Gareth Southgate famously pointed out in his letter before the 2021 football Euros that only around 1,200 people had ever represented England men’s senior team at football. Ever.
It’s roughly the same with the Wales rugby team.
Just 1,179 people have pulled on the men’s red shirt over 141 years.
For every single one of them, the pride in the achievement must be immense.
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Not all may remember that certain players featured, however.
We turn back the clock to offer a reminder about some of those whose time on the Test scene passed too quickly.
James Bater
The Swansea back rower appeared off the bench in the World Cup audition against Romania in 2003, joining fellow Test new boys Nathan Brew, Jon Bryan, Brent Cockbain, Mike Phillips, Andy Williams and Paul Young. Bater had earned his cap on the back of some excellent club form, but he didn’t win another. He retired at 29 because of a neck injury, later becoming a dentist.
Jason Forster
A hard-case flanker who didn’t take a step back — one on-pitch ding-dong with then Llanelli prop Phil John should have been promoted by Don King — Forster won his solitary Wales cap under Mike Ruddock against Argentina in Tucuman in 2004. The openside added a steel coating to every team he played for. Went on to be an ambassador for the Dragons and become a registered social care manager.
Greg Prosser
Formed a fine lock partnership at Pontypridd with Mark Rowley and went to the 1995 World Cup, winning a cap against a New Zealand side that contained Jonah Lomu, Andrew Mehrtens, Sean Fitzpatrick, Josh Kronfeld, Ian Jones and Walter Little. The game itself didn’t end happily for Wales, with their cause not helped by team manager Geoff Evans’ pre-match suggestion that they were bigger, faster, fitter and stronger than the All Blacks. They weren’t, as a 34-9 beating proved. Police officer Prosser was a grafter on the pitch but didn’t feature for his country again.
Terry Shaw
Made his Wales debut in a dismal team performance against Romania in Bucharest in 1983, which ended in a 24-6 defeat for the visitors, after which home captain Mircea Paraschiv summed up: “My only dangerous opponent was the referee — he put his finger in my eye.” None of it was truly Shaw’s fault — certainly not the bit about the ref jabbing the Romania skipper in the eye. An excellent club player, Shaw had been selected out of position as middle jumper, even though he was more used to a front-of-the-line role. Wales' lineout misfired hopelessly, and the big man never played for his country again. Became head of engineering services for Caerphilly Borough Council.
Jon Bryant
There were not many harder tacklers in Welsh rugby than Jon Bryant during his stadium-shaking pomp for Pontypidd. One encounter against London Irish saw him jolt their South African player-coach Brendan Venter back in the tackle. Venter, as far removed from a soft centre as it was possible to be, wagged his finger at his opposite number. "He told me that there was a long way to go and that they were going to win," said Bryant. “I replied that he was the one on the floor.” Bryant made his only Wales appearance against Romania in August 2003. He subsequently went into coaching.
Alan Edmunds
He scored more tries in 1989-90 than some players manage in their entire careers. There were 45 for Neath in that thunderous campaign for the Welsh All Blacks, one of which came against New Zealand. A Test appearance for their free-scoring wing came in the Five Nations, against Ireland, but no more followed. The effervescent Edmunds moved into the construction industry.
Stuart Parfitt
Won his two caps out of Swansea in 1990, debuting against Namibia in Windoek before facing the Barbarians in Cardiff, when he opposed Joe Stanley and Jeremy Guscott in midfield — the rugby equivalent of a young boxer taking on Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard at the same time. A cultured centre, Parfitt had started with Bridgend and later figured for with South Wales Police. Went on to become a chief superintendent in the force.
John Funnell
Just the two caps for the former Neath centre, who had formed a superb club partnership with Leigh Davies with his fast hands giving his hard-running and skilful mate that split-second extra to do his stuff. Figured for Wales against Zimbabwe and in the ill-fated clash with South Africa at Loftus Versfeld in 1998, when the tourists were swamped 96-13. Funnell went on to run his own decorative living company in Hay on Wye called Llewellyn & Company specialising in French furniture.
Nick Walne
Very bright and very quick, Cambridge graduate Walne represented his country three times in the Graham Henry era, with Wales winning on each occasion. One of his caps saw him feature off the bench in the unforgettable win over England at Wembley in 1999. Walne played his club rugby with Richmond and Cardiff. Has enjoyed a successful career in finance and industry.
Rhys Oakley
The memory is still fresh of Rhys Oakley walking out onto Lansdowne Road an hour or so after the Ireland v Wales game had finished in August 2003 and taking pictures of the pitch, the empty stands and terraces. The amiable forward had just played his first game for Wales. It was good to see a player stopping to appreciate the significance of the occasion and taking it all in — not all of them do. The assumption was the 6ft 4in back rower would play many more times at Test level. But just one more cap was to come, against Scotland a fortnight later. He recovered from cancer in 2019, subsequently returning to coach with Hartpury.
Anthony Sullivan
The son of rugby league legend Clive Sullivan, he had a deserved reputation as a lethal finisher himself in the 13-man code, with more than 200 tries to back up that statement. He had two stints with Cardiff in rugby union, the second of which brought him a couple of caps in 2001. His union Test debut saw Wales beaten 30-16 at home by Argentina, with the Graham Henry era heading for its final days. An outing with Tonga followed and that was that for Sullivan on the Test scene at 15-a-side. He later worked as a plasterer before establishing himself as a personal trainer and going on to own his own gym. For his finishing skill alone, he maybe deserved more union caps.
Tal Selley
Your starter for 10: Who was the first player to play for all four Welsh rugby regions?
Look no further than Taliesin Selley.
Peripatetic he may have been, but he had a fine career which saw him win a full cap against the USA on tour in 2005 and be named as player of the tournament when Wales won the World Cup Sevens in 2009. Selley could play wing or centre, ran strongly and scored tries. The west Walian went on to become an oil worker
Warren Fury
Wales took the scrum-half from Swansea to South Africa with them in 2008 and played him in the two Tests against the Springboks. Fury had been impressing with London Irish. But there were to be no further Test opportunities for him, with Mike Phillips dominating the postition. Fury went on to spend time with Wasps, Leeds, Bath and Newcastle before retiring as a player in 2012.
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