November 21st, 1953, saw Cardiff defeat the All Blacks at the fourth attempt. Captain Bleddyn Williams had long planned tactics to conquer the New Zealanders, having gained much knowledge about their style of play during 1950 Lions tour. Simply put, his plan was to try to tire their much bigger pack by running them around the park. To his own forwards he said, ‘give me two-fifths possession of the ball and we’ll win’, knowing that the atmosphere of the Cardiff Arms Park was also worth a couple of points to the home team.
All the scoring was done in the first quarter, with Cardiff claiming first blood. Cliff Morgan received the ball from Rex Willis, put in a short punt ahead, raced up and caught the ball on the rebound from one of the defenders. He passed it to Alun. Thomas, who, after making some ground fed Gwyn Rowlands who cross-kicked towards the posts. Sid Judd, dashing up at full speed caught the ball and crashed over for a try underneath a group of All Black defenders. Gwyn Rowlands converted. The try was followed by a magnificent forty-five-yard penalty goal from R. A. Jarden. With the score at five points to three in Cardiff’s favour, the home pack was going great guns against its heavier opponents and the excitement intense. It reached fever pitch when, after another excellent pass from Rex Willis to Cliff Morgan, the ball reached Bleddyn Williams who put in a perfect short punt. The ball was gathered by Alun Thomas who raced up to Bob Scott the full-back before giving a long pass to Gwyn Rowlands who ran thirty yards and scored in the corner. The kick for goal failed. There was no more scoring and a superb defensive performance saw Cardiff triumph by eight points to three.
The Western Mail commented that:
All the scoring was done in the first quarter, with Cardiff claiming first blood. Cliff Morgan received the ball from Rex Willis, put in a short punt ahead, raced up and caught the ball on the rebound from one of the defenders. He passed it to Alun. Thomas, who, after making some ground fed Gwyn Rowlands who cross-kicked towards the posts. Sid Judd, dashing up at full speed caught the ball and crashed over for a try underneath a group of All Black defenders. Gwyn Rowlands converted. The try was followed by a magnificent forty-five-yard penalty goal from R. A. Jarden. With the score at five points to three in Cardiff’s favour, the home pack was going great guns against its heavier opponents and the excitement intense. It reached fever pitch when, after another excellent pass from Rex Willis to Cliff Morgan, the ball reached Bleddyn Williams who put in a perfect short punt. The ball was gathered by Alun Thomas who raced up to Bob Scott the full-back before giving a long pass to Gwyn Rowlands who ran thirty yards and scored in the corner. The kick for goal failed. There was no more scoring and a superb defensive performance saw Cardiff triumph by eight points to three.
The Western Mail commented that:
We do not think that the passing of the years will ever dim for us the gleam and glory of the historic encounter at the Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday, or tarnish the memory of Cliff Morgan’s darting and swooping across the turf and skimming past every obstacle like a swift at play. There was greatness in that clash of bone and sinew wherein the impenetrable object that was the Cardiff pack successfully withstood the supposedly irresistible force of the New Zealand ‘terrible eight’.