1956-57 Season

P W D L Pts. For Pts. Ag. T P D C
43 23 8 12 374 295 77 19 4 37

CAPTAIN : W.O.‘Billy’ WILLIAMS
MOST APPEARANCES : 42 (JOHN HOPKINS)
MOST TRIES : 14 (TEIFION WILLIAMS)
MOST POINTS : 119 (ALAN PROSSER HARRIES)
WALES CAPS :
v E : Clem Thomas
v I : John Faull (d)
v F : John Faull

1956-57 Season: Played:42, won:22, lost:12, drawn:8. Points for:324, against:289.

Back Row L to R: R Bolch, D Thomas, C J Rees, N G Davies, C Johnson, J Jeffries.
2nd Row L to R: T J V Davies(Com.), R J Dobbs(Trainer), J Llewellyn, A Prosser-Harries, E Burns, I Hopkins, B Ford, GbLewis, D P Price(Hon. Sec.), T Davies(Com.).
3rd Row L to R: B Mullins, R C C Thomas, L Bruce Barter(Com.), W O Williams(Capt.), Judge Rowe Harding(Com.), T Williams, D Rowlands.
Front Row L to R: R Harding, M Rogers.
Inset L to R: J Hopkins, J Faull, B Richards. (Club Archive).

 

In these games Germany were defeated 10-0 on 6th September 1956 and an Italian XV 13-5 on 29th September. This was the 2nd occasion for a German team to be welcomed at St. Helen’s, as in the previous year the German youth team played their 1st ever game in Wales there. This was also the 1st occasion for an Italian XV to play in Wales. (Club Archive).

 

Swansea v Italy at St Helens 29th September 1956.

Swansea won 13 – 5, The Italians going into half-time with a 5 -0 lead. Italy went on to play Cardiff on the 10th Oct losing by 8 points to 3 (0-0) and Harlequins on the 6th Oct losing by just 15 points to 14 (9-3). The Italian team v Swansea:
Back Row (L to R):Simonelli, Zanchi, Raise, Pancaro, Levorato, Taveggia, Annibaldi.
2nd Row(L to R): Perrini, Pescetto, Mancini, Barbini, Vergnano, Luise.
Front Row(L to R): Comin, Bottacin. (Club Archive).

 

The Swansea team v Italy: The Swansea side was Captained by Billy (‘WO’) Williams (middle row 3rd from left) and included Islwyn Hopkins and Bryan Richards at half-back. Dai Parkhouse, Brian Mullins and ClemThomas also played. (Club Archive).

 

Swansea Team v Barbarians, Easter Weekend 1957.

Back Row (L to R): Vivian Davies (Com.), Haydn Mainwaring, Gwyn Lewis, Bryan Ford, Gordon Morris, N G Davies, Colin Johnson, Dudley Thomas, Ronnie Bolch, Malcolm Rogers, Bruce Barter (Com.), D P Price (Com.), Len Blyth Com.).
2nd Row (L to R): R J Dobbs, Alan Prosser Harris, Teifion Williams, W O Williams (Captain), Clem Thomas, Brian Richards, Trevor Davies (Com.).
Front Row (L to R): Brian Mullins, John Hopkins, Cyril Davies, David Rowlands.

(Courtesy John Blyth)

 

The Swansea squad prepare for their game versus Padua, Italy. The club embarked on a 3 game tour of Italy in May 1957. Swansea defeated Milan 6-0, lost 8-5 to Rome and beat Padua by 21 points to 9. (Club Archive).

 

Swansea v Italy at St Helens 29th September 1956.
Swansea won 13 – 5, The Italians going into half-time with a 5 -0 lead. Italy went on to play Cardiff on the 10th Oct losing by 8 points to 3 (0-0) and Harlequins on the 6th Oct losing by just 15 points to 14 (9-3).
Action from an Italian newspaper report of the match. An Italian player breaks from a lineout.

Action shot from the Swansea v Italy match (Courtesy SWEP).