw (rugby player)Mark William Shaw is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who represented Manawatu, Hawke's Bay and the All Blacks.Shaw was appointed as an All Black selector in 2002.-References:...
(Manawatu) - J.E. Spiers (Counties)
U.S.A.
----Canada
----Cardiff RFC
----Llanelli RFC
Like the game played three days earlier against Cardiff, Llanelli proved tough opposition for the touring New Zealand side. Of the seven games played during the tour this was the closest in score, with only a six point margin and at half time Llanelli were actually 10-3 ahead.This match is often remembered for a controversial refereeing decision by Scottish referee Allan Howie. Towards the end of the game, with the match still in the balance, Howie appeared to send off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
the All Black lock, Graeme Higginson, only for a group of Llanelli players, led by Phil Bennett
Phil Bennett
Phillip Bennett was a Welsh international rugby union fly half from 1969 to 1978. His flair and range of tricks, including his famous sidestep and swerve, meant he was a firm favourite with crowds.-Rugby career:...
to challenge the referee over the action. Higginson was allowed to stay on the field with Howie stating later that there was no sending off, and he had only giving Higginson a warning.
----
Swansea RFC
----Newport RFC
----Wales
The All Blacks returned to the Cardiff Arms Park in the final game of the tour and quickly showed a dominance of the game thatwould continue until the final whistle. The fact that roughly 85% of the match was played in the Welsh half of the field correlates with the final score and the four tries from New Zealand that were without a Welsh reply. The defeat would have been far heavier, but Rollerson managed to convert only three of nine attempts at goal.
From this match only three Welsh players emerged with any credit. Full back J.P.R. Williams, scrum half Terry Holmes
Terry Holmes
Terence David Holmes is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who won 25 caps for as a scrum-half and later played rugby league for Bradford Northern....
and on the wing 19 year old Robert Ackerman
Robert Ackerman
Robert Angus Ackerman is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer. In 1983 he toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions whilst playing for London Welsh RFC. A centre, he also played club rugby for Newport RFC...
, whose excellent covering play of Stu Wilson
Stu Wilson
Stu Wilson is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played for Wellington and New Zealand, captaining national team in the 1983 tour of England and Scotland....
earned him a standing ovation when he left the field with an injury before the final whistle.