A classic shirt made by Cotton Oxford made famous by a win over the World Champions, see the BBC report below
4th November 1992
Swansea RFC 21 Australia 6
Swansea’s 1992 vintage side, a side built and coached by Mike Ruddock, would go on to become the premier Welsh side of the 1990s – as any good Jack will insist!
But few gave them a chance against the Australians who had named their Test team, rather than the dirt-trackers who Swansea fans will tell you were defeated by Llanelli RFC 10 days later.
In contrast, injuries meant the All Whites fielded a front row containing ageing club stalwart Keith Colclough and Swansea University student Chris Clark – who was making just his fifth senior appearance.
But there was something special in the Swansea Bay air that day.
The St Helen’s terraces that sweep away from the ground always make it difficult to create a pressure-cooker atmosphere, but on this occasion the crowd could have been encamped on the touch line.
A roar that rolled down to the Mumbles went up as Colclough drove opposing loose-head Matt Ryan out of the first scrum.
For me – peering through the mist and rain from the terraces – the defining moment came soon after as Wallaby number eight Tim Gavin picked up at the base of another retreating visitors scrum.
His monstrous bulk drove through Richard Webster’s initial tackle, and then over the top of opposite number Stuart Davies.
With the Wales back-rowers swatted aside, blind-side flanker Alan Reynolds – an All Whites legend known to all as ‘Santa’ – flew across and seemed to clamber up Gavin’s back before driving him into the turf with a block-busting tackle.
With the momentum rolling, Scott Gibbs slipped through the midfield defence to slide in for an excellent try.
Portly outside-half Aled Williams kept the scoreboard ticking with two penalties, a drop goal and conversion.
And hooker Garin Jenkins got the old St Helen’s grandstand rattling with the clinching second-half try, pouncing on a loose Australian tap-back from a defensive line-out.
But if international stalwarts Gibbs and Jenkins stole the headlines, it was as much about the club regulars stepping up for their day of glory.
“The game was so special to me because Swansea was my bread and butter,” said Gibbs.
“I was playing alongside people who have been my friends for life, the guys I worked hard with all week.
“More than that, it was my only victory over Australia – all the games with Wales seemed to be foregone conclusions.
“Australian sport is epitomised and set apart by skill level and their appreciation of space.
“Their union sides may not have the aggressive uniformity of the All Blacks, the sheer mass of South Africa, or the flair of France.
“But they have that precision and are some of the best rugby athletes and players in the world – their sporting ethos is what we should aspire to.”
Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer said that the Swansea display was “as good a performance as I can remember by a Welsh side”.
A record-equalling six All Whites went on to represent Wales in the Test with Australia on 21 November – Davies, Gibbs, Jenkins, Webster, Robert Jones and Reynolds (as a substitute).
Swansea: Anthony Clement; Mark Titley, Kevin Hopkins, Scott Gibbs, Simon Davies; Aled Williams, Robert Jones; Chris Clark, Garin Jenkins, Keith Colclough, Paul Arnold, Richard Moriarty, Alan Reynolds, Stuart Davies (capt), Richard Webster.
Australia: T Kelaher; D Smith, J Little, T Horan, P Carozza; P Kahl, P Slattery; M Ryan, P Kearns (capt), A Blades, W Waugh, J Eales, T Coker, S Scott Young, T Gavin.
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