GWYN NICHOLLS - (Back, Wales) – Brought out of retirement to captain Wales against the All Blacks, Nicholls controlled and inspired the team to the greatest of victories. Winning his first cap in 1896 Nicholls career moved from one success to the next. In 1899 he became the first Welshman to play for a British side during the tour of Australia . During this match he scored the first ever international try against the home team. In 1905 he became the first ever captain to defeat the All Blacks while in 1907 he scored a try in Cardiff’s brilliant 17 – 0 victory over the Springboks. He played a total of 24 times for Wales , refereed the Calcutta Cup match in 1909 and became a Welsh selector in 1925. He died in 1939 and as a tribute Memorial Gates were opened at Cardiff Arms Park in 1949. W-148

PERCY BUSH - (Half Back, Wales) – The NZ match was the first cap for Bush. In the build up to the try the Cardiff man was responsible for drawing the defence to the blind side while Owen feigned a pass to him. Owen then switched to the open side for the Welsh try. George Dixon the All Black’s manager said “Bush, as was the case in New Zealand (during the 1904 British tour) was remarkable chiefly for quick kicking”. He went on to represent Wales in a further 7 matches winning his last cap in 1910. W-205

JF ‘JACK’ WILLIAMS (Forward, Wales ) – Jack Williams was everywhere ! No piece of turf remained untrodden as the London Welshman harrassed the All Blacks and played his part in Wales ’ greatest victory. Five days later he lined up in the 9 – 0 defeat for Glamorgan against the same tourists. He won a total of 4 caps for Wales , his last against South Africa in 1906. Williams captained London Welsh in 1907-08 and toured Australia and New Zealand in 1908 with the Anglo-Welsh (British Lions) touring team. He died only 28 years old in 1911 while in the Colonial Service in Nigeria after contracting blackwater fever. W-192

RHYS GABE (Three-Quarter Back, Wales) - Rhys Gabe had a hand in the two most important moments of the Wales v New Zealand 1905 game. It was he that drew the New Zealand defence, his pass then put Teddy Morgan away for the only score of the match. He was the man who brought down Bob Deans short of the line to deny the Canterbury man an equalling score. Gabe played 24 times for Wales between 1896 and 1906 and also toured Australia & New Zealand with the 1904 British team. His partnership at centre with Gwyn Nicholls is regarded as one of the finest of all time. W-177

ARTHUR HARDING - (Forward, Wales) - Harding's first match for Wales was the Triple Crown victory over England in 1902. He went on to win a further 19 caps including the 1905 victory over the All Blacks. It was Harding's responsibility along with Dai 'Tarw' Jones to steal the loose head from the All Blacks as both packs fought tooth and nail to gain the upper hand in the scrum. He played his last international for Wales in 1908 and also captained the British tour of Australia and New Zealand in the same year. In 1910 he emigrated to New Zealand and lived there until his death in 1947. W-181

JEHODIA HODGES  - (Forward, Wales) - Winning his first cap against England in 1899, Jehodia Hodges went on to win a total of 23 caps for Wales. His finest match was against England in 1903 when he was switched to the wing after an injury to another player. From there he scored three tries in a 21 - 5 victory. He was one of the outstanding forwards in the New Zealand game of 1905, the correspondent of the London Observer said of him “but I raise my hat to the Welsh forwards, and to Hodges and Harding especially” W-164

DAI 'TARW' JONES - (Forward, Wales) 'Tarw' is the Welsh word for a bull and Dai Jones was just that. At 6 foot 1 and over 15 stone he was a giant of a man at the turn of the century. He was robust, fearless and a superb scrummager. This made him one of the most feared forwards in the game. He played in the front row against the All Blacks in 1905 and was instrumental in countering the All Black 'loose head'. He won a total of thirteen caps for Wales playing his last match against the Springboks in 1906. Later he turned professional, playing for the Merthyr and Treherbert Northern Union sides. Dai 'Tarw' was badly injured on the Somme during the first world war and died in Aberdare in 1933. W-182

WILL JOSEPH - (Forward, Wales) - A outstanding member of the Welsh pack, Will Joseph won 16 caps for Wales between 1902-06. The Swansea man played against the 1905 All Blacks on three occasions, for Wales, Glamorgan and Swansea. In the latter match the All Blacks triumphed 4 -3 winning by a drop goal worth four points to a try, then only worth 3 points. He was a cousin to half back Dicky Owen and also played quoits for Wales.  W-184

WILLIE LLEWELLYN - (Three-Quarter Back, Wales) - A prolific try scorer, Willie Llewellyn scored four tries for Wales against England on his debut in 1899, just 6 days after his 21st birthday. He scored a total of 16 tries for Wales and captained the side on five occasions including the 1905 Triple Crown match against Scotland where he scored both tries in the 6 - 3 victory. The New Zealand international in 1905 was his last match for Wales. During his career, Llewellyn also travelled to Australia and New Zealand with the 1904 British side. he played in all four tests, scoring 4 tries. He died in 1973 aged 95, the last survivor of the great 1905 Welsh team that defeated the 'Original' All Blacks. W-165

TEDDY MORGAN - (Three-Quarter Back, Wales) - Although he played 16 times for Wales, captained the British team in tests against Australia & New Zealand, when the name Teddy Morgan is mentioned only one thing springs to mind, the try he scored against New Zealand in 1905. This was only one of fourteen that he scored for Wales as the London Welsh man dodged, weaved,  swerved and dazzled the opposition between the years 1902 and 1908. In his last match for Wales he captained the team and scored two tries in the 36 - 4 triumph over France during Wales' first Grand Slam season. W-

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DICKY OWEN - (Half Back, Wales) -  Dickie Owen won 35 caps for Wales 1901 - 1912, a record which stood for over 40 years. Known as the 'pocket Hercules' Owen was a rough, tough, fearless player who's skill and tactical genius became legendary. He was responsible for inventing the move which brought about the Welsh try against the All Blacks in 1905. In a pre-conceived move Owen went blind and feinted to pass to Bush but instead, the Swansea man reverse passed to to extra back Cliff Pritchard on the open side. Pritchard fed Gabe who then sent Morgan over for the winning try. Playing his last international against Scotland in 1912 at the age of 35, Owen was carried from the fields shoulder high, a fitting end to a glorious career. W-180  

CHARLIE PRITCHARD - (Forward, Wales) - Charlie Pritchard was one of Wales' great forwards in the first golden era. he won fourteen caps, 1904 10 as a forward, more often than not in the back row where he played with fire and exuberance and was a very difficult player to stop. George Travers said of his performance against the 1905 All Blacks 'he sent 'em down like ninepins'. He died in the battle of the Somme during World War I.  W-202

CLIFF PRITCHARD  - (Extra Back, Wales) - Earning 5 caps for Wales 1904 - 06 Cliff Pritchard worked as an undertaker in Pontypool. During the move that resulted in the Welsh try in the 1905 game against the All Blacks, Pritchard scooped up Dicke Owen's pass of his feet then fed Rhys Gabe. the Daily Mail correspondent Buttery said of Pritchard, "Mynott was oppressed by the shadow of Cliff Pritchard, the “spoiler” whose mission it was to dislocate the five-eighths part of the machine, and thus put it out of gear”. On his return to Pontypool by train later that evening, the station was packed with well wishers and he was carried shoulder high through the streets to his home. W-197

GEORGE TRAVERS - (Forward, Wales) - Travers was a dedicated player who, after a 12 hour shift as a coal trimmer in Newport Docks would do a hard training session before venturing home. The fact that he was the fittest man on the field meant that he was first to the breakdown and inevitably would end up hooking at the resulting scrummage. He is regarded as the first specialist hooker in rugby and as such in the 1905 game he won clean ball on both the Wales and New Zealand scrums. This denied the All Blacks the possession they had enjoyed in every match up until that point on the tour. He won 25 caps between 1903 - 1911, his son William 'Bunner' Travers also played for Wales. W-190

BERT WINFIELD - (Back, Wales) - Bert Winfield is regarded as being a major contributing factor in the Welsh victory over New Zealand in 1905. The All Blacks manager George Dixon said of him......“of the Welsh backs there is no doubt that Winfield at full back, was the star of the side. His kicking was the best I have seen for years." Several of the press core joined Dixon in their praise for the Cardiff man. Winfield won 15 caps for Wales, 1903-08, scoring 50 points. He was the brother-in-law to Gwyn Nicholls and partnered him in their famous laundry business.  W-192