The 2021 autumn series was marred by two idiots invading the field of play in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The first took place before kick off in the Wales v New Zealand clash as a social media narcissist (who hadn’t even bothered to get the right kit and had an ‘oh so funny and original’ number…
(UPDATED) Shades of Red: A brief history of Wales playing only fourteen men
UPDATED: This article builds on an original article from 15/02/2021 In 755 Welsh Test matches since 1881, 16 players have been dismissed when facing Wales. Six of these sending offs happened in 2021. The first six dismissals of a Welsh opponent occurred between 1888 and 2006 (it was not possible to be dismissed between 1881…
Alun Wyn Jones, Wales and the Pie Chart of Durability
Last Saturday Alun Wyn Jones won his 149th Welsh cap. The number took him past New Zealand’s Richie McCaw to make him the most capped player for one team in the history of international rugby. Jones has also won a dozen caps in total for the British and Irish Lions, meaning his total international appearances…
Survivors of Wales v Samoa 1991 share memories of grief 30 years on
Thirty years to the day since Western Samoa (now Manu Samoa) conquered Wales in Cardiff, surviving spectators of that fateful day have come together on social media to support each other. Led by East Terrace editor, James Stafford, stories are being shared under the hashtag #WalvSam1991 to mark the 16-13 loss to Samoa that helped…
East Terrace editor James Stafford to release book on 1905 Wales v New Zealand game
On October 22nd, 2021, East Terrace editor, James Stafford, releases ‘How Wales Beat the Mighty All Blacks‘. Illustrated by Carys Feehan and published in hardback by Y Lolfa (edited by Carolyn Hodges), the book tells the story of rugby immortal Gwyn Nicholls and his comeback to face the legendary 1905 All Blacks. While aimed at…
Illustrating Welsh rugby history – A discussion with the Welsh National Library and the People’s Collection Wales
In late February this year, East Terrace editor James Stafford and illustrator Raluca Moldovan released ‘An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby: Fun, Facts and Stories from 140 Years of International Rugby’. As part of the book’s launch, Stafford featured in a webinar hosted by the National Library of Wales (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol), which you can watch…
Shades of Red (Part II): A brief history of Wales playing with only fourteen men
Our recent piece looking at each occasion Wales benefited from playing against shorthanded opponents was quite a success. So we’ve decided to follow it with another stroll down a red mist tinged memory lane, this time taking a look at the fateful moments that saw Wales reduced to inferior numbers. In 745 Welsh Test matches…
Shades of Red: A brief history of Wales playing only fourteen men
Wales’s 2021 Six Nations has begun in a somewhat bizarre fashion, with both their opening opponents getting reduced to fourteen men after red cards. This is the first time in Wales’s history they’ve benefited in consecutive matches from playing against a team permanently reduced to 14 men. In 745 Welsh Test matches since 1881, 12…
Shades of Gray – a look at the winning record of all international Welsh rugby coaches
Who are the most successful head coaches in Welsh international history, and why is Tony Gray’s record consistently misreported? There are few things so addictive to the sports fans as statistics. And there are few things so consistently misleading or open to flawed interpretation as statistics. But sports people love lists. A list detailing the success…
East Terrace launches ‘The 1988 Range’ of rugby tshirts and other goodies
To celebrate the launch of ‘An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby: Fun, Facts and Stories from 140 Years of International Rugby‘, The East Terrace is proud to launch ‘The 1988 Range‘. Inspired by the artwork of Raluca Moldovan, our Redbubble shop will sell a range of t-shirts and other items. Working on very special range…
Release date confirmed for ‘An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby’ by James Stafford
‘An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby: Fun, Facts and Stories from 140 years of International Rugby‘ from East Terrace editor James Stafford and illustrator Raluca Moldovan will be published on 11th February by Polaris Publishing. The book was extensively featured on the Welsh Rugby Union website recently and has already attracted a lot of interest…
East Terrace editor to publish history of Welsh national rugby team
The founder and editor of The East Terrace, James Stafford, is set to publish his first rugby book. In February 2021, Polaris Publishers will release “An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby: Fun Facts and Stories from 140 Years of International Rugby“. It will be the first in a series and followed by the history of…