When we asked Peter ‘Jack’ Davies to start off our new feature where we ask local rugby characters to choose an opposing team which they felt showed the best of Pembrokeshire Rugby he readily agreed – but had to admit it was far harder than he thought.Peter has been a stalwart member of Neyland RFC and after many years in the front row he has also previously helped out with organisation of their fantastic junior tournaments and with the first XV now.
“To be honest, there was far more to it than I thought because I could easily have picked three teams. This was especially so up front because some of the others I only saw from far away because my head was down in a scrum or they were jetting away in the distance!”
“I know Bill Carne, Gordon Thomas and Fraser Watson like to start their teams at full back and go through to the front row but as a former hooker/prop I feel that this is where games are won or lost – not amongst ‘The Brylcreem Boys’ numbered from 9 to 15!
Tough tussles as a prop . . . And with some hookers too!
“I never regarded myself as a prop and only played there a few times before I came to Neyland but I made a fatal mistake at training once when All Black’s coach Govan John said we were short of a prop and said I had done it a few times.“So there I was and some of my toughest opposition was Dai Kirk (Whitland), Big Jack Dudley (St Davids), Chris "Thorns" Thomas (Llangwm), Richard McIntyre (Quins) and Phil Stoddard Haverfordwest and Narberth).
But the two that I could do nothing with were Phil Aldred (Milford) and the late Derek Coles (Haverfordwest), who was perhaps the best prop I played against in Pembrokeshire.
“There were some great battles against hookers like Andrew Sargeant (Haverfordwest), the Milford Haven boys Nigel Gough and Gareth ‘Nuts’ Phillips and Derek Burton (Cardigan) but perhaps the best I met was Evan Davies (Fishguard) who always made it known he was about!
Gentlemen and bad boys in the pack back five!
“In the second row there some tough nuts mixed with an out-and-out gentleman in Dai Bennett (St Davids) – and you had to throw the ball anywhere in the line out except where Dai was. I also respected Gerwyn Howells (Whitland) despite getting both of us sent off in one game at Whitland. Across the Cleddau Bridge there were Mathew and Simon Edwards (Pembroke) plus Lenny Scourfield (Quins), another who was a formidable opponent.
“In the back row we had Mike Evans (Tenby) and Richard Brazell (Haverfordwest) who were terrific players but my two choices would be Keith Fleming (Haverfordwest), who was as tough as teak and a hell of a player – and the same could be said of my other choice in Romeo Colella (Fishguard).“There were also some very good No 8s in Paul Kirk (Whitland) and Mark Wonnacott (Milford Haven) but the man who was always ‘outstanding’ against us every time he played was Paul Rogers (Quins).
“Quality half backs aplenty
At scrum half Mike Griffiths (Neyland/Tenby didn't play against us much but was class, whilst Steve Truman (Milford) was very under rated and always played well against us. Jason Griffiths (Quins) was another powerful player but another man who always seemed to be on top of his game against us, and had some terrific battles with Mathew Williams, is my choice Graham Davies (Fishguard).“The quality outside halves included Lee Rogers (Quins) and Clive James (Narberth), as was Phil Sutton (Neyland /Tenby) but Huw Evans (Fishguard) was another who seemed to keep his best performances for us and he’s my choice.
Pace and confidence to be found in the back division
“Darren Gibby (Quins) and Nigel Hancock (Haverfordwest) were both very close to being selected but my choices have to be Steve Barnett (Haverfordwest) and Frank Setaro (Whitland) because they had it all – pace, power and plenty of self-confidence!“On the wings Gareth Lewis (Quins) and Jonathan Jones (Fishguard) always seemed to grab tries against us but Steve Hartland (Tenby) and Michael Holding (Whitland) are my choices because Holding had that extra pace and Hartland oozed raw power.
“I can only remember playing against Gordon Thomas (Haverfordwest) once and he was outstanding at full back, as were Geraint Bowen (Narberth) and Dominic Setaro (Whitland), but having played against him a few more times Dominic gets my vote.”