Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

scarlet jersey of Wales alongside D.H.Bowen, a Llanelli schoolteacher, as full-backs. The side also included David Gwynn, the star cricketer from Swansea Working Men’s club, and Thomas Judson, the science master at Llandovery College, who made his Welsh debut as one of the forwards. He made only one subsequent appearance before moving to teach at Highgate School in 1883. Although not winning any further Welsh caps, Judson retained his involvement in rugby, playing for London Welsh and serving as their treasurer. His close friendship with C.P. no doubt explains why Lewis played for London Welsh a few years later when he was ‘up in town’ as part of his training as a solicitor. The selection of the two Llandovery masters for the match against England may well have been the result of their outstanding play the previous week when the College – to C.P.’s delight – defeated Swansea. However, the international saw England win by two goals and four tries to nil, as the Welsh side – so used to a forwards-dominated style with mauls and rucks – were run off their feet by a new system of three-quarters play, led by the powerful running wing Gregory Wade of Richmond. In the words of the South Wales Daily News , ‘the passing of the [English] backs was brilliant in the extreme and the Welshmen 82 The Lone Full Back Lewis, third from the right in the middle row, was captain of this Welsh side which defeated Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin in June 1882, the Principality’s first rugby win.