What they witnessed would have shaken them rigid because it had never been seen before: a Welshman, born and bred in Cardiff, tearing up the All Blacks for England. In doing so, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 'Manny' to his mates, provided damning evidence that Wales have lost rather more than too many matches.
The number had risen to nine within a few hours of the Red Rose convert giving New Zealand both barrels, long enough for those hitherto unaware of his explosive ability to ask how it came to this; that a boy introduced to the game at Corpus Christi School in Cardiff in tandem with one of the capital's junior clubs, Rumney RFC, felt more at home with England.
That he happens to be a specialist outside centre, a position where Wales have suffered from a chronic shortage of contenders in the years since Jonathan 'Fox' Davies at his peak, makes 'Manny's' exit all the more galling.
That would still be so had Wales maintained a lengthy winning streak in Melbourne yesterday instead of extending their losing one beyond another overgrown milestone. Nine in a row, one more than under Warren Gatland in 2012-13, adds up to the longest for 21 years, since Steve Hansen reached double figures from which he recovered to win successive World Cups.
Fiji are next up for Wales in November followed by two more home matches against the Wallabies and Springboks, then a continental start to the Six Nations, France in Paris, Italy in Rome. Despite Fiji displacing them in the world's top ten, Wales will be expected to beat them at home but then they said that of Italy at the end of the Six Nations and look what happened.
Denne historien er fra July 14, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra July 14, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Hard to pin the blame on unions
AS IF things in the game aren’t bad enough, the BBC’s Rugby On Trial shown on Monday looks set to impact on the number of new and current players across the game.
I couldn't let my old club go to the wall
I’M Hartlepool born and bred and grew up on a council estate three-quarters of a mile from West’s old ground, Brierton Lane.
Barnes treble helps TJs to dominate Dorking
AN excellent opening-day performance from Tonbridge Juddians saw them dominate a Dorking side who had finished third for the previous two seasons.
Cozens can see selection headaches on Clifton horizon
PLAYER-COACH Luke Cozens has had to make way for Clifton’s new batch of fly-halves who aim to provide a fast, exciting brand of rugby at Station Road this season.
Anderson steps up to secure top draw
CLIFTON produced a brilliant second-half performance to stun Exeter University after they came from behind to earn a draw at the Topsham Sports Ground.
'Full circle' moment for Hayes with Chester gig
RHYS Hayes has hung up his boots and entered the coaching world aiming to take “sleeping giant” Chester back to National One.
Sheffield's Posa is left proud as punch
SHEFFIELD head coach Anthony Posa was a happy man as his side kicked off the campaign with a six-try bonus-point victory over Fylde yesterday afternoon.
Richmond's defensive efforts deny Club joy
A CONTROLLED and clinical performance from Richmond who, despite a couple of moments of excellence from Blackheath midway through each half, were able to stretch to a relatively comfortable victory in this latest installment of the oldest fixture in club rugby.
Nucifora shows the way forward
THE 1991 edition of the Rugby Annual for Wales has long been a collector’s item.
Time we stopped indulging the haka
THERE is so much disingenuous hypocritical twaddle surrounding the Hollywood production that has become the modern-day New Zealand haka that in some ways I am reluctant to raise the subject again.
