Will Joseph (May 10, 1877 – 1959) was a Welsh international

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring

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. He played club rugby for

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

and county rugby for Glamorgan. Joseph was seen as the outstanding forward of the early 20th century Swansea team, during an excellent period in the 'All Whites' history. He was recognised as a strong player in tight scrums and due to his height, excellent in line outs.Smith (1980), pg 136.Parry-Jones (1999), pg 143.

International career

Wales

Joseph made his debut for

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

against England at Blackheath in 1902 at the age of 23. Joseph played in three Triple Crown winning campaigns, but his greatest moment on the field was when he played against the touring 1905

in the famous ''

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''. Joseph's international career fell apart in 1906 after a match against the touring

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. Although having played with great merit in an earlier match against South Africa with county side Glamorgan; in which he scored a try,Parry-Jones (1999), pg 183. Joseph was dropped after the international game. The Welsh pack in that game was dreadful and the selection committee decided to change the entire Welsh pack, regardless of individual play.Thomas (1979), pg 38. Joseph's Wales career ended after 16 caps at the age of 28. left, 1905 Wales squad, Joseph, back row, third from right

International games playedSmith (1980), pg 468.

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1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906 *

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

1902, 1903, 1905, 1906 *

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

1905 *

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906 *

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1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph, Will 1877 births 1959 deaths 19th-century Welsh sportsmen 20th-century Welsh sportsmen Glamorgan County RFC players Rugby union players from Morriston Rugby union props Swansea RFC players Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players