One for the record books

As well as the final score of this year’s XV match against Llandovery, the team sheet makes interesting reading. With a Lowry, a Hartman, a Morris, a Thomas and two Conquers, the XV includes six sons of OBs as well as the grandson of a former Head and the son of the current Head, it must be surely be one for the record books.

But it was particularly memorable for K Thomas, whose father (James S Thomas, SHB 1987-1992) played the same fixture in 1990 and 1991, whose uncle  (Richard T Thomas, SHB 1987-1994) captained the 1993/94 XV, whose aunt (Suzy C Thomas, DEW 1995-1997) played for the Girls Hockey XI in 1995/96 and captained the 1996/97 side, and whose great-grandfather (Cecil G Thomas, School House 1921-1925) played for the XV a century ago. Huw Richards enthuses, 

This season has been marked by so many ‘sons of OBs’ being selected in the starting XV for 1st XV matches. With six in the team on Saturday, the day was paticularly memorable for one – K Thomas. Not only is he the son of an OB, he is also a nephew of two other OBs and the great-grandson of another; both grandson and great-grandfather have now played in winning sides. Saturday was a special day but things like this make it even more significant. Well done the Thomas family.

A dip into the Archive reveals more of the 1924 match in which K Thomas's great-grandfather played. The Brecon win (6-0) was only the second away win in the fixture's history and therefore an especially thrilling event. The joy felt by the school is evident in the Editorial of The Breconian of that year. 

One of the two tries against Llandovery was scored by Cecil G Thomas, a right wing three-quarter “with a good pair of hands” and great-grandfather of this year’s No.14. Cecil Thomas is reported as running at great pace to score in the corner. In a match that was played in squally wind and lashing rain, his try settled the match and the final score of 6-0 became the tenth win against the old foes.

In that 1924/25 season, the Christ College XV won 10 of their 12 games, scoring 339 points with only 33 points against them. Under the captainship of Windsor H Lewis (School House 1919-1925), who made his Welsh debut against Ireland at Swansea in 1926, the team included W Guy Morgan (School House 1918-1926). Capped 8 times for Wales, the remarkably talented Guy Morgan captained the Wales XV in 1929 and in the same year captained Glamorgan CC at the age of 21.   

In the following 1925/26 season, the continuing strength of the Christ College XV again lay in its all-round excellence and clever forward play. Captained by L L John Davies (School House 1919-1927), later an Oxford Blue who played for Cardiff RFC alongside W G Morgan and W H Lewis, the Christ College XV won 10 of their 13 games, with 340 points for and 63 points against.

It’s easy to imagine how much that season’s Llandovery match was anticipated. With such a strong side there were hopes of a certain second consecutive victory. Regrettably a cold winter left the pitches frozen and the 1925 fixture was never played, with the result that Cecil Thomas only ever played for a winning side against Llandovery.  

One hundred years after that 1924 win, in 2024 Cecil’s great-grandson played in another winning side.