Allen Forward: Difference between revisions

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1921|6|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Cwmavon, Torfaen|Cwmavon]], [[Wales]]

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1994|01|01|1921|6|4|df=yes}}

| death_place = [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], [[Wales]]

| ru_nationalyears = 1951-19521951–1952

| ru_nationalpoints = (0)

'''Allen Forwardforward''' (4 June 1921 &ndash;– 1 January 1994)<ref name="espn_aforward">{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/wales/rugby/player/5372.html|title=Allen Forward|accessdate=31 May 2011|work=ESPN Scrum.com}}</ref> was a [[Wales|Welsh]] [[rugby union]] [[Rugby union positions#Forwards|forward]] who favoured the position of [[Flanker (rugby union)|flanker]].<ref name="espn_aforward" /> Forward played club rugby for [[Pontypool RFC|Pontypool]] and various Police teams. He played in six internationals for [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and was part of the 1952 Grand Slam winning side. Forward also played for an invitational touring team, [[Barbarian F.C.|the Barbarians]], and twice met international opposition for Pontypool: South Africa in 1951 and New Zealand in 1954.

Forward was first selected for the Wales national team as part of the [[1951 Five Nations Championship]], filling the role left by [[Ray Cale]], who had turned professional the previous year.<ref>Smith (1980) p.336</ref> Forward was chosen as a flanker<ref name="epsn_19510203" /> for the second Wales game of the tournament, played away against Scotland. Forward was the only change to the previous team that had easily beaten England two weeks before. Wales crashed to a 19-019–0 loss to the Scots.<ref name="epsn_19510203">{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19699.html |title=Five Nations -– Murrayfield, 3 February 1951: Scotland (3) 19 -– 0 (0) Wales |accessdate=31 May 2011|work=ESPN Scrum.com}}</ref> Forward was left out for the final two games of the Championship.

During the 1951/52 season, Forward faced the [[1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour|touring South Africa]]n team twice. His first encounter was as part of a joint Pontypool / [[Newbridge RFC|Newbridge]] team that met the Springboks on 18 October 1951. Forward was only one of two internationals in the joint club side, the other being [[Don Hayward]]. South Africa won 15-615–6. His second encounter, playing in his usual role as a flanker,<ref name="epsn_19511222"/> was his second international cap for Wales, and his second international defeat. The game was played at the National Stadium in Cardiff and Wales lost 6-36–3.<ref name="epsn_19511222">{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19718.html |title=South Africa tour -– Cardiff, 22 December 1951: Wales (3) 3 -– 6 (0) South Africa |accessdate=31 May 2011 |work=ESPN Scrum.com}}</ref><ref>Stent (1952), p.160</ref>

Although Forward had not had the best start to his international career, the [[1952 Five Nations Championship]] would see a reverse in his fortunes as Wales lifted the Championship title and won the [[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]]. Forward played in all four Wales' games of the tournament as a flanker, with wins over England (8-68–6)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19724.html |title=Five Nations -– Twickenham, 19 January 1952: England (6) 6 -– 8 (5) Wales |accessdate=31 May 2011 |work=ESPN Scrum.com}}</ref> and Ireland (14-314–3)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19730.html |title=Five Nations -– Lansdowne Road, 8 March 1952, Ireland (0) 3 -– 14 (9) Wales |accessdate=31 May 2011 |work=ESPN Scrum.com}}</ref> away, and Scotland (11-011–0)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19726.html |title=Five Nations -– Cardiff, 2 February 1952: Wales (8) 11 -– 0 (0) Scotland |accessdate=31 May 2011 |work=ESPN Scrum.com}}</ref> and France (9-59–5)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19732.html |title=Five Nations -– Swansea, 22 March 1952: Wales (3) 9 -– 5 (5) France |accessdate=31 May 2011 |work=ESPN Scrum.com}}</ref> at home. The France game was Forward's final international appearance. The 1951/52 season also saw him chosen for invitational touring team, the Barbarians, playing in two matches of the tour, against [[Cardiff RFC|Cardiff]] and [[Newport RFC|Newport]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Starmer-Smith |first=Nigel |title=The Barbarians |year=1977 |publisher=Macdonald & Jane's Publishers|location=|page=222 |isbn=0-86007-552-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/archive/profile/4113/a-forward/ |title=Player Archive - A. Forward |accessdate=26 January 2019 |work=barbarianfc.co.uk}}</ref>

After 1952, Forward continued playing rugby at club level, and for the 1953/54 season he was selected as captain of the senior Pontypool side.<ref name="Jenkins">Jenkins (1991), p. 60</ref> He continued in his role as captain, when a joint Pontypool / [[Cross Keys RFC|Cross Keys]] team was selected to face the [[1953–54 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America|1952/53 touring New Zealand side]]. Forward was the only international cap in the joint side, which lost to the All Blacks 19-619–6. During the second half of the match Forward was almost on the score sheet with a [[Try (rugby)|try]], when he pounced on a cross kick in the All Blacks area; but the referee disallowed it.<ref>{{cite book |last=Billot |first=John |title=All Blacks in Wales |year=1972 |publisher=Ron Jones Publications |location=Ferndale |page=153|isbn=}}</ref>