Dan Griffiths
Encyclopedia
Daniel 'Dan' Griffiths was a Welsh
international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Llanelli
and international rugby for Wales
. Morgan was a collier
by profession.
, once with Llanelli 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. 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 over-looked with only two Swansea players on the pitch and Griffiths being the only representative of the 'Scarlets
'. 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; but could not find the play to beat a useful Irish team. The Irish won by two tries to nil and Griffiths ended his international career with a loss.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
forward who played club rugby for Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
and international rugby for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. Morgan was a collier
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
by profession.
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 Natives1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team
The 1888–1889 New Zealand Native football team was a New Zealand football team that toured Britain, Australia and New Zealand in 1888 and 1889. The team was composed mainly of players of Māori ancestry, although several Pakeha were included in the squad. The tour was a private endeavour, and was...
, once with Llanelli 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
Stradey Park
Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800...
to watch. Griffiths finished on the winning team, when Harry Bowen
Harry Bowen
David Henry "Harry" Bowen was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales...
scored the only points of the game with a dropped goal from near the halfway line. On the 22 December, Griffiths won his first international cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
when he was chosen to face the New Zealand team again, this time against Wales at St. Helen's in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. The game began badly, when the crowd began booing their own team, mainly from Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
and Llanelli fans who thought their clubs had been over-looked with only two Swansea players on the pitch and Griffiths being the only representative of the 'Scarlets
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
'. 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
1889 Home Nations Championship
The 1889 Home Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Three matches were played between 2 February and 2 March. It was contested by Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
to Scotland, but was back in the team for the second and final game of the tournament at home to Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Four Llanelli players were brought into the team, Griffiths, Giotto Griffiths
Giotto Griffiths
Griffith 'Giotto' Griffiths was a Welsh international rugby union half-back who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
, Ned Roberts
Ned Roberts
Edward 'Ned' John Roberts was a Welsh international rugby union fullback who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
and Tom Morgan
Tom Morgan (rugby player)
Tom Morgan was a Welsh international rugby union centre who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales...
, 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; but could not find the play to beat a useful Irish team. The Irish won by two tries to nil and Griffiths ended his international career with a loss.