Dan Griffiths (rugby union, born 1857)

Daniel Griffiths (20 June 1857 – 29 October 1936) was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales. Morgan was a collier by profession.[1]

For the Welsh rugby union fly-half, see Dan Griffiths (rugby union, born 1979).

Dan Griffiths

Birth name	Daniel S. Griffiths
Date of birth	(1857-06-20)20 June 1857
Place of birth	Cwmduad, Wales
Date of death	29 October 1936(1936-10-29) (aged 79)
Place of death	Llanelli, Wales
Occupation(s)	Collier
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Llanelli RFC () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1888-1889 Wales 2 (0)

Rugby career

Griffiths came to note as a rugby player when playing for club team Llanelli. In 1888 Griffiths twice faced the 1888 touring New Zealand Natives, once with Llanelli[2] and then three days later with Wales. The Llanelli game against the Māoris was the first time a touring Southern Hemisphere team had played a rugby match in Wales, and a crowd of 3,000 turned up at Stradey Park to watch. Griffiths finished on the winning team, when Harry Bowen scored the only points of the game with a dropped goal from near the halfway line.[3] On the 22 December, Griffiths won his first international cap when he was chosen to face the New Zealand team again, this time against Wales at St. Helen's in Swansea. The game began badly, when the crowd began booing their own team, mainly from Swansea and Llanelli fans who thought their clubs had been overlooked with only two Swansea players on the pitch and Griffiths being the only representative of the 'Scarlets'.[4] Even with a hostile crowd Wales played well, using the four threequarter system, which was adopted by the team after the game, to good effect. The Welsh won by a goal and two tries to nil.

Griffiths lost his place for the next international, the opener of the 1889 Home Nations Championship to Scotland, but was back in the team for the second and final game of the tournament at home to Ireland. Four Llanelli players were brought into the team, Griffiths, Giotto Griffiths, Ned Roberts and Tom Morgan, which would later turn out to be all four's final international. Wales were led by Arthur Gould, who with nine caps was the most experienced player in both teams;[5] but could not find the play to beat a useful Irish team.[6] The Irish won by two tries to nil and Griffiths ended his international career with a loss.

*Not to be confused with Daniel Griffiths who is also of Welsh decent and currently plys his Rugby trade at Warrington RUFC.

International matches played

Wales (rugby union)[7]

•  Ireland 1889
•  Māori 1888

Bibliography

• Billot, John (1972). All Blacks in Wales. Ferndale, Glamorgan: Ron Jones Publications.
• Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. London: Willows Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
• Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.
• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.

References

1. "Wales team visit Big Pit". WRU. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
2. Billot (1972), pg 16.
3. Billot (1972), pg 15.
4. Billot (1972), pg 17.
5. Godwin (1984), pg 22.
6. Griffiths (1987), pg 4:4.
7. Smith (1980), pg 466.