LLanelli9 New Zealand3

40 years ago today, a famous victory at the old Stradey Park, Llanelli when Llanelli beat the All Blacks. Could this happen again? Could any region or club ever compete with a major national side?

The Ospreys second team did beat the Australian second team a few seasons back.

Yes definatley like when leicester beat the springboks a couple of years ago. A full strength international team going full steam ahead against a club side is going to be a very hard animal to beat. However against club sides international teams usually try out a few new players and combinations and probably go into the match a bit more complacent. Alot of top club teams have international players from 1-15 with a mercenary team like Toulon probably being able to hold their own against most international teams given the quality they have (hayman, sheridan, jenkins, botha,Roussow, van niekerk, Lobbe, masoe, armitage, mermoz, wilkinson, michalak, giteau, Armitage etc etc.

As far as the celtic league im not as well versed but in seasons past leinster, munster or ospreys have had teams which could probably cut the mustard against international sides.

You never capitalised on the win properly, like did England with 1966.

Munster have songs, dvds and even a play based on their exploits in 78.

I would love to see Leinster play a touring side. But we already get the test games in Dublin so it's unlikely to happen again. Shame.

I remember Connacht giving the Sprinboks a bit of a scare before the 07 WC actually...

kidwelly kid wrote:40 years ago today, a famous victory at the old Stradey Park, Llanelli when Llanelli beat the All Blacks. Could this happen again? Could any region or club ever compete with a major national side?

Definitely. In the last 7-8 years I can remember

Ospreys 24-16 Australia
Tigers 22-17 South Africa
Munster 13-16 New Zealand
Munster 15-6 Australia

Regions/Clubs are well able to take on international teams and be competitive.

red_stag wrote:

kidwelly kid wrote:40 years ago today, a famous victory at the old Stradey Park, Llanelli when Llanelli beat the All Blacks. Could this happen again? Could any region or club ever compete with a major national side?

Definitely. In the last 7-8 years I can remember

Ospreys 24-16 Australia
Tigers 22-17 South Africa
Munster 13-16 New Zealand
Munster 15-6 Australia

Regions/Clubs are well able to take on international teams and be competitive.

If anything a region/club that is of a decent standard probably has the advantage, as not only are they at home, but they play together regularly (most regional/club players can rack up 100 apps pretty easy in the modern game) where as the international sides tend to be at the start of a tour and not always that same set of players that play regularly together.

That match is a Llanelli legend Even Max Boyce sang about it to the tune of 'Saucepan Back' (sp?)... for the spelling though.

Not a Newport RFC fan but why isn't there half as much fuss made about their victory over New Zealand in 63?

Sospan Bach Gregor!

thank you Smirnoff, I kinda knew that I think, but feared for my spelling. It was a legendary occasion for sure which even this Englishman remembers.

46 years ago Wellington beat the Lions for the third time.
And while not a club exactly
The Maoris have beaten England, Argentina, Scotland and Fiji and The Lions since 1994.

I think the importance of clubs being afforded the opportunity to play an international team should not be under estimated.

Forget about any competition that a club competes in. In my view there is no other match that will show more pride, more passion and more intensity from a club.

Becuase of the irregularity it happens these days, it is all the more special for a local club to play against an international team.

Biltong wrote:I think the importance of clubs being afforded the opportunity to play an international team should not be under estimated.

Forget about any competition that a club competes in. In my view there is no other match that will show more pride, more passion

I agree. I have seen Munster lose two Heineken Cup finals, get dumped out of competitions by our bitterest rivals, lose matche we should have won due to our own silly mistakes and felt the wrath of incompetent referees.

However the defeat that hurt most by far was losing to the All Blacks in 2008. Winning all game and a last minute try by Joe Rokocoko to claim a narrow win for the All Blacks.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Not a Newport RFC fan but why isn't there half as much fuss made about their victory over New Zealand in 63?

Because they don't cling onto the past unlike you know who...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8365346.stm

Saracens beat South Africa - 24-23 in Nov 2009.

That Saracens team is far stronger these days!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ABA2cayfzU

This bloke won £250,000 too.

Can't believe Llanelli/All Blacks doesn't get a mention on Wikipedia as a major event of 1973.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973

The popular website highlights some trivial stuff instead; end of the Vietnam war, UK & Ireland joining the EEC/EU, American Indians occupying Wounded Knee, Princess Anne getting married, Watergate, blah blah blah....

You said it Cyril - you're post is blah, blah, blah...

Smirnoffpriest wrote:You said it Cyril - you're post is blah, blah, blah...

Who's Cyril?? I wondered who you were referring to when you said that. I did quote the wrong year though!

Doesn't get a mention in 1972 either. Outrageous!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972