THE HORROR! BARRY NEARLY
GARETH and Barry. The greatest partnership in the history of rugby, two figures so revered they are still known fondly by their Christian names fully five decades on.
Even their saying is legendary – “You just throw it, I will catch it.”
Together Gareth Edwards and Barry John took the game by storm. Synonymous with the start of Wales’ golden era in the 1970s; the icons against whom every Welsh scrum-half or fly-half has subsequently been judged; the star turns in the record-breaking 1971 Lions side who remain the only ones to beat New Zealand.
Watch the try Barry scored in the 13-3 third Test triumph in Wellington. Gareth surged clear from short range, shoving aside a would-be defender with a handoff that would have thrust aside a Sherman tank. A short pass to his partner followed and Barry glided across the home line, swivelling his hips as he evaded the last line of Blacks cover.
Dynamism and beauty, encapsulated in one unforgettable passage of play. A microcosm, perhaps, for the partnership that set Welsh rugby alight.
But it could so easily have been lost to Wales. A new TV programme aired on BBC Wales tonight, The Rugby Codebreakers, details how rugby league almost succeeded in prising away the crown jewels of our game.
Minutes from a St Helens board meeting reveal how they thought they had persuaded Gareth and Barry to switch codes – such a forbidden subject in