On Saturday, October 17, Llandovery College face Christ College, Brecon, for the 129th time in a fixture first played in 1879 at Builth Wells, some two years before the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union.

The inter-school clash that former Western Mail sports editor, the legendary JBG Thomas, came to call “Wales’s Own Varsity Match” has been played over three centuries.

JBG – whom rugby historian John Griffiths rated as “the last of the great professional Welsh rugby-writing characters” – considered it to be the annual highlight of the schoolboy game across the length and breadth of Great Britain.

Christ College may have won just 29 of the matches and drawn 10, but that hides the ferocity and quality of their challenge over the years.

Three commemorative programmes marking the 75th match in 1973, the centenary fixture in 1979 and the 100th match in 1988
Three commemorative programmes marking the 75th match in 1973, the centenary fixture in 1979 and the 100th match in 1988 (Huw S Thomas)

The ferocity remains, respect too, as was shown at the recent reunion of the two teams that played in the centenary match in 1979, when – 45 years later – old boys flew back from the corners of the earth to meet up with teammates and opponents alike at the Cardiff and County Club.

Old Breconian and British Lion Rob Ackerman flew in from Australia and Llandoverian wing Bleddyn Rees from the USA for a night of rugby tales and reminiscences that carried on long into the morning.

Interviewed by BBC’s Phil Steele, both captains, Rowland Rees-Evans – standing in for Shaun Parry-Jones – and Simon Griffin spoke with great passion about the privilege of being part of this historic fixture and how the game had created lifelong friendships between Llandoverians and Breconians.

“Fierce, frantic and wonderful” were the words that the great *Times* journalist Vivian Jenkins used to describe the clash, having played for Llandovery in their 11-6 win in 1928.

Writing in the Brecon-Llandovery centenary match programme in 1979, Jenkins explained the mystique of the game and its everlasting legacy.

He insisted that the tension and pressure he experienced before the game were greater than those he had known either as a Welsh international or even a British Lion.

“This time-honoured match between our two schools has forged a bond between the Old Boys of both that lives on remarkably in after years. Mutual respect, I dare say – ‘To honour, as you strike him down, the foe who comes with fearless eyes’ (from *Clifton College* by Henry Newbolt).”

Post-war British Lions Rees Stephens, Kingsley Jones, Geoff Evans, Rob Ackerman, George North and Alun Wyn Jones cut their competitive teeth in the Brecon match before enjoying glittering careers on the world stage.

A young George North, who went on to become a Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby international
A young George North, who went on to become a Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby international (.)

No fewer than seven Old Llandoverians have captained Wales, starting with the great CP Lewis, through Gwyn Jones and up to Alun Wyn Jones, who also captained the British and Irish Lions on their tour to South Africa in 2021.

Christ College can boast that three old boys were picked for the Welsh team that beat New Zealand 3-0 in 1905, in the most famous game in the history of our national game.

Right wing Willie Llewellyn and loose forward Scethrog Williams were part of the legendary win, but it was left wing Teddy Morgan who gained everlasting fame with the try that beat the All Blacks.

But the game was also historic in that it was the first time that *Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau* had been sung at a rugby international.

Before kick-off, the hitherto unbeaten All Blacks Originals performed their challenging *haka*, but the Welsh team were determined to respond in their own fashion.

The press reported that it was Old Breconian Teddy Morgan who led and encouraged teammates and the 47,000-strong crowd alike to bellow out the national anthem as a gesture of true Welsh defiance.

Both schools have produced over 70 internationals between them, are sure to keep on providing players for Wales for years to come and continue their invaluable contribution to the national cause.

Llandovery started off the season with an impressive 45-7 win away at Millfield, lost 38-35 to Ysgol Glantaf before beating Coleg Llandrillo 24-7 and Whitchurch High School 35-30 in the highly competitive Welsh Schools and Colleges League.

Christ College no longer play in the league, preferring to face more old friends in the independent school sector than suffer the all-too-physical demands that a small school faces against big comprehensive schools and colleges.

They started off shakily against Monmouth, losing 42-19, recovered well to beat Kingswood 42-12 and were far from disgraced in holding Millfield to 38-12.

They lost 40-22 to Clifton College, who had already taken powerful Sedbergh’s scalp 24-5, a result that puts the Brecon effort against Clifton into very good light.

On Saturday, nothing is likely to equal the brilliance of fly-half Dai Gealy’s five tries in Llandovery’s 31-5 win in the 1956 match, but one thing is sure.

David Gealy, the fly-half who scored five tries in Llandovery College’s 31-5 win in the 1956 fixture
David Gealy, the fly-half who scored five tries in Llandovery College’s 31-5 win in the 1956 fixture (.)

Christ College will go into the game as underdogs, as have generations of Breconians before them, but they will fight tooth and nail to the very end in the true tradition of this great fixture.