Sir Gareth Edwards is one of the greatest winners the sport of rugby has ever known but it was the pain of defeat which drove him on.
The Wales scrum-half is widely regarded as the greatest player his country has ever produced and whether it was with the red of Wales or the red of The British & Irish Lions, his name on a teamsheet usually resulted in victory.
Over the course of an 11-year international career, Edwards won eight Five Nations titles including three Grand Slams. For the Lions, he started every Test of the series victories over New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974.
However, Edwards’ relationship with the Lions began three years before that momentous victory over the All Blacks. Alongside Wales teammates and future Lions legends Gerald Davies and the late Barry John, who passed away in February 2024, Edwards started the first two Tests of a series that was lost 3-0 to the Springboks.
And it was on that Tour of South Africa that Edwards believes he truly discovered the meaning of the Lions spirit.
He recalled: “My first Lions Tour was in 1968 and most people didn’t even know we went. We lost that four-Test series 3-0 with one drawn game. On reflection, that Tour was where we all first realised what it meant to be a Lion and how the spirit was born. There was a nucleus of guys like Gerald Davies, Barry John and myself who were first-time Lions. We lost the series, but only lost one other game on tour.
“The series defeat actually helped us and gave us a desire to win and we did it three years later. When you win Tours you are remembered for obvious reasons, but the Lions Tours where you lose, that is where a true spirit and camaraderie which stands the test of time is born.
“If I knew (what made the Lions spirit) I would copyright the formula, but it is uncanny how guys from different cultures and backgrounds actually did gel and bond and form a strong team spirit.
“When you think that people who spent years pasting each other come together and have to bond and find a unique spirit and camaraderie that goes on to last a lifetime, it is just amazing. But this is what is needed and what happened to us. It is easier to feel it than to try to explain it.”
On his first two Tours, Edwards formed a half-back pairing with Wales teammate John, while in 1974, it was another Welshman, the late, great Phil Bennett who took the No.10 jersey.
‘Benny’, who passed away in 2022, was sensational as the Lions completed an unbeaten Tour, wining the Test series 3-0 with the squad known as ‘The Invincibles’ for their exploits.
And Edwards relished the opportunity to play alongside Bennett on that Tour.
Edwards explained: “I knew the hard grounds would suit him out there, but my word, he was just devastating. He was quite sensational and really showed what he was capable of. He was a huge contributory factor in our success.
“He was virtually unplayable on that Tour, with the way he was beating people and setting up great tries. It was such a natural movement with him that guys couldn’t read him, they couldn’t do anything with him. He could make anybody look a chimp. He wasn’t trying to make a monkey out of you, but it was just his skill factor.
“Even though people knew by and large he was capable of doing it, they couldn’t do anything about the damn thing! We were fortunate to have some great success and it was just a privilege to play with him. I have got such fond memories of our time together.
“He had his accolades and deservedly so because he was a fantastic player, but he was also a fantastic person. If we were on tour, I would spend quite a bit of time with him.
“The Test team would share bedrooms, so I would see him on a regular basis, not only just in training. He had a wicked sense of humour. He was lovely. He was so generous in many ways, with his time and what he said. I loved being in his company. He was a great player, a great man and such a good friend.”
