Barney Corkhill's A Tribute To... series moves to look at rugby. In this series I look at the greatest talents to grace various sports.
Today's tribute is to the man widely regarded as the greatest player to have ever pulled on a rugby shirt. In a time when Wales were utterly dominant, he was their star player. He has scored two of the most famous tries of all time, and was an all-round genius with a rugby ball in his hands.
I speak, of course, of the great Gareth Edwards.
Born on July 12th, 1947 in the small village of Gwaun-cae-Gurwen in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. He was born to a miner.
From an early age it became apparent that Gareth Edwards was something special. With the right kind of tutelage, it was widely regarded that Edwards could become a truly great player.
The man assigned that task, and the man who would become Edwards' mentor, was Bill Samuels. He spotted his potential while Edwards was still in his early teens, and started coaching him.
Edwards was a talented football player as well, and was actually offered a contract to play for Swansea. Edwards was more keen on rugby, however, and Bill Samuels was desperate to make him focus on that as a career.
He convinced Edwards to go to Millfield Public School in Somerset, and helped him get the scholarship needed to get into the prestigious sports school. It was here that Edwards first met fellow Welsh rugby great JPR Williams.
It wasn't just rugby which Edwards excelled in, however. He impressed at other sports, including gymnastics, athletics (he was the Welsh national long jump and British schools sprint hurdles champion) and football, during his time at Millfield.
It wasn't long before his supreme rugby skills were noticed by the some of the top clubs, and he signed a contract with Cardiff RFC, opting to go back to Wales.
Edwards soon became the star of the Cardiff side, despite still being in his teens. In 1967, he received his first international call-up.
On April 1st, 1967, Gareth Edwards started against France in Paris. He was just 19-years old. Wales couldn't win that game, with France triumphing 20-14, but Edwards had established himself as an immediate fixture in the Wales side.
After a few more games in a Wales shirt it became apparent that Edwards wasn't just capable at this level, he thrived on it. He quickly became something of a fan-favourite, and one of the first names on the team sheet.
Such was his talent and leadership that just one year later he was named as the Welsh captain for a game against Scotland, despite still only being 20-years old. Edwards and Wales were 5-0 victors, and Edwards became the youngest player to ever captain Wales, a record which still stands today.
He was named in the British Lions squad to travel to South Africa later that year. Still only 21, Edwards started the first two tests of that tour.
Edwards had shot to widespread fame at an early age, but showed no signs of letting it go to his head. He remained one of the best players in the world throughout 1969 and 1970.
It was in 1970 that Edwards suffered his first injury, against England. He had to leave the pitch with 20 minutes remaining. This is significant because it is the only time in Gareth Edward's 11 year international career that he failed to complete a match.
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