J.P.R. Williams, Wales and Lions icon, was the best fullback rugby has seen

J.P.R. Williams with the ball being supported by Gerald Davies (left) and Jeff Young in February 1971. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

Whenever I spoke to players who I was coaching about teamwork and legacy, I would always remind them it was never about who was playing beside you, but the way those teammates made you feel — that’s what you would remember. And when I heard the tragic news that J.P.R. Williams had died, that’s exactly what I felt. That feeling of being on the pitch with J.P.R.

We were teammates on the Invincibles tour, the Lions’ 1974 visit to South Africa, where we went 22 matches unbeaten. We started together in all four tests and his playing style and demeanour on that tour were instrumental to how I would view the sport as my career progressed.

The Welshman was the best fullback the game has seen. Full stop. There have been some fantastic fullbacks in rugby but, for me, he is still my No 1. If I had to pick one to play with again, it would be him every day of the week. It was a pleasure to play alongside him; what I felt for him was greater than respect.

J.P.R. was an incredibly strong character - tough as teak - and such a good, natural teammate. He led by example but he encouraged, too. He was such a hard man. Anyone who played against him knew that. You didn’t win a game easily if J.P.R. was against you. I know that because most of our encounters did come with us on opposing teams, in Wales v Scotland fixtures. But, when you played with him, you could not have had more support or a feeling of strength. He never took a backward step, exemplified by those 99 calls where he’d sprint from fullback to get involved in a scrap with the forwards.

In 1974, Dick Milliken and I were in the centres for the Lions. It was after the second test in Pretoria, a 28-9 victory, where he said to both of us: “I really enjoy playing behind you two. I know I don’t have to cover you.”

It was a throwaway line that he probably never even remembered saying, but Dick and I never forgot it. It was that sort of impact he had on players. No one came through the midfield in those four Tests. We didn’t want to let him down. We wanted to live up to that respect. These were the days of four-month tours, over 20 matches.

You wouldn’t have wanted to have played with anyone else. It was not just the calibre of the player, but the calibre of the man.

On the field, he was so powerful and solid. He was not just a last line of defence, he was an attack stopper; a momentum halter. That famous tackle on Jean-Francois Gourdon, in the 1976 grand slam-clinching game for Wales at Cardiff Arms Park, will live long in the memory. The Frenchman was almost clattered into the stands as he dived for the corner. A towering presence in one of the most towering teams in the history of the sport.

He was an outstanding running fullback, too. He was such an influencer in that regard, mixing immaculate ball skills with granite defence. Rugby had never seen a fullback like him. With Scotland, we had Andy Irvine - another of the game’s greatest runners - but he was pushed out to the wing for the 1974 tour to accommodate J.P.R.’s doggedness.

He read the game so well and had such an instinctive feel for not just rugby but all sports - he won the British junior tennis championship, which was played on Wimbledon’s clay courts, beating David Lloyd in straight sets in 1966. And how about that drop goal to seal the 1971 Lions series victory in New Zealand? He was a powerhouse presence on the field.

Off the pitch, he enjoyed his beer and he could have a laugh. He could down his beers, too! He put a few people under the table in South Africa.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of that wonderful tour. There is a big reunion scheduled for Belfast in June, but now there will be one fewer legend present. J.P.R. was one of the most outstanding rugby players of all time. He will be sorely missed.