Ernie Finch
Encyclopedia
Ernie Finch was a Welsh
international rugby union
wing and played club rugby for Llanelli
and county rugby for the Western Counties. Finch is most notable as the player who scored an excellent solo try against the 1924 touring New Zealand 'Invincibles' in their match against Llanelli.
Born Ernest Finch in Pembroke Dock
to Abram and Emily Finch. His father was a retired police officer who upon moving to Wales and marrying Emily, his second wife, became a school board attendance monitor.
in the late game of the 1924 Five Nations Championship
in an away game to France. Although Wales won, it was a messy Welsh performance caused by the decision of the Welsh Rugby Union
officials to suspend Welsh player Ossie Male
on the trip to Paris. The squad was thrown into turmoil, with several players being forced into unfamiliar positions. Finch managed to get his name on the scoreboard during the game when he scored one of two Welsh tries
.
Finch was re-selected for the next Welsh international, this time against the touring New Zealand team
. Wales were completely outclassed and lost the game 19-0, and Finch would face the All Blacks just four days later as his Llanelli team played host to the tourists. The New Zealanders faced far stiffer opposition as Llanelli went on the offensive. The forwards tackled with ferocity and Llanelli may have won with better kicking accuracy. In the match, Finch scored Llanelli's only points with a memorable solo try. Finch took a quick line-out, took the returning ball and left Hart flat-footed as he sped past him. With the try line in sight the only All Black defender was George Nepia
. As Nepia closed in, Finch stopped dead, Nepia paused and then threw a tackle which Finch dodged, leaving him a clear try line to score over.
Finch was back in the Welsh squad in 1925 when he again faced France in the Five Nations Championship
, this time in Wales at the Cardiff Arms Park
. It was a more convincing Welsh performance and Finch scored two tries in an 11-5 victory. Finch held onto his place for the season's final Welsh international against Ireland, but found himself on the losing side against an impressive Irish team. In 1926 he played just one match, as part of Bobby Delahay
's Welsh team to France, which Wales were narrow victors.
Finch missed all off the 1927 Championship for Wales, but was selected to face the touring Waratahs towards the end of the season; and although Wales lost, Finch managed his fourth and final international try for his country. Finch's final game for his country was in 1928 in Paris and it saw the first Welsh defeat by the French team. Five players from the game never represented their country again, and Finch was one of them.
1927 1924
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 rugby union
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...
wing and played club rugby for 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...
and county rugby for the Western Counties. Finch is most notable as the player who scored an excellent solo try against the 1924 touring New Zealand 'Invincibles' in their match against Llanelli.
Born Ernest Finch in Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
to Abram and Emily Finch. His father was a retired police officer who upon moving to Wales and marrying Emily, his second wife, became a school board attendance monitor.
Rugby career
Finch first played senior rugby for local team Pembroke Dock Harlequins before moving to first class team Llanelli in 1922. Finch was first selected for WalesWales 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...
in the late game of the 1924 Five Nations Championship
1924 Five Nations Championship
The 1924 Five Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-seventh series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
in an away game to France. Although Wales won, it was a messy Welsh performance caused by the decision 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...
officials to suspend Welsh player Ossie Male
Ossie Male
Ossie Male was a Welsh international full back who played club rugby for Cardiff and was capped 11 times for Wales and captained his country on three occasions. In 1924, Male was at the centre of an embarrassing decision made by the Welsh Rugby Union that prevented him facing the French rugby team...
on the trip to Paris. The squad was thrown into turmoil, with several players being forced into unfamiliar positions. Finch managed to get his name on the scoreboard during the game when he scored one of two Welsh tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
.
Finch was re-selected for the next Welsh international, this time against the touring New Zealand team
The Invincibles (rugby union)
The Invincibles was a nickname given to the 1924-25 New Zealand rugby union team which toured the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Canada. The team was captained by Cliff Porter, and numbered among its top players George Nepia and brothers Cyril and Maurice Brownlie.Between September 1924 and...
. Wales were completely outclassed and lost the game 19-0, and Finch would face the All Blacks just four days later as his Llanelli team played host to the tourists. The New Zealanders faced far stiffer opposition as Llanelli went on the offensive. The forwards tackled with ferocity and Llanelli may have won with better kicking accuracy. In the match, Finch scored Llanelli's only points with a memorable solo try. Finch took a quick line-out, took the returning ball and left Hart flat-footed as he sped past him. With the try line in sight the only All Black defender was George Nepia
George Nepia
George Nepia was a Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the New Zealand's Top...
. As Nepia closed in, Finch stopped dead, Nepia paused and then threw a tackle which Finch dodged, leaving him a clear try line to score over.
Finch was back in the Welsh squad in 1925 when he again faced France in the Five Nations Championship
1925 Five Nations Championship
The 1925 Five Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-eighth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, this time in Wales at the 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...
. It was a more convincing Welsh performance and Finch scored two tries in an 11-5 victory. Finch held onto his place for the season's final Welsh international against Ireland, but found himself on the losing side against an impressive Irish team. In 1926 he played just one match, as part of Bobby Delahay
Bobby Delahay
William James 'Bobby' Delahay was a Welsh international rugby union who played club rugby for Bridgend and Cardiff...
's Welsh team to France, which Wales were narrow victors.
Finch missed all off the 1927 Championship for Wales, but was selected to face the touring Waratahs towards the end of the season; and although Wales lost, Finch managed his fourth and final international try for his country. Finch's final game for his country was in 1928 in Paris and it saw the first Welsh defeat by the French team. Five players from the game never represented their country again, and Finch was one of them.
International matches played
Wales 1924, 1925, 1926 1925, 1928 New South Wales WaratahsNew South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
1927 1924