Match Report

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05 February 1921 • KO 14:00

33 v 16

Lonsdale Park, Workington

Attendance: 10000

Referee : A Hesford

Match Stats
7   Tries   2
5   Conversions   1
1   Penalties   4
0   Drop Goals   0

Match Report

England
It was "the Welsh international that never was". England's opponents on this day in history were the "Other Nationalities", a side open to anyone resident in the UK but didn't qualify for England. The Other Nationalities eventually competed in the European Championships after World War II to add a fourth side to the competition.

However on this occasion, for the first and only time in this side's history, all of the players selected for the Other Nationalities side were Welsh. However the rugby league authorities refused to recognise and rename this as a Welsh international, despite calls at the time to do so.

One of the Other Nationalities players, Wickham Powell, remains as a unique player, one who played for a fully Welsh born side against England, but didn't win a Welsh cap. We have no record of the Other Nationalities captain, but as Gwyn Thomas captained Wales against England just a few weeks earlier, it could have been him.

The report from "Athletic News" on Monday 07 February 1921 is printed below, and as you can see, even they called the "Other Nationalities" side "Wales". Sadly though, officially it wasn't.

Team Lists and Scoring Information

England Tries Goals DGs Pts Cards
1 William Rhodes 1 6 15
2 Billy Stone 2 6
3 Harold Wagstaff 1 3
4 Billy Batten
5 Jim Owen 1 3
6 Joe Brittain 1 3
7 Jonty Parkin
8 Joe Cartwright
9 Billy Cunliffe
10 Rothwell Marlor
11 Herman Hilton
12 Doug Clark 1 3
13 Ernie Shaw
Other Nations Tries Goals DGs Pts Cards
1 Gwyn Thomas
2 Wick Powell
3 Wyndham Emery
4 Willie Davies
5 Bryn Williams
6 Johnny Rogers 1 3
7 Sydney Jerram
8 Fred Willis
9 Bernard Gould
10 Percy Coldrick
11 Jack Beames
12 Ben Gronow 1 5 13
13 George Whitney
Time Score Player Team Action
9 0 - 3 Billy Stone England Try
10 0 - 5 William Rhodes England Conversion
20 0 - 5 Jack Beames Other Nations Replacement Off
23 0 - 8 Doug Clark England Try
24 0 - 10 William Rhodes England Conversion
25 3 - 10 Ben Gronow Other Nations Try
30 3 - 13 William Rhodes England Try
35 3 - 16 Billy Stone England Try
36 3 - 18 William Rhodes England Conversion
39 6 - 18 Johnny Rogers Other Nations Try
40 8 - 18 Ben Gronow Other Nations Conversion
46 10 - 18 Ben Gronow Other Nations Penalty
50 12 - 18 Ben Gronow Other Nations Penalty
61 12 - 21 Harold Wagstaff England Try
62 12 - 23 William Rhodes England Conversion
65 14 - 23 Ben Gronow Other Nations Penalty
68 16 - 23 Ben Gronow Other Nations Penalty
71 16 - 25 William Rhodes England Penalty
76 16 - 28 Joe Brittain England Try
79 16 - 31 Jim Owen England Try
80 16 - 33 William Rhodes England Conversion