THE FAMOUS TRY AT CARDIFF IN 1905: INCIDENT RECALLED

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 August 1950, Page 2

THE FAMOUS TRY AT CARDIFF IN 1905: INCIDENT RECALLED

The fact that it has become a matter Of Rugby history, and that individual New Zealanders, soldiers, members of All Black sides have constantly been shown the spot where Bob Deans crossed the Welsh line in Cardiff in 1905 is probably the best answer to the Question? Was it a try or not? writes W. J. Wallace, a member of the famous All Black side. That match stands out in my mind as the most notable I ever played in. When Teddy Morgan scored his team’s only try, the demonstration was the most astonishing I ever saw on a field of sport. The people, 45,000 of them, stood up and waved everything they had. Wales was still leading by 3-0 toward the end of the game. We were about our twenty-five. From a ruck the ball came out the side. A Welsh forward kicked it past our half, Freddie Roberts. I was on the left touch-line close at hand. I picked the ball up and yan straight across the field toward Bob Deans at centre,

cutting the Welsh forwards out. Nicholls, the Welsh centre, was marking Deans, so I stopped dead, and cut in between Nicholls and his inside back. I started straight down the centre of the field. The Welsh full-back was standing in front of me. I heard Bob Deans call out “Bill! Bill!” for the pass. He was beside me, and as I reached the full-back I passed the ball. Bob had a clear run in at a handy position to the posts. Morgan came in from his wing to save, and as Deans fell over the line Morgan fell over him. In the meantime, the forwards came up and embraced Bob, who had get off the ball. The Welsh half by this time had picked up the ball. The referee, who had been left stranded by ,the movement, saw the Welsh half with the ball, and gave “No try lO yards scrum.” You could have heard a pin drop among the crowd. The silence of those who had seen the whole movement was like one of dosth ' / As far as we were concerned the referee’s ruling was immediately accepted. We dismissed the matter and got on with the game. When the 1924 All Blacks were in Cardiff, the captain, Cliff Porter, sat beside Dr Teddy Morgan, who asked Cliff if he knew “Carbine.”

Cliff said, “Carbine? Never heard of him.” “Oh, that’s Billy Wallace’s nickname,” said the Welshman. Then Cliff asked about the famous “try.” The former Welsh player not only vowed that Deans did score, but he wrote on the menu card, “Deans did score a try in 1905,” and signed it. Porter sent that memento to me and I have it to this day.