Rugby: Golden tour a tie that still binds '71 Lions

John Dawes says the modern game has become too pre-planned and too homogenous, with far less latitude for individual flair. Photo / Supplied

They have time, plenty of tales and thirsts to match and every Tuesday, a celebrated trio of 1971 Lions, captain John Dawes, Barry John and Mervyn Davies gather at the Butchers Arms in Llandaff.

Sometimes JPR Williams moseys in or John Taylor renews friendships. The meeting place is the prerogative of Dawes who lives just down the road.

They are happy to humour those who ignore their ageing frames and want to chat about rugby.

Often patrons natter with them about their unbeaten tour of New Zealand and they are about to gather to commemorate the 40th anniversary of that trip.

"We're having a dinner at the Vale of Glamorgan and 23 of the official party are coming," Dawes said down the phone.

"It's not a bad turnout, we all keep in close contact and have a few dinners."

Dawes was a chemistry teacher whose playing impact was sometimes overlooked because of the star quality around him.

But those teammates revered Dawes for his guidance in getting the side to gell.

He, studious manager Doug Smith and chain-smoking, wine-loving coach Carwyn James grabbed the side early and pushed the right buttons.

"Carwyn identified what we call flair. We had players who three out of four times were magical. He let them go and do their thing, we were not overcoached.

"Doug was a Scot who was a terrific manager. He kept out of the way a lot of the time, he could be a bit dour but could also be very humorous. Their attitude reflected on the whole tour.

"We made sure we enjoyed the tour away from the rugby," Dawes said.

"But we still had to play 26 games in Australia and New Zealand in three months."

Senior players like Willie John McBride and Gareth Edwards had toured New Zealand previously and offered great insights into the task.

The Lions were blessed with star players, men Dawes nominates like JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, David Duckham, Mike Gibson, Barry John, Edwards, Mervyn Davies, McBride and John "Mighty Mouse" McLauchlan.

The skipper feels Gerald Davies was the finest player he has seen with his finesse and magical touches just pipping Edwards.

"We had a lot of talented men who graced the rugby field and we were a team. We were still one team, no one was bigger than any other player," he said.

It took the side three weeks to get to New Zealand after a week's preparation in Eastbourne, a flight to Australia for two matches including an opening defeat and then over to New Zealand.

They arrived in mid-May, a week before their opening match against Counties-Thames Valley which started them on a schedule of 22 wins, one loss and a draw in the final test at Eden Park to clinch the series.

Beaten All Black captain Colin Meads acknowledged the brilliance of his 1971 foes and how they achieved the series victory through the work of their pack.

"And in rugby," he said, "if it's not done up front, it's not done at all."

Mervyn Davies, one of the regular thirst-quenchers at the Butchers Arms, said the Lions saw New Zealand as the proving ground for any rugby player.

"Just like every other Lions side before us, we wanted to win - the real difference with us, though, was that we actually believed we could," he said. Dawes recalled the weather on tour, conditions which were superb and allowed the Lions to play the rugby they wanted.

"We only had one match where we had hard rain and the surface was muddy.

"That weather made all the difference when it came to training and also when we had some down time.

"New Zealand had so much to offer and we were able to get out and go boating or canoeing, all sorts of things, and it made for a marvellous trip."

Dawes played the most games in New Zealand, 17 out of the 24, which seemed a high number for the team skipper.

"I didn't run quickly enough to get injured," he joked. "I was quite happy to play and in those days you did not get replacements so we cared for some who had a few niggles."

Dawes thought the fifth game against Wellington was a turning point when the Lions turned up the heat against one of their more fancied rivals and won 47-9.

After that match, Wellington captain Graham Williams warned the nation about the threat from the tourists, saying the Lions were "the most magnificent side I have ever played against".

After game 11, the first test which the Lions won 9-3, the rest of the country accepted the Lions were a real danger.

"We were well looked after, the country respected us," Dawes recalls.

Dawes later coached the Lions trip to New Zealand in 1977 and was last here with the London Welsh Choir for the Lions tour in 2005.

He hoped to return with the same choral group for this year's World Cup but escalating costs recently quashed that idea.

"Every time I go there it is like little Wales beyond the sea," he suggested.

Dawes is the president of the Welsh Rugby Union, a position he gravitated to after working for the union as a coaching organiser until the game went pro in 1995. He is not a huge fan of the modern game.

"It is too pre-planned, too physical and I like to see individual styles. It should be an easy game where the forwards get the ball and the backs use it.

"In our day the stars attracted attention, now there is too much homogenised rugby."

Super 15 was a fast game and Dawes preferred that to some of the stodge he watched in Europe.

"We have phase after phase and commentators wet their pants when we get 24 phases over here," he laughed.

So what style, what team will win the World Cup? Wales perhaps?

"Oh no, they have no show, they haven't got the overall strength.

"I think it will be the All Blacks or the South Africans but you have got to watch those sneaky Australians."