Memories of a Rock!
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to send your story |
Do you have a favourite memory of being at or playing for St. Peter’s? With a history as long and rich as ours… the characters we all know … and have known … it’s got to be worth sharing.Email your story to the club.Can you remember your first/ last game for the club?
Let’s all have a laugh – or cry at the memories we all share. If you don’t send an email yourself, let the rest of the members know about the page. We are now over 120 years old.. Let’s get something to remember. Go on -give it a whirl. However long or short. If its your memory – it’s our memory! |
Paul Barry |
Pentyrch V St.Peter’s 1982 Scrum on half way line….. Push over try! Dennis McCarthy and Billy O’Keefe had a smile on their faces for weeks. |
Chris Corsi |
Many years ago I was playing scrum half against Whitchurch 2nds away with one of their committee reffing (a big fat feller). The 10 yard law at the line out had just come in and the first line out in our 25 the Ref. pulled me for being inside the 10 yards. Dennis Norman was captain playing in the center. Dennis ran in and said to the ref “he’s scrum half ref”. The ref replied”Is he! then you’ll do” and gave the kick smack in front which they duly obliged by slotting it over. |
Kevin O’Brien |
I went away with the fourths in about 1990 to Westbury on Severn. The game was an annual fixture and there was always a stop-on on the way home so quite a few of the boys tried to get dropped to the fourths to go on that one. I was picked at outside half that day and it was a lovely September day.
I kicked off to start the match – a beauty. The ball was up in the air for ages. Peter Sutton, Lawrence O’Brien, Jo Sweeney etc went flying into the Westbury pack and floored the lot. There were English bodies everywhere. A cracking start to the game I thought. The referee – another Englishman I believe – gave a shrill blast on his acme thunderer and called the Rocks pack to order. “Gentlemen!” he ordered, “You’re not in the Valleys now. You’ll play to the laws of the game! And you…” he instructed pointing at me. “Get the ball. We’ll startagain!” Unbelievable. So we started again. Played to the laws of the game occasionally and beat them about 80 odd nil. |
Mike Crocker |
I remember, it would have been back in the early 80’s, I had broken my wrist in pre-season training and missed the trials and the first 4-5 weeks, I was selected for the fourths or fifths and we were playing in the back of beyond on a little pitch and had to change in a little tin shack. Because it was so cramped a couple of us retreated to the showers to change, I was going through a stretch routine when I heard our boys doing the old 1-10 warm up, feeling guilty i went in to the changing room and apologised to Eugene who was the captain,”Sorry, Eug” says I.”S’okay Crock” says he, ”do you want to take us through another one.”OK” says I thinking, ‘I didn’t know they were so keen at this level!By the time i got to 3 they had all sat back down clattering their boots on the concrete floor, and bending their little fingers back and forth and led by Eug all smiling smugly as i was going at it like a lunatic. How the mighty had fallen!! |
Steve Stewart |
I have many great memories of playing for the Rocks over the years however the one thing that sticks in my mind more than anything else is packing down in the scrum behind Rob Ringwood and seeing the pain on the faces of the opposition hookers and props as Rob did his business.What a superb player Robert was and a true unsung hero of a successful side at that time. |
Stuart Love |
Time appears to have done for the exact date or, indeed, the final scoreline, but in the early 90’s another unsung hero, Sean Murphy, shone like a beacon in an extremely tight game against the forward might of Llanharan, at the Harlequins Ground.The normal suspects, Llanharan, Rumney and St.Peters, were all in the running for the East District title (pre-national leagues). Llanharan arrived at the Harlequins with their usual monster pack directed, at Number 8, by the great Trevor Worgan. All of Llanharan’s moves stemmed from his ability to involve two or more opposition players in making the tackle on him. He would then flip the ball to one of his supporting runners and the gain line would be breached.In a game where we must have defended in our own half for about 80% of the time, Sean Murphy, single handedly, tackled Worgan on, or behind, the gainline, allowing the rest of the team to do the same to the support runners. From memory, St. Peters managed no more than half a dozen sortees into opposition territory but returned with points each time.It appears that, sometimes, defence does win matches! |
Stuart Love |
We had been involved in a very, very tense and tough match at the Harlequins. Due to my advancing years, I cannot, for the life of me, remember who we were playing or the date, but suffice to say it was a big league match and the scores were very close going into the final quarter. We were behind by a couple of points but were attacking in wave after wave setting up position after position for Andrew Edwards (Basher), our talented outside, half to attempt several drop kicks at goal to secure a win. After what seemed a dozen attempts, he did not get one but we finally got a penalty to win the game.The changing room after the game was devoid of the usual post match banter and celebration, in fact, the silence was only punctuated by the heavy panting of the players.No one said a word for what seemed like an age before Brendan Walsh, a great centre but, normally, one of the quietest players piped up “Hey Basher, don’t try any more drop goals will you.”The roused Basher immediately responded, indignantly ” Why not, Brendan?”"Because you’re going to have someone’s eye out!” came the reply.A masterclass in comic timing. |
Kevin O’Brien |
During the Autumn Internationals 2008, I saw the Murphs at the South Africa game down the club – all 46 of the brothers stood in a circle not talking to each other. A perfect opportunity I thought.I went over and stood beneath them. I didnt realise how tall they all were until I was up close. As I stood there – being’ murphed’ I threw caution to the wind and spoke to them – all at the same time, they didn’t reply.I tried again – “Look lads – I’m doing the website and want some newspaper clippings of any old matches or cup games or stories from cup games. An thing would do really – a photo – a programme, Some memories which you may have collected over the years.”I began picking up pace as for the first time since I got married I was not being interrupted. “The site is really picking up pace and Ringoand Denfa have given me loads of material. Lovey and Snooky can’t wait to get involved. Between the six of you, you must have some great souvenirs of games and stuff.”Speaking and moving as one; with one collective mind the Murphs looked at each other, then me. The floor came next for the Murph stare. Kevin slowly raised his head and gazed at me with uncomprehending eyes. Slowly the understanding came upon me as their collective spokesman for the evening announced. “not really Kev.”My moment with the Murphs was at an end. They had spoken. They returned to standing and not talking to each other. Normal service was resumed. |
Cardiff 14
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