An embryonic superstar lines up with different teams in the months before Wales contrived to lose him at the age of 18. This is as generations of admirers will never have seen him before, a teenage sensation posing alongside team-mates and opponents alike in photographs of some historical significance.
Each is a one-off, marking what ought to have been stepping stones to his taking Cardiff Arms Park by storm for club and country as befitting a boy from Tiger Bay with the world at his feet. Instead, the pictures offer a haunting reminder of how Wales failed to provide him with the stage worthy of his exceptional ability.
His ambition, to play for Cardiff at the Arms Park, ought to have been but a matter of time from his success as a 14-year-old centre in the city’s all-conquering schools’ XV, playing outside a fly-half from the same street in dockland Butetown.
While the No.10, Joe Erskine, would become arguably the most stylish of all British heavyweight boxers, his friend and neighbour in Angelina Street did get to play on the Arms Park but never for his hometown team. His performances for the famous dockland club, the CIACS, made him the most talked-about 15-year-old in the game.
How ironic that the greatest British try-scorer of all time on either side of the rugby Rubicon should not have been deemed good enough to represent a club self-styled as ‘The Greatest’.
On September 5, 1951, Boston played for a Cardiff & District team drawn from the city’s junior clubs in what used to be Cardiff RFC’s traditional opening of the season. Dr Jack Matthews, the club’s famously armour-plated Lion, greeted his opposite number with a tackle which broke his collarbone.
This story is from the July 05, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 05, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BRAVE BOSTON HAVE STRUCK IT RICH
BOSTON’S Jordan Richards reckons his latest tale of the unexpected was his best yet – and he wants to stick around for another chapter.
JAMES BEATS STAGS DRUM
FORMER Southampton and England striker James Beattie says he is ‘excited’ to play his part in helping AFC Totton’s bid to climb the Non-League ladder.
WE'RE FEELING ON TOP OF THE WORLD
THE wonder of Wembley can alter the hearts and minds of the best of men – just ask Romford boss Dan Spinks.
HASSAN'S THE ASSASSIN!
Hero helps Boro write new chapter in history
ROB'S SO HAPPY TO RIGHT THE WRONGS
ROB ELLIOT says he knew Gateshead would win the FA Trophy when they went for a players’ night out to get over their play-off heartache, insisting there were “wrongs to be righted” at Wembley.
IT'S HEED OVER HEELS BUT SAD SOLIHULI PAY PENALTY AGA
IF EVER a final summed up the glory, heartbreak, agony and ecstasy of football this was it.
Perenara tops try list as 'Canes march on
TJ PERENARA became the all-time top Super Rugby try scorer as his table topping Hurricanes demolished the Waratahs.
You lived on the edge with Scotland
WHENEVER I cross paths with Paul Ackford, he always shouts across the room, “he taught me everything I knew!” Both of us were called into the England squad on the back of the London division’s famous win over Australia in 1988 but he got into the Test team later that year, and I didn’t.
Appleyard unhappy with date clashes
STAFFORDSHIRE head coach Andy Appleyard believes the RFU are ‘stealing opportunities away from quality players’ due to the opening round of the County Championship being played on the same day as the Papa John’s final.
Delighted to see Titans stand tall
THERE are some teams you grow particularly attached to over the decades and I make no apologies in numbering Rotherham Titans among those.
