By Tony Harrison
June 18 2004

Ask any rugby union fan ‘which is the greatest try of all time’ they will refer to Gareth Edwards’ touchdown for the Barbarians against The All Blacks, in 1973.So when I came face-to-face with the living legend... …I could not resist asking Edwards what he remembers of those unforgettable 12 seconds that will life in the memory of the game forever. “Thanks to television, and the number of times that the try is shown wherever I go worldwide, you can never forget it. The thrill I get is of the excitement it still generates, and it was one of those moments that people remember where they were when they saw it,” he said.

“It brought so much pleasure to so many people – it was one of the great moments in sport and I was just glad to be a part of it. Every time I see it, I still don’t think that it’s going to happen. “The ball went back and I thought Phil Bennett was going to put it safely into touch. He dummied and I remember thinking ‘what’s he doing now!’ I was coming back, taking my time, when all of a sudden defence was put into attack, and I though ‘I’d better catch up with these guys.’ The rest is history.”

That magic moment actually inspired another one of the world’s legends, All Black skipper Sean Fitzpatrick, to play the game. “Sean (Fitzpatrick) approached me some years later and told me that he watched the game in the early hours of the morning, back home in New Zealand, as a youngster. From then on he wanted to play rugby union, and that gave me a special thrill. That one game has also stood the test of time – I don’t think the excitement generated will ever be equalled.”

The Barbarians beat the All Blacks 23-11, in a game that ‘Welsh Wizard’ picks out as the most memorable game he ever played. The holder of 53 Welsh caps, and 10 caps for the British Lions, Edwards was an allrounder as a youngster, and played football as well as more than holding his own on the running track.

Now 53-years-old, he was born in a tiny mining village at the top of the Swansea Valley, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen. It was predominantly a rugby area, but as an open-minded youngster, he dreamed of representing Wales on the rugby field or the football pitch.
“I had trials with Swansea, and asked my father ‘where do you want to see me play – Ninian Park (where Wales played soccer in those days) or Cardiff Arms Park?’ His answer was the latter and I eventually made his dream, as well as my own, come true.”
Now that his playing days are over, Edwards, a very successful businessman, can be found offering his rugby experience in the television commentary box.

“I find commentary an extension of playing, a way of staying involved with the game. It concentrates the mind and you are really a part of it. If I am watching a match, and not commentating on it, my mind wanders and I can’t really concentrate on what’s going on. In fact, I would probably rather go out and play a game of golf than watch a game of rugby – I am not a great watcher.

“The preparation, the though, the views, are important when I am working, and then what you are really trying to get across to the viewer, is your experience at being in that international position, and I enjoy that.” Having always been a competitive character, Edwards has now turned to the golf course for the sporting challenge he needs to keep in his life.

A member of Royal Porthcawl, and an honorary member at Celtic Manor, he now plays off a handicap of seven, after ‘they decided to give me an extra shot because of my old knees!’ “I love the game and, when business permits, like to get out with my friends as much as I can. I tend to struggle sometimes as time has taken its toll on my knees – but, given the chance, I would go back and do it all again.

“Golf has its advantages even when you aren’t playing well. “On a summer’s evening, when you walk down the 18th at Royal, when the tide is in and the sun is just on the horizon, you will not beat it – you couldn’t be anywhere better in the whole world!
“I have had the pleasure of playing some of the nicest courses in the world when we were on tour, but this sight will not be beaten for me.”

Does a sporting legend have heroes of his own? “The village football team were heroes to me in my younger days,” he smiled. “Dewi Bebb was one person I looked up to as well. Dewi was a great Welsh winger who I had the pleasure of playing with late in his career.
“I used to watch all the fights, and watched Henry Cooper and Brian London, I couldn’t get enough sport.

“But if I had to pick just one, it would have to be Gary Player. We (the British Lions) were on tour in South Africa 1974. About a week after Gary had won The Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, he said that he wanted to thank the players for going to South Africa because there was a lot of political tension, and did a few of us want a game of golf.
“So Mike Gibson, Gordon Brown and myself went along to play with Gary, and, as all best kept secrets, word got out and a couple of thousand people turned out to watch the game!

“Gary was so wonderful that day and I learned so much.” A man who has played golf with the likes of legends Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus and Seve Ballesteros, his favourite golfing moment came during a proceleb event. “I was playing with Sam Torrance, and, as we were walking down the 18th fairway, I walked behind him singing ‘Flower of Scotland.’ I vividly remember seeing the hairs stand up on his arms and the back of his neck. It was hilarious. Sam’s a great guy to be with.”

The fact is that you will never come across a nicer more genuine guy than Gareth Edwards – a hero to millions. But what does the future hold for him?
“I have a great family, great life style, and great friends – all that I can wish for is that it continues and that my health remains. I do have problems with my knees, but when I look around, I have to be thankful that my health overall is good.”

So, back to 1973 – The Barbars v The All Blacks. That try is the moment that will see Gareth Edwards live in the memory of the game forever.
It stills brings a tingle to my body when I remember him diving over the line for the best try that will ever be scored.

And to coin a phrase from another Welsh rugby legend, comedian Max Boyce, it was a moment that I will never forget - “I know, cos I was there!”