"We had another dose of resolve-builder on television when they re-ran film of the Llanelli game and a documentary was shown of the 1971 Lions’ victorious tour. You wouldn’t have thought that any players from England, Ireland or Scotland had even been on that tour…they made the All Blacks appear hopeless. All of which started a determination among us to succeed the next day".

Sid Going (Super Sid), 1978

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  Aside the motivational aspects given the tourists, as detailed in Sid Going’s book, the New Zealanders themselves were reminded constantly by Welsh patriots, while on Welsh soil, that their national side were going to ‘do them’ in the test.

  The December 2nd International pitted the All Blacks against a star-studded Welsh side, the best Welsh side in a generation. Past or future British Lions included; JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Roy Bergiers, John Bevan, Phil Bennett, Gareth Edwards, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor, Derek Quinnell, Delme Thomas and Jeff Young. 

  On the back of their famous win, the Llanelli captain, Delme Thomas, was chosen to lead his country against the All Blacks and Derek Quinnell was given a first start in a Welsh jersey, albeit at lock and not in his usual role as a loose forward (he had come on as a replacement for Mervyn Davies against France in March).

  Another 1971 Lion to New Zealand, Arthur Lewis - originally to captain the national side - was ruled out with a hamstring injury. His replacement, Jim Shanklin of London Welsh, had only one previous cap and that was in 1970.

  The All Blacks had been placed at the 'Seabank Hotel' in Porthcawl, 25 miles from Cardiff, on the edge of the Bristol Channel, the week leading up to the test. The venue had been used by touring teams for years. It offered the advantage of solitude, a quiet escape from the Welsh capital, its street corner philosophers and ardent well wishes.

  The serenity was welcomed by the touring party, but not so much the 1am (false) fire alarm that went off on the first night of their stay, where players (in a state of confusion) arrived in the hotel foyer, some in just their underpants.

  Bob Duff and the All Black forwards worked hard on their scrummaging all that week, as early winter descended into the Welsh valleys. Removed from the city, the New Zealanders worked equally hard on developing a match-winning attitude, during the evenings studying films of recent Welsh fixtures and tactics.

  Ernie Todd, on business in Cardiff on the Thursday, was mortified to discover that the plans to move the All Blacks to the Angel Hotel on Castle Street in Cardiff the following day were no longer possible, the Welsh Rugby Union having booked their own national side into the same establishment.

  There would be no room at the Inn for the New Zealanders until the Saturday, meaning that they would have to bus up from Porthcawl on the morning of the match. Bryan Williams recorded in his diary of the team's arrival in Cardiff from Porthcawl: "The crowd in the foyer of the Angel and in the streets was thick. Just walking through them one could hear all their snide remarks, and it made us all the more determined to win.”

  It had been customary for some considerable time, that never under any circumstances should two teams of an international be quartered in the same hotel. Furthermore, it was customary for the hosts to offer the superior accommodation to the visiting team. This breach by the WRU would certainly have contributed to the consequences that developed at the post-match function.