The photo above shows the legendary Pontypool front row. Bobby is in the middle flanked by Graham Price
(left of picture) and Charlie Faulkner.
THE PONTYPOOL FRONT ROW.
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Bobby 'the Duke' Windsor was part of the legendary Pontypool front row, immortalised in the Max Boyce song. He began his career in the backs as a fullback and outside-half but would soon move in to the murky world of the front row, winning 28 caps for his country. Having played at Brynglas and Cross Keys his job as a steelworker soon developed him into a strong and muscular player. He was ideally suited to the highly mobile and aggressive packs developed at Pontypool in the seventies which made them one of the most feared sides in the land. Bobby was soon rewarded with a full cap against the Australians in 1973.
'The Duke' capped a winning debut with a rare try. An eye-catching first season of international rugby gained him selection for the British Lions tour of South Africa in 1974. Windsor formed part of a formidable forward unit which totally dominated the Springboks. It was a tour which placed Windsor as one of the best in his position, with his technical ability and dynamism in the loose the key features of his game. The Lions were unbeaten on tour. With Graham Price and Charlie Faulkner, his Pontypool team mates, Windsor was an ever present in the great Welsh sides of the 1970s.
The trio played together for Wales on 19 occasions in total, tasting defeat just 4 times. The side won Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978 and the Triple Crown in 1977 with this granite-like front row the rock the pack was built on. Another Lions' tour followed in 1977, this time to New Zealand. Selected for the first test which the Lions lost, Windsor would thereafter lose out to Peter Wheeler. Unsettled seemingly by a frightening internal flight, Windsor was never at the top of his game and the New Zealand rugby public never really saw the best of this legend of Welsh rugby. (John Lovell).
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1973 v Australia (Cardiff) W 24-0
1974 v Scotland (Cardiff) W 6-0 (FN)
1974 v Ireland (Dublin) D 9-9 (FN)
1974 v France (Cardiff) D 16-16 (FN)
1974 v England (Twickenham) L 16-12 (FN)
1975 v France (Paris) W 25-10 (FN)
1975 v England (Cardiff) W 20-4 (FN)
1975 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 12-10 (FN)
1975 v Ireland (Cardiff) W 32-4 (FN)
1975 v Australia (Cardiff) W 28-3
1976 v England (Twickenham) W 21-9 (FN)
1976 v Scotland (Cardiff) W 28-6 (FN)
1976 v Ireland (Dublin) W 34-9 (FN)
1976 v France (Cardiff) W 19-13 (FN)
1977 v Ireland (Cardiff) W 25-9 (FN)
1977 v France (Paris) L 16-9 (FN)
1977 v England (Cardiff) W 14-9 (FN)
1977 v Scotland (Murrayfield) W 18-9 (FN)
1978 v England (Twickenham) W 9-6 (FN)
1978 v Scotland (Cardiff) W 22-14 (FN)
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1978 v Ireland (Dublin) W 20-16 (FN)
1978 v France (Cardiff) W 16-7 (FN)
1978 v Australia (Brisbane) L 18-8
1978 v Australia (Sydney) L 19-17
1978 v New Zealand (Cardiff) L 13-12
1979 v Scotland (Murrayfield) W 19-13 (FN)
1979 v Ireland (Cardiff) W 24-21 (FN)
1979 v France (Paris) W 14-13 (FN)
Career Record: P28, W20, D2, L6
Test Points: 4
Tries: 1
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