Gareth Edwards

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Edwards' try for the Barbarians against the All Blacks in 1973 at Cardiff Arms Park, 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 (John Pullin, John Dawes, Tommy David and Derek Quinnell) before Edwards, slipping between two teammates and seemingly intercepting the last pass, finished with a diving try in the left-hand corner.

In Their Own Story

Edwards won his first international cap for Wales on 1 April 1967 at the age of 19 against France in Paris. Wales lost 20–14 to eventual championship winners France. All his caps were won in succession; he never had a dip in form or an injury that would allow anybody else to take his place. Edwards is Wales's youngest ever captain, first taking the captaincy at the age of 20 in February 1968 against Scotland – a game which the Welsh side won 5–0. In 1969, Edwards was named Player of the Year in Wales. In 1974 Edwards was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the year. He followed up this success by receiving the MBE in 1975. Edwards' long successful international career came to an end on 18 March 1978 in the same way as he had started his career – against France in the Five Nations Championship. However, unlike on his debut, Edwards celebrated with a 16–7 winning finish in front of a home crowd at the Arms Park in Cardiff. Wales also sealed the Grand Slam and a third consecutive Triple Crown – a record, given that no team had ever won it more than twice in a row. To crown his achievements he was named Rothmans Player of the Year 1978. In 2003, in a poll of international rugby players conducted by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was declared the greatest player of all time. In 2007, former England captain Will Carling published his list of the '50 Greatest Rugby players' in The Daily Telegraph, and ranked Edwards the greatest player ever, stating: 'He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, the complete package. He played in the 1970s, but, 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 athlete on the pitch.'

Reader's Guide

Edwards won his first international cap for Wales on 1 April 1967 at the age of 19 against France in Paris. Between 1967 and 1978 Edwards won 53 caps for Wales, including 13 as captain. He scored twenty tries in internationals. Edwards is Wales's youngest ever captain, first taking the captaincy at the age of 20 in February 1968 against Scotland. He also played ten times for the British & Irish Lions in test matches, playing for the 1971 Lions team that was the only such team to win a series in New Zealand, and for the unbeaten 1974 side in South Africa. He made his debut for Cardiff RFC against Coventry on 17 September 1966 and played 12 seasons for Cardiff, scoring 69 tries in 195 games.

Did You Know?

• Edwards was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1975 Birthday Honours and promoted to Commander (CBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours.
• He was knighted in the 2015 Birthday Honours.
• In 2003, in a poll of international rugby players conducted by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was declared the greatest player of all time.
• In 2007, former England captain Will Carling ranked Edwards the greatest player ever in The Daily Telegraph.