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BIG MATCH PREVIEW - |
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by Joe Heaton |
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Saturday 1st March 2008 kick-off 3pm (but come for
lunch!) |
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In the 1970s it was said of London Welsh that all the club had to do to recruit high class players was to go down to Paddington Station every September and meet the trains from the Principality bringing young rugby players who had just arrived in London to study medicine or enrol on teacher training courses! London Welsh, founded in 1885, for London’s Welsh community, is a club with a famous history. The club’s ground is in Old Deer Park, in Richmond, near to Kew Gardens. Moseley and London Welsh first played each other on November 21st 1925 and since the Leagues started in 1988-89 Moseley have won five games and the Welsh seven. The Welsh have been in National Division 1 since it started in 2000-01, having risen to the old Courage league 2 in 1998-99 after suffering the ignominy of a drop to Courage 5 (South). Like Moseley they are a semi-professional side which makes use of loan players when the inevitable injuries arise. However the London club’s recent record in Division 1 is somewhat better than that of the Birmingham one i.e. 00-01 6th; 01-02 5th; 02-03 5th; 03-04 8th; 04-05 12th; 05-06 12th and 06-07 12th. Over the years the Welsh have contributed 177 players to the Welsh National XV, notably, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, John Dawes, John Taylor and the great J.P.R. Williams but this has come to an end since Wales moved to home based regional teams, from which their international players are now invariably selected. A hotly debated issue at Old Deer Park is to whether the club should turn its back on the English leagues and seek to become an extra Welsh team in the Magners League. The present official position is that this would only be considered if the Premiership decided to prohibit promotion/relegation. The Welsh, like Moseley, have worked hard to retain the amateur ethos of enjoying a game and a pint on a Saturday. The club runs several sides and there is also a vibrant social section which attracts many Welsh men and women who live and work in west London and who may not necessarily be followers of rugby. The most famous member was the film star Richard Burton, who was often accompanied by his wife, Elisabeth Taylor. The reserved seats they used to sit on are now considered to be one of the club’s heirlooms! London Welsh currently occupies 9th place in National league One, a place above Moseley, but having played one more game. Both clubs have ambitions of finishing in the top half of the table so it should be a lively encounter. The result of this return match, however, is unlikely to be as wide as the encounter last October which Moseley won 40-10, one of the club’s best ever away victories. The results of London Welsh’s last four league games were: 27th January A v Nottingham L 6 - 34 9th February H v Exeter L 12- 31 16th February H v Launceston W 38 - 0 23rd February A v Newbury W 20-12 We particularly welcome those Birmingham Welsh exiles who have made a special effort to get to this match to watch and hope they will enjoy the splendid facilities here at Billesley. |
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