Tom Arthur
Encyclopedia
Tom Arthur was a Welsh
international rugby union
lock who played club rugby for Neath
and was capped 18 times for Wales
. A tough second row forward with a strong physique, Arthur was often criticised for being over-vigorous. Though his style of play was fairly typical for Welsh rugby at the time.
Arthur was also a strong scummager and was adaptable in the open and was excellent in the line-out. His signature move was his line-out 'flip', where he would grab the ball one handed and guide it to his waiting scrum-half.
in 1923, and made his debut for the club in a game against Pontypool
in December that year. After consistent good play for Neath, he showed promise in Welsh trials and was selected to the national squad in 1927 to face Scotland as part of the Five Nations Championship
. Wales lost the game, but Arthur was reselected to face both France and Ireland in the later stages of the same tournament. The Welsh forwards were terrible in the game against Ireland and their eight man pack was outclassed by the seven man Irish pack. Arthur was dropped for the next season, but after an outstanding Neath season, he was back for the 1929 Five Nations Championship
.
Arthur was well known for his aggressive style of play, and this was shown in two matches against in France. In 1929, Arthur scored a try for Wales at the Cardiff Arms Park
and three French players were knocked out in the tackle to save the try. The next year at a game at the Stade Colombes, the mood and the match turned nasty with the French using fist and boot to subdue the Welsh team. The trouble started when Welsh full back Tommy Scourfield
cleared a loose ball to touch only for the chasing French player to run over and punch him. Arthur and fellow second row, Aberavon's
Ned Jenkins
had to pack down in the front row due to the oversized French props, and after one scrummage, Welsh hooker Hubert Day
was kicked in the mouth by a French lock and required nine stitches. Arthur retaliated on the French pack, but mistook one of the props for the offending lock. This escalated into running fist fights through-out the match, and when Wales left the pitch, they were pelted by rubber cushions from the crowd.
In 1931 Arthur was capped to face the touring South Africans
. He had been part of the joint Neath / Aberavon team that had faced faced the Springboks at the Gnoll in November. The tourist were lucky to win the match after a dubious last minute try, and when Arthur was picked for Wales he did so with two other players from the same match, Ned Jenkins and Arthur Lemon
. Although he was dropped for the 1932 season, Arthur was back for the 1933 Home Nations Championship
, playing against England and Scotland.
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...
lock who played club rugby for Neath
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
and was capped 18 times 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...
. A tough second row forward with a strong physique, Arthur was often criticised for being over-vigorous. Though his style of play was fairly typical for Welsh rugby at the time.
Arthur was also a strong scummager and was adaptable in the open and was excellent in the line-out. His signature move was his line-out 'flip', where he would grab the ball one handed and guide it to his waiting scrum-half.
International rugby career
Arthur joined Neath from Glynneath RFCGlynneath RFC
Glynneath RFC are a Welsh Rugby Union club playing in Division Three South West of the WRU National Leagues. The Club has win a number of honours over the years, including the locally famous Invincibles of the 1961-62 season captained by Bas Thomas....
in 1923, and made his debut for the club in a game against Pontypool
Pontypool RFC
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century...
in December that year. After consistent good play for Neath, he showed promise in Welsh trials and was selected to the national squad in 1927 to face Scotland as part of the Five Nations Championship
1927 Five Nations Championship
The 1927 Five Nations Championship was the thirteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the fortieth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. Wales lost the game, but Arthur was reselected to face both France and Ireland in the later stages of the same tournament. The Welsh forwards were terrible in the game against Ireland and their eight man pack was outclassed by the seven man Irish pack. Arthur was dropped for the next season, but after an outstanding Neath season, he was back for the 1929 Five Nations Championship
1929 Five Nations Championship
The 1929 Five Nations Championship was the fifteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-second series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
.
Arthur was well known for his aggressive style of play, and this was shown in two matches against in France. In 1929, Arthur scored a try for Wales at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
and three French players were knocked out in the tackle to save the try. The next year at a game at the Stade Colombes, the mood and the match turned nasty with the French using fist and boot to subdue the Welsh team. The trouble started when Welsh full back Tommy Scourfield
Tommy Scourfield
Thomas 'Tommy' Scourfield was a Welsh dual code rugby international full back who played club rugby for Ynysybwl and Torquay as an amateur rugby union player and played professional rugby league with Huddersfield...
cleared a loose ball to touch only for the chasing French player to run over and punch him. Arthur and fellow second row, Aberavon's
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
Ned Jenkins
Ned Jenkins
Ned Jenkins was an international rugby union lock who represented Wales and played club rugby for Aberavon. Like fellow team mate Tom Arthur, Jenkins was an amateur boxer.-Rugby career:...
had to pack down in the front row due to the oversized French props, and after one scrummage, Welsh hooker Hubert Day
Hubert Day
Hubert Day was a rugby hooker who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league for Salford. He was awarded five caps for Wales under union rules and was part of the Welsh side that won the 1931 Five Nations Championship...
was kicked in the mouth by a French lock and required nine stitches. Arthur retaliated on the French pack, but mistook one of the props for the offending lock. This escalated into running fist fights through-out the match, and when Wales left the pitch, they were pelted by rubber cushions from the crowd.
In 1931 Arthur was capped to face the touring South Africans
1931-32 South Africa rugby union tour
The 1931-32 South Africa tour of Britain and Ireland was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against the four British Home Nation teams. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams...
. He had been part of the joint Neath / Aberavon team that had faced faced the Springboks at the Gnoll in November. The tourist were lucky to win the match after a dubious last minute try, and when Arthur was picked for Wales he did so with two other players from the same match, Ned Jenkins and Arthur Lemon
Arthur Lemon
Arthur Whitelock Lemon was a Welsh international number 8 who played club rugby for Neath and was capped 13 times for Wales.-International rugby career:...
. Although he was dropped for the 1932 season, Arthur was back for the 1933 Home Nations Championship
1933 Home Nations Championship
The 1933 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-ninth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Five Nations, and prior to that, the Home Nations, this was the forty-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Six matches...
, playing against England and Scotland.