1980 New Zealand rugby union tour of Wales

The 1980 New Zealand tour of Wales was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the New Zealand All Blacks against Wales that also took in two international games in North America en route to South Wales. This was a single test tour against each of the countries played, with four games against Welsh club opposition.

Although the games were played within a tight schedule, the All Blacks were victorious in all seven matches. New Zealand scored 32 tries for and only conceding 2 against, for a total points tally of 197 to 41 over the entire tour.

Results

Touring Party

*Manager: R.A. Harper
*Assistant Manager: E.A. Watson
*Captain: Graham Mourie (Taranaki)

Full Backs

*B.W. Codlin (Counties)
*D.L. Rollerson (Manawatu)

Three-Quarters

*Bernie Fraser (Wellington)
*B.J. Robertson (Counties)
*Stu Wilson (Wellington)
*F. Woodman (North Aukland)

Five Eighths

*Nicky Allen (Counties)
*W.M. Osbourne (Wanganui)
*M.B. Taylor (Waikato)

Scrum Halves

*M.W. Donaldson (Manawatu)
*Dave Loveridge (Taranaki)

Forwards

*J.C. Ashworth (Canterbury)
*Andy Dalton (Counties)
*Andy Haden (Aukland)
*G. Higginson (Canterbury)
*G.R. Hines (Waikato)
*R.C. Ketels (Counties)
*G.A. Knight (Manawatu)
*Murray Mexted (Wellington)
*Graham Mourie (Taranaki)
*G.H. Old (Manawatu)
*Frank Oliver (Manawatu)
*H.R. Reid (Bay of Plenty)
*Mark Shaw (Manawatu)
*J.E. Spiers (Counties)

The matches

U.S.A.

rugbybox
date = October 8
home = flagicon|USA United States
score = 6 – 53
away = ru|NZL
homescore = Pen: Cooke (2)
awayscore = Try: Woodman (3)
Osbourne (2)
Wilson
Allen
Old
Con: Codlin (6)
Pen: Codlin (3)
stadium = San Diego Stadium
attendance = 10,000
referee = I Nixon flagicon|USA(United States) ----

Canada

rugbybox
date = October 11
home = ru|CAN
score = 10 – 43
away = ru|NZL
homescore = Try: Bibby
Pen:Schiefler (2)
awayscore = Try: Shaw (3)
Mourie
Haden
Osbourne
Wilson
Fraser
Con: Rollerson (4)
Pen: Rollerson
stadium = Swangard Stadium
attendance = 10,000
referee = C Thomas ru|WAL ----

Cardiff RFC

rugbybox
date = October 18
home = Cardiff RFC
score = 9 – 16
away = ru|NZL
homescore = Pen:Davies (2)
Drop:Davies
awayscore = Try: Fraser
Woodman
Con: Codlin
Pen: Codlin
Drop:Allen
stadium = Cardiff Arms Park
attendance = 25,000
referee = F Palmade ru|FRA ----

Llanelli RFC

rugbybox
date = October 21
home = Llanelli RFC
score = 10 – 16
away = ru|NZL
homescore = Try Jones
Pen:Bennett
Drop: Gravelle
awayscore = Try: Rollerson
Robertson
Con: Rollerson
Pen: Rollerson
Drop:Taylor
stadium = Stradey Park
attendance = 20,000
referee = A.M. Hosie ru|SCO

Like the game played three days earlier against Cardiff, Llanelli proved tough opposition for the touring New Zealand side. Of the seven games played during the tour this was the closest in score, with only a six point margin and at half time Llanelli were actually 10-3 ahead.

This match is often remembered for a controversial refereeing decision by Scottish referee Allan Howie. Towards the end of the game, with the match still in the balance, Howie appeared to send off the All Black lock, Graeme Higginson, only for a group of Llanelli players, lead by Phil Bennett to challenge the referee over the action. Higginson was allowed to stay on the field with Howie stating later that there was no sending off, and he had only giving Higginson a warning.----

wansea RFC

rugbybox
date = October 25
home = Swansea RFC
score = 0 – 32
away = ru|NZL
homescore =
awayscore = Try: Higginson
Shaw
Loveridge
Fraser
Wilson (2)
Con: Rollerson
Pen: Rollerson (2)
stadium = St Helens
attendance = 28,000
referee = J.R. West ru|IRE ----

Newport RFC

rugbybox
date = October 28
home = Newport RFC
score = 3 – 14
away = ru|NZL
homescore = Pen: Bolland
awayscore = Try: Shaw
Wilson
Pen: Coldin (2)
stadium = Rodney Parade
attendance = unknown
referee = A Welsby ru|ENG ----

Wales

rugbybox
date = November 1
home = ru|WAL
score = 3 – 23
away = ru|NZL
homescore = Pen: Fenwick
awayscore = Try: Mourie
Allen
Fraser
Reid
Con: Rollerson (2)
Pen: Rollerson
stadium = Cardiff Arms Park
attendance = 55,000
referee = J.R. West ru|IRE

The All Blacks returned to the Cardiff Arms Park in the final game of the tour and quickly showed a dominance of the game that would continue until the final whistle. The fact that roughly 85% of the match was played in the Welsh half of the field correlates with the final score and the four tries from New Zealand that were without a Welsh reply. The defeat would have been far heavier, but Rollerson managed to convert only three of nine attempts at goal.

From this match only three Welsh players emerged with any credit. Full back J.P.R. Williams, scrum half Terry Holmes and on the wing 19 year old Robert Ackerman, whose excellent covering play of Stu Wilson earned him a standing ovation when he left the field with an injury before the final whistle. [Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1981-82 Vivian Jenkins (1982) pg 42 ISBN 090757405X]

Tour Box

References