World of Boxing and Rugby Union
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4. John Dawes
Welsh rugby's golden era in the 1970s bears the stamp of John Dawes. As both player and coach Dawes, a quick-thinking centre with even quicker feet, brought unprecedented success to Welsh rugby and marshalled arguably the finest backline in rugby history on the 1971 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
A perceived lack of pace had limited his opportunities with Wales during the 1960s, but his faultless judgement and timing of a pass made him far more appreciated by his team-mates than the selectors. If JPR Williams or Gareth Edwards were unfit, the Arms Park crowd would emit a collective groan; if Dawes was out, the groaning would be coming from behind the dressing room door.
Dawes, a servant of Newbridge and London Welsh at club level, made his international debut against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in 1964. His success as a player with Wales culminated with the Grand Slam in 1971, while there had been a Triple Crown in 1969 and outright Championships in 1965 and 1966.
After leading Wales to their Grand Slam clinching win over France at Stade Colombes he was handed the captaincy of the Lions as they headed to New Zealand, he was the first Welshman to lead the Lions. Dawes' men, and that aforementioned backline of Gareth Edwards, Barry John, David Duckham, Mike Gibson, Dawes, Gerald Davies and JPR Williams, won the series 2-1. His understanding with Barry John
at stand-off and the direction he offered from the midfield were crucial influences on the Lions' victory in New Zealand , and he played in 19 of the 26 matches.
Dawes played his final Test in the drawn fourth Test in Auckland and is still the only skipper to win a Lions series in New Zealand. Dawes would get one over on New Zealand again however, captaining the Barbarians to their famous 23-11 victory over the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in 1973.
Dawes retired from international rugby after the tour and went on to coach Wales to one of their finest periods between 1974 and 1979. In the middle of that spell, he returned to New Zealand as coach of the 1977 Lions. This time, it would not be so happy an experience.
Despite the privations of the wettest, most miserable winter in memory, the attacks of a hostile press and a breakdown in relations with the travelling British media, the Lions went desperately close to at least sharing the series, beaten only by a last minute opportunist try by Lawrie Knight in the dying seconds of the final Test.