Jack Powell (rugby player born 1882)
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Anderson Powell (14 September 1882 - 20 March 1941) was a Welsh
international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Cardiff
and London Welsh. Powell played a single international game for Wales
, in 1906, and faced the Original All Blacks as part of the Glamorgan county team in 1905 and the South African team
as a member of the Cardiff team in 1907.
, Westacott
, Williams
and Pullen. The first half was fairly evenly matched, with Gibbs and Williams providing much of the Glamorgan threat. After the All Blacks scored a try, Glamorgan almost countered with a Gibbs kick-and-rush move, but the move broke down after Powell was knocked out in a 'lively' ruck. The match ended 9-0 to the tourists, Glamorgan's first loss in five years.
Five days after playing for Glamorgan, Powell was in the Cardiff side to face New Zealand again. In an extremely tight encounter, Cardiff lost 10-8, with captain Percy Bush
gifting the All Blacks a try which they converted.
That same season, Powell was selected for his one and only international cap in the final game of the 1906 Home Nations Championship
. Played away from home against Ireland, Powell was one of three new caps brought into the Welsh pack to play in the Championship decider. Despite Wales being unbeaten in their last six encounters, the Irish team gave a remarkable performance to take the match 11-6. Powell was dropped from the Wales squad for the next game and never represented his country again.
Powell continued to turn out for Cardiff and during the 1906/07 season, he again faced international opposition with Cardiff, this time the touring South Africans. The encounter with Cardiff was the South African team's
28th game of the tour, and so far had only lost one game, 6-0 to Scotland. The Springboks had already faced and beaten Wales, Glamorgan, Newport and Llanelli, and the Cardiff game was the last match of the British leg of the tour. In terrible rain-swept conditions, similar to the conditions that lost the South Africa's the game with Scotland, Cardiff scored four tries without reply, winning the game 17-0. Powell played three more seasons with Cardiff, and with a season record of 29 appearances during 1908/09, he saw Cardiff become Welsh Champions.
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...
forward who played club rugby for 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...
and London Welsh. Powell played a single international game 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...
, in 1906, and faced the Original All Blacks as part of the Glamorgan county team in 1905 and the South African team
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
as a member of the Cardiff team in 1907.
Rugby career
Powell first came to note as a rugby player while representing Cardiff. It was while with Cardiff that he obtained his one and only international cap, but before his full Wales cap, he played in two games against international opposition at club and county level. Both matches were against the New Zealand in their first over-seas tour of 1905/06. His first encounter with the "All Blacks" was on 21 December 1905, as part of the Glamorgan County team. Wales had played and narrowly beaten New Zealand just several days before the Glamorgan match, but several members of the Wales team failed to show, as promised, for the county match. Cardiff responded by providing five players, Powell, GibbsReggie Gibbs
Reginald "Reggie" Arthur Gibbs was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Penarth and Cardiff. He was capped 16 times for his country and captained his team on one occasion...
, Westacott
Dai Westacott
David "Dai" Westacott was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff. Westacott played a single international game for Wales, in 1906, and faced the Original All Blacks as part of the Glamorgan county team in 1905.-Rugby career:Westacott first came to note as a...
, Williams
Johnnie Williams
Johnnie Williams was a Welsh international wing who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Club. A three times Triple Crown winner, out of seventeen appearances for Wales he was on the losing side only twice....
and Pullen. The first half was fairly evenly matched, with Gibbs and Williams providing much of the Glamorgan threat. After the All Blacks scored a try, Glamorgan almost countered with a Gibbs kick-and-rush move, but the move broke down after Powell was knocked out in a 'lively' ruck. The match ended 9-0 to the tourists, Glamorgan's first loss in five years.
Five days after playing for Glamorgan, Powell was in the Cardiff side to face New Zealand again. In an extremely tight encounter, Cardiff lost 10-8, with captain 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:...
gifting the All Blacks a try which they converted.
That same season, Powell was selected for his one and only international cap in the final game of the 1906 Home Nations Championship
1906 Home Nations Championship
The 1906 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-fourth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 13 January and 17 March...
. Played away from home against Ireland, Powell was one of three new caps brought into the Welsh pack to play in the Championship decider. Despite Wales being unbeaten in their last six encounters, the Irish team gave a remarkable performance to take the match 11-6. Powell was dropped from the Wales squad for the next game and never represented his country again.
Powell continued to turn out for Cardiff and during the 1906/07 season, he again faced international opposition with Cardiff, this time the touring South Africans. The encounter with Cardiff was the South African team's
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
28th game of the tour, and so far had only lost one game, 6-0 to Scotland. The Springboks had already faced and beaten Wales, Glamorgan, Newport and Llanelli, and the Cardiff game was the last match of the British leg of the tour. In terrible rain-swept conditions, similar to the conditions that lost the South Africa's the game with Scotland, Cardiff scored four tries without reply, winning the game 17-0. Powell played three more seasons with Cardiff, and with a season record of 29 appearances during 1908/09, he saw Cardiff become Welsh Champions.