St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future
Eight
Transcript:
This is part 8, and the penultimate part to the audio trail following the career of Mervyn Davies. In the previous part we explored Mervyn’s international records with the other home nations, Scotland, Ireland and England, having explored Mervyn’s time playing for the Welsh side specifically in part two of this trail. In this part, we dial back the clock once again for a brief return to one of Mervyn Davies’ earliest internationals - against Australia in 1969.
This jersey was worn by Wallabies’ number 8, Alan Skinner. This 1969 game, that ended 19 to 16 to Wales, is remembered for its less than neutral refereeing of Australian Craig Ferguson who awarded a controversial last minute try and then a penalty that would have drawn the match. The kick however was missed, and so Wales came away with the win. After the game Mervyn swapped his jersey with Skinner’s, allowing us to display this jersey today.
The jersey itself is yellow, traditionally referred to as ‘gold’, with a stylistic choice of some clear zig zagging stitch lines all across the upper torso, front and back. These stitches are also even clearer across the green number 8 on the jersey's rear. On the breast is the Australian Rugby Union badge, a green shield with a yellow border, defined and separate from the rest of the yellow jersey. Within the badge is the Australian coat of arms, and the text, ‘Rugby 1969’, allowing us to exactly locate the game this jersey was exchanged after.
The rest of Mervyn Davies’ international record against Australia would see him play them twice more after the 1969 match, once in 1973 and again in 1975. Both games were played in Cardiff, with each being a win, 24 to 0 and 28 to 3 respectively. Both games less close than the first in 1969, and with less room for controversy. So Mervyn was never on the losing side for Wales against the Wallabies and lost just one of his two club encounters with them – in 1975, a proud record.
The following final part to this trail explores Mervyn’s final international in 1976, through a French jersey originating from a match the year prior. Please don’t forget to click next to follow on to the end.