Overview

As well as a summary of the action as it happened in each match, this book includes a wealth of other essential information: the date of the match, the venue, full details of both teams and replacements (including which clubs they played for), who scored what (tries, conversions, penalties, drop goals), and the referee.

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9781847713568

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In the year of the seventh quadrennial rugby world cup, a revised and updated version of Howard Evans's Welsh International Matches is a welcome addition to our bookshelves. Evans's previous edition covered the period up to 1999, and it is surprising to discover that an additional 133 matches have been played since that date. As acknowledged by the author, the late John Billot (d. 1999), sports editor of the Western Mail and author of History of Welsh International Rugby, first published in 1970, provided the main inspiration for this work, which he revised in 1971 (following Waless Grand Slam season) and again in 1999. In essence both Billot and Evans provide a chronological listing of all games played by Wales since the first game (match 1) held on Mr Richardson's Field, Blackheath in 1881 a contest comfortably won by England. The first international game on Welsh soil (match 3) was held in the following year at St. Helen's, Swansea, with England again emerging victorious. Since those initial games Wales has played a total of 621 international matches, up to and including the defeat in Paris in March 2011. Interestingly, it took 94 years to play the first 310 matches, but only 36 years to play the remaining 311, which reflects the way in which the game has grown and spread from its traditional bases in Europe, South Africa, and the Anzac countries. The advent of the world cup in 1987 further popularised the game, and the gradually improved performances of many of the so-called lesser nations of Argentina, Canada, Fiji, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Namibia, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Tonga and the United States bode well for its future development as a global sport. Each of the 621 matches is recorded in a similar and consistent manner, with each game accorded equal treatment regardless of its historic significance. The date, location and result of each match is noted, and a brief paragraph records the main highlights of the contest. In addition, the players names and club teams are recorded for both participating nations, and the referee's name and country of origin is also provided. Sixteen pages of illustrations some in colour), add value to the volume. Evanss achievement is notable, and the work will again need to be updated in a relatively short time if it is to remain a current source of reference. In his previous edition, the author also added a statistical and chronological collocation of the results, which enabled the reader to evaluate how Wales had performed against all its opponents. Hopefully, this feature can be reinstated in any revised edition as it considerably enhances the usefulness of what is now the authoritative work of reference on Welsh international rugby matches. Richard E. Huws It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council

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