2005 Tour of Fiji & New Zealand

Shortly after the Lions came home from New Zealand with their tails between their legs after a test series whitewash, the Brynteg rugby class of 2005 headed for the Long White Cloud, by way of Singapore and finishing in Fiji. Ghetto Gospel by 2Pac and Elton John was number one when they left; by the time they got back in August it was James Blunt's You're Beautiful — a fitting description, the tourists reckoned, of the rugby played by both teams across nine unbeaten games.

This group were not travelling as Welsh Schools champions like the 2003 side. Knocked out in the early rounds away at Treorchy on a cold, wet October evening, they were left wondering what might have been — and determined to sign off in style.

Singapore was two nights, one win for the 2nd XV against an invitational select XV, and rugby in what felt like a sauna. The first New Zealand match was in Waikato, Warren Gatland country, where both teams beat Cambridge High School and the boys were hosted by local families. Then Opotiki, where the 1st XV had to see off a very physical Bay of Plenty Development side and Tom Williams — arguably player of the tour — lived up to his uncle JPR's legacy.

Rotorua brought no matches, but two nights together as a full touring party, geothermal mud pools, Maori culture, the hydrogen sulphide smell and the world-famous springs spa. Otorohanga returned the hospitality of a school Brynteg had hosted in Wales earlier that year; both games were close and both were won.

Long bus journeys around the North Island ran on the tour tape and Pug's acoustic guitar, with Green Day's Good Riddance sung back at every welcome haka. A ski resort stop on the way to Wellington turned into a snowball war. The last game, at Upper Hutt, was sluggish, wet and muddy against a side featuring a newly called-up Samoa Under 19 captain at number 8; the 1st XV ground out 8-3 and the 2nd XV made sure the tour ended unbeaten.

Then Fiji. Andrew Tyler's 18th celebrated with a team skinny dip, forwards coach Huw James front-flipping into the pool, and two nights on Beachcomber in the Mamanucas. A kangaroo court to close, and, as Cav always asked: are you a boy who went to Brynteg, or are you a Brynteg boy?