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However, in the aftermath of the Welsh debacle against the tourists, young forwards who could scrummage were eagerly considered, and Webb was chosen against Scotland in 1907. This match was the last time that Wales fielded seven forwards and eight backs, born first by the All Blacks 'Rover' and attempted by Wales as a new revolutionary format, but Wales lost to Scotland 3-6, and Webb called it the hardest eighty minutes of his life.

 

The year of 1908 brought Wales five victories and on 22nd December 1908, Webb led his side to a 3-3 draw with the first Australians, the club's greatest achievement until Abertillery won the Welsh Club Championship in 1929-30. In a fierce encounter in wind and rain, the valley club rose splendidly to the occasion with Webb and his pack (known as the 'terrible eight') pounding the Wallabies unmercifully through loose foot and hand forward rushes.

 

After the surprise defeat at Twickenham in 1910 where Webb had a try disallowed, the Welsh pack completely outplayed Scotland in terrible mud at Cardiff. For strength, speed, cleverness, and sheer courage, the Welsh eight's performance has rarely been surpassed. Webb was in fine form, loose dribbling in unison with the rest of the pack in unstoppable fashion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was chosen as first reserve for the South African tour (shown second from right inset above) and although not truly representative of British rugby, the side included nineteen internationals. Having been summoned to strengthen the pack, Webb played in ten out of the last eleven matches on tour, including the three test matches. He proved one of the star forwards, but the series was lost by two tests to one. It was he who got the 'Lions' to wear knee-pads on the rock hard pitches.

 

Webb was again at the heart of the Welsh forward effort that lifted the Grand Slam in 1911. Indeed, he scored one of the three tries that took the triple-crown against Ireland, when the Welsh pack slogged to victory in a tactically planned tight game. Between 1908 and 1911, Webb had played in 17 consecutive matches for his country, and only one had been lost. His international career finished after leading the pack in the rousing victory over Scotland in 1912.

 

He was regarded as too slow and too old, but he continued to play consistently well for his club. He was mentioned as a possible captain of Wales against the Springboks. Before the international he had captained Monmouthshire in their 0-16 defeat by the 1912 tourists, when the jumbo sized Springbok pack was out-scrummaged and out-stayed by the Gwent eight.

 

But immediately after the game, Webb impulsively joined St Helens rugby league club, following a row with the Welsh selectors. He felt there was too much 'old school tie' around. He was past his prime and only played five league games. He retired and went to live and work as a miner near his birthplace in the Forest of Dean where he died in 1955.

 

Jim Webb was a great scrummager who played in three triple-crown triumphs, earned 19 consecutive caps for Wales between 1907-12 and starred for the 1910 British side in South Africa. These are outstanding achievements for a man who played all his rugby union for almost a 'second class' club since Abertillery only gained first class status in 1908.

 

Webb was a big, solid chunk of a man, just under six feet tall and fourteen stones of muscle. He was the perfect build and type of forward required for Wales by the Welsh selectors during the Golden Era, when sacrifices in line out capability and open play were made in order to secure uniformity of size in the scrummage. Webb was a tremendous, tireless scrummaging forward, but he also excelled at the line-outs, in mauls, and in loose rushes. As a youngster, Webb learnt his rugby on the streets of the Monmouthshire valleys and always referred to himself and his great friend, Jake Blackmore as 'ash heap' players.

 

Webb himself was a modest man but almost defiantly loyal to his origins and his club which he captained in 1909-10. He had played several seasons at club and county level before he came to prominence for Monmouthshire against the first Springboks on Boxing Day 1906. The county team's pack put up a solid hard performance but were generally out-thought and out-manoeuvred, and the Springboks won 17-0.

TYLERI TALES: THE MODEST, HARD MAN; Jim Webb, Abertillery’s first “Lion”

Webb in his Welsh shirt for the 1907 season