Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Anthony Woolford

Rugby match halted early because Welsh team were just too good

Some legends of the game have gone through London Welsh in their 134-year history.

But the likes of Mervyn Davies, John Taylor, John Dawes, JPR Williams and Clive Rees didn't manage what the class of 2019 achieved in all but sealing the London Three North West title on the weekend.

For their 113-0 record-breaking rout of Verulamians means the Exiles need just a point from their remaining two games, starting at Old Deer Park next Saturday against Cheshunt, to win back-to-back titles.

And in beating the club, who play just a stone's throw from Watford FC's training ground, Welsh condemned Verulamians to relegation.

They needed a bonus point victory to stay afloat in Three North West, but the omens didn't look good at their London Colney ground when kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes to allow the hosts to field a starting XV. 

And it wasn't long before the hastily assembled side were congregating under the posts as centre Jonathan Williams scored the first points after just two minutes with a converted try.

The life of JPR at 70, a courageous Welsh rugby great who was always different from the rest  

Williams himself would go on to break a club scoring record bagging a personal 43-point haul with a touchdown hat-trick and converting 14 of the 17 tries scored.

The writing was on the wall by half-time as Welsh had raced into a 56-0 lead.

And with the tries continuing to rain in after the break, the referee called a halt to the game after 70 minutes with Welsh leading 113-0.

The ease in which Welsh cruised through the game without breaking sweat was no better illustrated when the following morning player-coach, former Ospreys and London Irish prop Cai Griffiths, ran the London Half-Marathon.

The brutal tackle in a schoolboy rugby match that's sparked a big debate  

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.