As the darkened leaves blew across the River Taff yesterday, it felt like a proper Autumn day in the Welsh capital.

A feeling of deja vu as yet again Wales faced the Wallabies, a fixture that used to be so rare, and exotic, but these days is an almost annual occurrence, but on this occasion, after thirteen consecutive defeats Wales were the victors.

On the eve of Remembrence Sunday it was appropriate to reflect on darker times, when Wales and Australia united, and fought a much tougher battle, on foreign fields, where many of them would pay the ultimate price.

I hope this roll call will continue to keep the names of those heroes alive, and remind us  that when all is said and done, there are much more important things in life than rugby, and although at times this is something we all tend to forget, one thing is for certain, we should always remember those brave men listed below.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

THE 13 WELSH INTERNATIONALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR

Richard Thomas

Born: Ferndale, 14 October 1883.

Killed in action : Mametz Wood 7 July 1916.
Wales: Four caps, 1906-1909.

John Lewis Williams
Born: Whitchurch, Cardiff, 3 January 1882.
Died of wounds: Corbie 12 July 1916.
Wales: 17 caps, 1906-1911.

David Westacott
Born: Cardiff, 10 October 1882.
Killed in action: Wieltje, 28 August 1917.
Wales: One cap, 1906.

Horace Wyndham Thomas
Born: Pentyrch, 28 July 1890.
Killed in action: Ancre, 3 September 1916.
Wales : Two caps, 1912-1913.

Richard Davies Garnons Williams
Born: Llowes, Radnorshire, 15 June, 1856.
Killed in Action: 25 September 1915 while leading his battalion at the Battle of Loos.
Wales: One cap, 1881.

Charles Gerald Taylor
Born: Ruabon, North Wales, 8 May 1863.
Killed in action: 24 January, 1915 at the Battle of Dogger Bank when his ship HMS Tiger was hit by fire from German cruiser SMS Blucher.
Wales: Nine caps, 1884-1887.

Louis “Lou” Augustus Phillips
Born: Newport, Monmouthsire, 24 February 1878.
Killed in action: Cambrai, on 14 March 1916.
Wales: Four caps, 1900-1901.

Charles Mayrick Pritchard
Born: Newport, Monmouthshire, 30 September 1882
Died of wounds: 14 August, casualty clearing station, Western Front.
Wales: 14 caps, 1904-1910.

Phillip Dudley Waller
Born: Bath, Somerset, 28 January 1889.
Killed in action: Hit by shellfire, 14 December 1917, Arras.
Wales: Six caps, 1908-1910.

Brinley Richard Lewis
Born: 4, January 1891, Pontardawe.
Killed in action: 2 April, 1917 Ypres, France, hit by shellfire.
Wales: Two caps, 1912-193.

William “Billy” Purdon Geen
Born: 14 March 1891, Newport, Monmouthshire.
Killed in action: Hooge, Flanders, 31 July, 1915.
Wales: Three caps, 1912-1913.

Fred Leonard Perrett
Born: Briton Ferry, 9 May 1891.
Died of wounds: 1 December 1918, in a clearing station weeks after the armistice.
Wales: Five caps, 1912-1913

David Watts
Born: Maesteg 14 March 1886.
Killed in action : 14 July 1916 at Bazentin Ridge, France.
Wales: Four caps, 1914.

THE THREE WELSH INTERNATIONALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR II

Cecil Rhys Davies  (1 Cap)

John R Evans   (1 Cap)

Maurice J.L. Turnbull   (2 Caps)

An estimated sixty Wallabies enlisted in the armed forces to fight in World War I

THE 10 AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR

Blair Inskip Swannell   25 April 1915

Edward Rennix Larkin   25 April 1915

Harold Wesley George   10 May 1915

Frederick Herbert Thompson   29 May 1915

Arthur Verge   8 September 1915

George Harold Pugh   5 September 1916

Herbert Jones   4 November 1916

Clarence Wallach MC   22 April 1918

Bryan Desmond Hughes MC   6 August 1918

William George Tasker   9 August 1918

At least 139 Wallabies served in Word War II, including fourteen of the fifteen players that played in the last test against New Zealand, on 13 August 1938, six of this team lost their lives:

THE AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR II

Michael Clifford     9 October 1942

Edwin Sautelle Hayes   12 January 1942

Eric Ebsworth Hutchinson  27 January 1943

Winston Phillip James Ide   12 September 1944

Russell Lindsay Frederick Kelly   25 December 1943

Frederick Raymond Kerr    23 April 1941

Clifford Walter Patrick Lang   4 March 1942

Kenelm McKenzie Ramsay   1 March 1942