‘Around the Touchline’ Feature:

 
 
If anyone typifies loyalty to a club then in the case of St Davids it would be Dai Bennett where he is still one of their biggest supporters after 50 years as a player, junior coach and now ardent supporter.
 
In his playing days Dai was such a good line out forward that he could have been welcomed as a regular with any club in the county but he wasn’t interested whatsoever in leaving the city of his berth and so never won trophies like the Pembrokeshire League or Knock Out Cup.
 

Special games made up for a lack of silverware

 
But his ability was more than recognised because he played around 50 times for the Pembroke County team, although the tradition of receiving a cap after a set number of games like other counties like Monmouthshire and Glamorgan somehow didn’t take place - but he certainly had a host of memories as he played in the most memorable matches in the county’s history.
 
Amongst them was the special match against Japan, who were on a tour of the UK, which was played at Haverfordwest.
 
“We had played really well as a county squad in 1980 and 1981 when we won the Welsh Counties’ Cup at Neyland and Haverfordwest, on both occasions against a very strong Monmouthshire side which had several internationals and players from top clubs,” explained Dai..
 

Only club to beat The Japanese . . .

 
“They were fantastic performances and I played in the second row on both occasions - and in the following season we were gutted to miss out on a hat-trick as we just missed out in the semi-final - but unbeknown to us there was an amazing spin off because we were chosen to join Neath and Abertillery in taking on the full Japanese squad of the time.
 
“There was a huge crowd and great excitement, even in the national press and television, as won 28-15 and the only non-national team to beat the Japanese, which was marked by a dinner and late-night celebration which went on late into the early hours!
 
“Ninian Davies was our captain, who was playing for Pembroke at that time but I still regard as a St Davids’ player, and he was joined in the back row by Roger Price, Peter Griffiths and Nigel Merroney. I played in the second row with Andrew Rose and our front row was Brian Williams, John Griffiths and Gethin Evans. Richard Thomas was another ‘Saint’ on the bench before he moved to play for Haverfordwest – and Trevor James was the coach.
 
“Eric Griffiths and Geraint John were the half backs; the threequarters were Huw Foster, Kevin and Wayne Morgan, plus Mike Holding, with Geraint Bowen at full back and your Gordon Thomas as one of the young replacements. Geraint John kicked 16 points and there were tries from Eric Phillips, Geraint Bowen and Nigel Merroney.
 

Another great tussle against the High-Flying Eagles

 
“Then in 1987 there was another special match as Pembrokeshire was awarded a fixture with the American Eagles which took place at Whitland and again there was huge interest but a different result as the county lost 16-21.
 
“Alan ‘Santa’ Reynolds was outstanding and others who caught the eye were props Gethin Evans and the late Derek Coles alongside John Griffiths, Mikey Griffiths, Dominic and Frankie Setaro.
 
“We were disappointed but it was great for St Davids because I was joined in the second row by Jack Dudley and there was a further Saints’ connection as Geraint Richards was a replacement- so not bad going for such a small club!”
 

Stepping down – but finding international honours

 
It is great to report that when Big Dai felt it was time for him to step down because his knees were on the dodgy side a further honour came, quite out of the blue,
 
“I was adamant that it was time I finished but in 1990 the club was running a second team and they persuaded me to just help out when I could - and I played for them at Heywood Lane against Tenby Thirds and quite enjoyed it.
 
“Jeff Harry and Dai Miller were heavily involved with the Welsh Districts’ team that played internationals against developing counties and afterwards they asked would I consider playing in celebration games against clubs and I played in nine games, mainly against clubs celebrating their centenary, losing just one to Cardiff College.
 
“The next amazing step in this particular part of my rugby journey came when the team was announced to play against Sweden in Aberavon and I was in it - and we won!
 
“I was thrilled to be presented with my Welsh Districts’ jersey and the following season I was chosen again to play Sweden so it was off to play again, this time away in Malmo.

“We won again and my partner in the second row was Mike Voyle, who was a youngster from Penallta and later represented the full Welsh team for several seasons.”
 
It is nice to report that Dai’s three international shirts are proudly displayed in the St Davids clubhouse and he has also presented them with the tie he managed to swap with one of the Japanese contingent.
 

Off to Canada – with The All Blacks!

 
On a light note, Dai’s rugby travels didn’t end there because he also had a cracking trip to Canada in 1984 when he was invited to join the Neyland contingent on a three-week tour to Canada.

“It was brilliant,” Dai told us, “because we had such a warm welcome wherever we went and really enjoyed matches with players of the calibre of Mike Griffiths, Richard Incledon and Phil Sutton playing, with real characters like Dai ‘Touch Judge’ Williams and Charlie Morgan (county committeeman and Neyland stalwart) to the fore.”
 

A late start – because his feet were too big!

 
Dai didn’t play any organised rugby until he was well past his 16th birthday for an unusual reason because he had huge feet anchoring that might frame and he couldn’t find any size 14+ boots to use and playing in ‘daps’ wasn’t really an option in Winter.
 
“But then my auntie spotted an advertisement for outsize footwear and my mother sent off for a pair - and my rugby days were up and running!
 
“I started with the youth team and then played in senior rugby with great club characters like John James, Gus Cartwright, Les Owen - and I can’t remember any of the backs because even at that age I thought rugby was a game for forwards!
 

Great time with club and county

 
“I played my first senior county match when I was 19 with other up and coming players and we lost 52-0 to Glamorgan B - but I was told I had played well and it was the start of a wonderful time when I couldn’t wait for games to come around.
 
“I also enjoyed all my time with The Saints, on and off the field because we also had a great social feeling as we were playing in friendlies at the start against places like Cwmtwrch and Alltwen, home and away - and the away side would join us in a sing-song before being sent off home with any sandwiches left and a crate of beer!
 
“Leading the choir from our club were the ‘Bois y Felin’ (Boys of the Mill) group that included fine singers like John James, John Bates, Gordon Richards and Mefin Thomas from the 1970s on - and continued even today by Big Jack Dudley and others.
 
Ask Dai about quality players he enjoyed playing with for the county and he would say that there are too many to mention but we picked out Brian Williams (a ‘stand out player’), Andy Grey ‘a star amongst men), Geraint John, Michael Griffiths, Peter Morgan, Geraint Bowen, Dominick and Franco Setaro, Mike Holding, Richard ‘Stag’ Jones, Derek Coles, Alan ‘Santa’ Reynolds and Gethin Evans.
 
On the subject of characters at St Davids he would be able to produce another almost endless list but when pushed mentioned the likes of John James, the late Reg Phillips, Paul Sage, Brian Francis - and more recently the likes of Jack Dudley, Chris Morgan, Morgan Phillips, Randal Evans and Fraser Watson.
 

He let his rugby skills do the talking

 
“In those happy playing days I was told that I was too much of a gentle giant but I preferred to let my rugby do the talking so when some of my team mates tried to give me a playful tap on the jaw and say it was an opposing second row I used to inwardly smile because it is my firm belief there is no place for violence in any walk of life, including sport.”
 
When Dai finally stepped down from playing he helped out as much as he could with The Saints’ junior section that was run for 25 years by the likes of Gerald Miles, Gerwyn and Geraint Richards.
“They were brilliant and a regular annual treat for the youngsters in their care was a visit to Naas, in Ireland, which only sadly ended when covid intervened.”
 
“I particularly enjoy Pembrokeshire derbies because it is great to meet up with former rivals and talk about the old days - but I also enjoy watching today’s team because St Davids are showing positive signs of improvement - and for an old-timer like me that is wonderful news!”