Carwyn James
Wales
player portrait
Full name Carwyn Rees James
Born November 2, 1929, Cefneithin
Died January 10, 1983, Amsterdam, Netherland (aged 53 years 69 days)
Major teams Wales
Position Centre

Test career
Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop GfM Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 1958-1958 2 2 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 50
Five/Six Nations 1958-1958 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

Career statistics
Test debut Wales v Australia at Cardiff, Jan 4, 1958 match details
Last Test Wales v France at Cardiff, Mar 29, 1958 match details
Test Statsguru Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Tournament list
Profile

Fly-half Carwyn James won two caps for Wales but is most famous for his role as the coach of Llanelli and the British and Irish Lions.

James was a teacher by profession, played fly-half for Llanelli and played for Wales twice in 1958. As coach of Llanelli he won four Welsh Cups and was at the helm when, in 1972, his side defeated the All Blacks at Stradey Park, 'the day the pubs ran dry'.

This victory came a year after he famously coached the 1971 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, the only Lions side ever to win a series against the All Blacks. James was renowned as a forward-thinking coach and his commitment to running rugby undid the All Blacks on home soil.

James never graduated to coach Wales, due in part to the infighting that dogged the nation's rugby administration, a fact that is still lamented. He suddenly on January 10 1983 in a hotel room in Amsterdam .

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May 30, 1971
British & Irish Lions coach Carwyn James
British & Irish Lions coach Carwyn James
©  Getty Images

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