John Dawes
Wales
player portrait
Full name Sydney John Dawes
Born June 29, 1940, Chapel of Ease, Aberc
Died April 16, 2021 (aged 80 years 291 days)
Major teams British and Irish Lions, Wales, Wales XV
Position Centre

Test career
Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop GfM Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 1964-1971 26 26 0 12 4 0 0 0 0 15 8 3 63.46
Wales 1964-1971 22 22 0 12 4 0 0 0 0 13 7 2 63.63
British and Irish Lions 1971-1971 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 62.5
Five/Six Nations 1964-1971 17 17 0 9 3 0 0 0 0 12 4 1 73.52

Career statistics
Test debut Ireland v Wales at Lansdowne Road, Mar 7, 1964 match details
Last Test New Zealand v British and Irish Lions at Auckland, Aug 14, 1971 match details
Test Statsguru Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list
Profile

Welsh rugby's golden era in the 1970s bears the stamp of John Dawes. As both player and coach Dawes, a quick-thinking centre with even quicker feet, brought unprecedented success to Welsh rugby and marshalled arguably the finest backline in rugby history on the 1971 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

Dawes, a servant of Newbridge and London Welsh at club level, made his international debut against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in 1964. His success as a player with Wales culminated with the Grand Slam in 1971, while there had been a Triple Crown in 1969 and outright Championships in 1965 and 1966.

After leading Wales to their Grand Slam clinching win over France at Stade Colombes he was handed the captaincy of the Lions as they headed to New Zealand. Dawes' men, and that aforementioned backline of Gareth Edwards, Barry John, David Duckham, Mike Gibson, Dawes, Gerald Davies and JPR Williams, won the series 2-1.

Dawes played his final Test in the drawn fourth Test in Auckland and is still the only skipper to win a Lions series in New Zealand. Dawes would get one over on New Zealand again however, captaining the Barbarians to their famous 23-11 victory over the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in 1973.

Following his retirement Dawes was not away from the game for long, taking over the coaching reins of the Welsh national side in 1974. Dawes' reign as Wales coach was the most successful in their history, with the Five Nations Championship won in 1975, Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978 and the Triple Crown in 1979. Dawes was also seconded as coach for the Lions' 1977 tour of New Zealand, but he was unable to repeat his feats as a player and win the series.

Scrum Staff

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Latest Photos
Sep 3, 1971
Wales star John Dawes before a British & Irish Lions training session
Wales star John Dawes before a British & Irish Lions training session
©  Getty Images
Jan 1, 1971
London Welsh's representatives on the 1971 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
London Welsh's representatives on the 1971 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
©  London Welsh RFC

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