World of Boxing and Rugby Union
Scrum-half
1. Gareth Edwards
When starting out on this project I really tried to be fair and objective with this very subjective undertaking. The number nine shirt was the easiest by far to fill; subliminally Gareth Edwards was pencilled in before I started. Back in 1972 he was the very reason that inspired an eleven year old boy to love the world of rugby union. That boy was me. Much debate may be caused by my selections, however, I would be dumb-founded if any rugby fan seriously questions this choice. Rugby scribes the world over agree with my view that Gareth Edwards is the greatest rugby player who has ever lived. He is my 'Mount Olympus.' He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, a gentleman on and off the field. The complete package. If he played now, he would still be the best. He was outstanding at running, passing, kicking and reading the game. He sits astride the whole of rugby as the ultimate.
Edwards was at the heart of the 1971 series victory over the All Blacks, and at the peak of his powers, he was a scrum-half with a peerless array of skills and athleticism. He was not only gifted with extraordinary strength and dynamism in a compact 5ft 8ins frame, he also had a superb tactical compass and had an uncanny ability to select the right skill at the right time.“Edwards had a needle-sharp eye for the break, rapid acceleration and the sprinting speed of a wing. His kicking game was murderously effective, and he had an arsenal of weaponry from raking diagonals to towering box kicks and crucial drop-goals. By the time he was in his pomp the speed and length of his pass was also exceptional, and the rifling reverse pass that allowed Phil Bennett to drop the goal at leisure to put the seal on the record win over South Africa in the Third Test at Port Elizabeth in 1974 showed his mastery of the scrum-half arts.
Two countries more than any others are intrinsically linked with the sport of rugby union. One is New Zealand and the other is Wales. And in the history of Welsh rugby, one player more than any other can be regarded as the greatest exponent of the game that proud nation has produced.
Edwards' sporting prowess was evident from an early age, as he won a scholarship to Millfield School in Somerset in England. Renowned for its sporting credentials, the school also nurtured the rugby talent of JPR Williams.
Edwards played at scrum-half and his career coincided with the golden age of Welsh rugby. He possessed the perfect body shape and size for a No.9, and combined both pace and strength to devastating effect. Add in near-perfect kicking, passing and defensive games, as well as a keen eye for the try line, and you can see why Edwards invariably tops the polls in any vote for the greatest player of all time.
Edwards played for his country on 53 occasions between 1967-1978, scoring 88 points with 20 tries in the process. What is remarkable is that Edwards is one of that rare breed who played every one of his international matches consecutively - an incredible feat. Edwards also captained his country 13 times.
He played his first game for Wales aged 19 in 1967 against France at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Wales lost that match 20-14, but consistent success was just around the corner. Edwards is the youngest player to have captained Wales, a record he set in 1968 against Scotland, when he was just 20 years old.
Wales' domination of the Five Nations was complete during Edwards's career, when he helped them to win the title seven times, with three Grand Slam seasons. Edwards finished his career against France in Cardiff in 1978, and this time they won, 16-7.
Edwards played in Welsh teams full of stars, most relevantly Barry John and Phil Bennett at fly-half, and Mervyn Davies at No.8. With such talent close by on the pitch, you might think that Edwards led a charmed life, but far from it. The scrum-half outshone these luminaries, and was more often than not the best player in a brilliant team.
In addition to his 53 Wales caps he made 10 appearances for the British & Irish Lions, featuring on the 1968, 1971 and 1974 tours. The second tour, to New Zealand, is still the only victorious Lions tour to the Land of the Long White Cloud; while the third, to South Africa in 1974, was the greatest ever Lions jaunt, in which the tourists played 22 matches and remained unbeaten throughout. Edwards played in all eight Test matches on these two tours, winning five, drawing two and losing one.
Edwards was one of the first superstars of what was a staunchly amateur sport. As a result, Edwards found himself in hot water after his autobiography was published, which saw him considered a 'professional', and he was banned for a time.
Edwards' try for the Barbarians against the All Blacks in 1973 often referred to simply as 'that try', is regarded as the greatest try ever. The move starts with a deep kick from the New Zealand winger. The ball dropped towards Phil Bennett near to his goal line. Bennett sidestepped and evaded three tackles, in turn passing the ball to JPR Williams. It next passed through four pairs of hands (Pullin, Dawes, David and Quinnell) before Edwards, slipping between two teammates and intercepting the last pass, finished with a diving try in the left-hand corner. Perfection personified.