Dicky Owen
Encyclopedia
Dicky Owen was a Welsh
international scrum-half who played club rugby for Swansea RFC
Owen is seen as one of the greatest Welsh scrum-halves and won 35 caps for Wales
between 1901 and 1912, a record that was unbeaten until 1955 when Ken Jones surpassed him.
winning teams and along with Gareth Edwards
and Haydn Tanner
is seen as the greatest scrum-half produced by Wales.
Owen was an innovative rugby player, continually attempting to devise new tactics and moves. He is recognised as a developer of feint attacks and realised the influence of a scrum-half linking with wing-forwards in attacking moves. He is also noted for his swift distribution play, which some fly-halves, especially Percy Bush
found difficult to adapt to. Speaking in 1927, Owen explained his philosophy on scrum-half play:
An example of Owen's tactical mind was seen in one of his early international matches against England in 1902. Wales were behind in the game with little time remaining when Owen tricked his opposite number, Bernard Oughtred
, into an off-side tackle near the English posts. With the Welsh in charge of the scrum on the English '25', Owen told his forwards, in Welsh
, to keep hold of the ball, while Owen bent down and pretended to collect it. Oughtred came around the scrum to tackle Owen and finding the Welshman empty handed was penalised for being off-side. John Strand-Jones
kicked the penalty, allowing Wales to win 9-8.
On January 9, 1904 Wales again faced England during the Home Nations Championship
. The referee for that match was a Mr. Findlay of the Scottish Rugby Union
, whose interpretation of the rules was so confusing the Welsh players gave away eleven penalties, seven within goal range, before the first half. Owen decided that rather than give any further dubious penalties away, he allowed his English counterpart to put the ball into scrums even when it was a Welsh put-in.
at half-back; known as the 'Dancing Dicks', they were used to devastating effect as they combined their half-back play with running three-quarters. Owen spent 14 years with the club until 1913, and captained Swansea during the 1911–12 season.
Owen was first capped for his country in a winning game against Ireland on March 16, 1901, a match notable for also seeing the international debut of Rhys Gabe
. Owen's longevity as an international rugby player is quite surprising considering his slight build and the want of the Welsh Rugby Union
selection committee to chop and change the formation of the national side at will. Owen was seen as a first choice by the selectors, and his ability to play with numerous differing partners kept him in the side.
Although Owen won five Triple Crowns and captained Wales on three occasions, he is most remembered as a member of the historic Welsh team that beat the original All Blacks during the New Zealand tour of Britain in 1905. During the match against the All Blacks, Owen bravely supported his seven forwards but took a heavy pounding from the New Zealand pack resulting in Owen receiving a cracked rib. Later in the match Owen would be recognised as the orchestrator of the move that led to Teddy Morgan
scoring the only and winning try.
International matches played 1908 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1911 1905 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912 1906
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international scrum-half who played club rugby for Swansea RFC
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...
Owen is seen as one of the greatest Welsh scrum-halves and won 35 caps for 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...
between 1901 and 1912, a record that was unbeaten until 1955 when Ken Jones surpassed him.
Influence in rugby
Born Richard Morgan Owens in 1876, "Dicky" Owen was one of the great players of Wales' first Golden Era of rugby. He played in five Triple CrownTriple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
winning teams and along with Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwards
Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey"....
and Haydn Tanner
Haydn Tanner
Haydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union player who also played for the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians....
is seen as the greatest scrum-half produced by Wales.
Owen was an innovative rugby player, continually attempting to devise new tactics and moves. He is recognised as a developer of feint attacks and realised the influence of a scrum-half linking with wing-forwards in attacking moves. He is also noted for his swift distribution play, which some fly-halves, especially Percy Bush
Percy Bush
Percy Frank Bush was a Welsh rugby union player who played international rugby for Wales on eight occasions. Playing at fly-half, Bush is regarded as one of the most talented Welsh players before the first World War.-Rugby career:...
found difficult to adapt to. Speaking in 1927, Owen explained his philosophy on scrum-half play:
An example of Owen's tactical mind was seen in one of his early international matches against England in 1902. Wales were behind in the game with little time remaining when Owen tricked his opposite number, Bernard Oughtred
Bernard Oughtred
Bernard Oughtred was a rugby union international who represented England from 1901 to 1903. He also captained his country.-Rugby union career:...
, into an off-side tackle near the English posts. With the Welsh in charge of the scrum on the English '25', Owen told his forwards, in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, to keep hold of the ball, while Owen bent down and pretended to collect it. Oughtred came around the scrum to tackle Owen and finding the Welshman empty handed was penalised for being off-side. John Strand-Jones
John Strand-Jones
John Strand-Jones was a Welsh rugby union player, who represented the Wales national rugby union team on five occasions in 1902 and 1903.-Life:...
kicked the penalty, allowing Wales to win 9-8.
On January 9, 1904 Wales again faced England during the Home Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
. The referee for that match was a Mr. Findlay of the Scottish Rugby Union
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
, whose interpretation of the rules was so confusing the Welsh players gave away eleven penalties, seven within goal range, before the first half. Owen decided that rather than give any further dubious penalties away, he allowed his English counterpart to put the ball into scrums even when it was a Welsh put-in.
Club career
Owen first played rugby with the town team, Hafod Rovers, before moving to Swansea Rugby Club in 1899. Owen played his club rugby partnered with Dick JonesDick Jones (rugby player)
Richard Hughes "Dick" Jones was a Welsh international fly-half who played club rugby for Swansea Rugby Club. He won 15 caps for Wales and played county rugby for Glamorgan.-Rugby career:...
at half-back; known as the 'Dancing Dicks', they were used to devastating effect as they combined their half-back play with running three-quarters. Owen spent 14 years with the club until 1913, and captained Swansea during the 1911–12 season.
International career
Rhys Gabe
Rhys Thomas "Rusty" Gabe born as Rees Thomas Gape, was a Welsh rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli, London Welsh and Cardiff and gained 24 caps for Wales, mainly as a centre.-Rugby career:...
. Owen's longevity as an international rugby player is quite surprising considering his slight build and the want of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
selection committee to chop and change the formation of the national side at will. Owen was seen as a first choice by the selectors, and his ability to play with numerous differing partners kept him in the side.
Although Owen won five Triple Crowns and captained Wales on three occasions, he is most remembered as a member of the historic Welsh team that beat the original All Blacks during the New Zealand tour of Britain in 1905. During the match against the All Blacks, Owen bravely supported his seven forwards but took a heavy pounding from the New Zealand pack resulting in Owen receiving a cracked rib. Later in the match Owen would be recognised as the orchestrator of the move that led to Teddy Morgan
Teddy Morgan
Edward "Teddy" Morgan was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the winning Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks and is remembered for scoring the winning try...
scoring the only and winning try.
International matches played 1908 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1911 1905 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912 1906