0:00:02 > 0:00:05He's been voted the greatest rugby player of all-time.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10His power, pace and passion embodied the game's golden era.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14And he remains a true icon of Wales.
0:00:14 > 0:00:20So, ladies and gentlemen, let us celebrate Sir Gareth Edwards at 70.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25APPLAUSE
0:00:47 > 0:00:50A very, very special night, I think,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52we have in store for you, Sir Gareth Edwards,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and a very special birthday. Happy birthday.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Well, thank you very much.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I'm delighted to have been able to make it, really!
0:00:59 > 0:01:02I don't really know how I should feel,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05but it certainly doesn't feel all that long ago
0:01:05 > 0:01:10that I was being raised as a miner's boy in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13playing for Wales all those years ago,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and here we are now three score and ten.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Many, many years on but so much to talk about.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21So many wonderful moments through your career
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and the life that came after your rugby playing days as well.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26And might I say, you've aged very well indeed.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28It's all the make-up!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30LAUGHTER
0:01:30 > 0:01:34OK, we're going to be reliving many of those highlights over the next hour or so,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37over 70 great years, and finding out just what made you who you are today
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and the person, the player that you were as well.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42But shall we have a little look back and remind ourselves
0:01:42 > 0:01:44why Sir Gareth Edwards is such a legend.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53'The young 19-year-old virtuoso of all the talents,
0:01:53 > 0:01:54'Gareth Edwards from Cardiff.'
0:01:56 > 0:01:59'On the 25 yard line. Gareth Edwards, one sidestep.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01'Great tackle... Almost a great tackle.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03'Edwards has scored. What a score.'
0:02:04 > 0:02:07'On the Scottish 25.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10'Edwards. Edwards is going.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12'He's going to score!'
0:02:13 > 0:02:15'Gerald Davies throws.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'Mervyn Davies got his fingertips to it. Gareth Edwards.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'You can't stop him from that distance.'
0:02:22 > 0:02:26'There's a very happy young man indeed, only 21, Gareth Edwards.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31'One of the great successes of this international season, without a doubt.'
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'Edwards, handing off Burgess.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40'The strength, the determination, the finesse of John at the end.'
0:02:42 > 0:02:44'Edwards, over the Welsh ten yards line.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47'Over halfway. The kick ahead by Edwards.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'Can he score? It would be a miracle if he could.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51'He may well get there.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53'And he has!'
0:02:56 > 0:02:58'Brilliant by Quinnell!
0:02:58 > 0:03:01'This is Gareth Edwards. A dramatic start.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03'What a score!'
0:03:08 > 0:03:10'Edwards. Looks for the long drop at goal.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13'He's struck it beautifully and it sails through.'
0:03:14 > 0:03:16'Bobby Windsor feeds to Edwards.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18'Looking for the gap. Almost racing through.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'He does! He's going to get there!'
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'50-50 ball, and Edwards wins it!
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'And that's going to be a first try for Cardiff.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32'A pure solo effort by Gareth Edwards.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:35'Bit of space there, and Edwards, will he get that record try?
0:03:35 > 0:03:38'Has he got it? It's given!'
0:03:39 > 0:03:42'Gareth Edwards, who is going to lead them out.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46'A wonderful gesture to one of the greatest of all.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50'A man who will always be in rugby's Hall of Fame.'
0:03:50 > 0:03:53APPLAUSE
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Well, it wasn't difficult making that.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04It was difficult getting it all compacted
0:04:04 > 0:04:06into one short piece of video tape
0:04:06 > 0:04:09because there's so much and so many great moments to look back on.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10But this isn't the first time
0:04:10 > 0:04:13you've been asked to look back over your life of, course,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15because Eamonn Andrews presented you with the famous red book
0:04:15 > 0:04:17before the age of 30.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Well, it almost cost a divorce in the house
0:04:20 > 0:04:23because we were having all these phone calls all the time,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and if ever I answered it, it went dead.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29And then sometimes Maureen would answer the phone
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and they would ask, "Is the subject in?"
0:04:32 > 0:04:35And she was then going to say, "Yes."
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So I'd say, "Who was that on the phone?" "Nobody. Wrong number."
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Shall we remind you of that moment when they surprised you.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Let's have a little look.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53This Is Your Life, and to help me tackle the man I'm after,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57one of the, or in fact, the world's finest rugby union team, Wales.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01So let's get there in time and give him the surprise of his life.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Gareth Edwards, Wales' most capped rugby international,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08tonight this is your life.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Well, Gareth, you thought Maureen was at home in Porthcawl,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23south Wales, tonight, but she wasn't travelling alone
0:05:23 > 0:05:27because with her are your mother and father, Ann and Glan Edwards,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and your sister Gloria and your brother Gethin.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38APPLAUSE
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- Marvellous.- Yes.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Really fantastic. And your parents, there, your mum and dad.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48So lovely to see them enjoying that moment.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Tell us a little bit about your upbringing and what it was like
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and their parenting and how that helped to shape you.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Well, I think very typical of so many in the audience.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59You know, typical upper Swansea Valley village,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01mining village life.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Wonderful care and love and attention.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07We might not have been the wealthiest people on earth,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10but certainly we didn't want for anything,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12so I never even thought that we ever needed anything,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15other than what we were presented with all the time.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Well, two people who knew you and your family very well
0:06:18 > 0:06:20in those formative years are here tonight.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Dame Sian Phillips
0:06:23 > 0:06:26and rugby broadcaster Huw Llywelyn Davies.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28APPLAUSE
0:06:50 > 0:06:53See, now we've got two people who can really tell us
0:06:53 > 0:06:56what you were like as a boy, Gareth.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Because Huw, you grew up, didn't you, with Gareth.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00What was he like as a kid?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03We grew up the other side of the road.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07He spent far more time kicking a ball than he did reading any textbooks back home.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09But always a ball, kicking it, passing it.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13We played cricket Test matches by the side of our house.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Smashed a few windows.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Six and out in the garden the other side,
0:07:17 > 0:07:18the telling off from his father.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22But Gareth, whatever game we played, he always had to be Wales.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26He was Wales, and Geth, his brother, poor dab,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30who was 18 months younger, always had to be the opposition.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33And invariably the opposition was England,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35because we had to beat England.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Gareth would never lose.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40If he was taking the conversion at the end of the game to win it
0:07:40 > 0:07:43for Wales, and missed, somebody had charged to early
0:07:43 > 0:07:46so he could have another bash at the conversion.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47But let me tell you,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50he wasn't this muscular man in his early days.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54As a matter of fact, his mother called him skinny and wiry.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57And I remember Mrs Edwards saying that when they went
0:07:57 > 0:08:00on the trip Ysgol Sul, the Sunday school trip,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05to Barry or to Porthcawl, she was embarrassed undressing Gareth
0:08:05 > 0:08:09and putting his shorts on, or his swimming shorts on,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12because he looked like a string of spaghetti!
0:08:14 > 0:08:17And Sian, tell us a little bit, if you will, about your memories,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21because I think you have some lovely memories, don't you, about Mrs Edwards Senior.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Indeed. I had a wonderful tea one day with Gareth's mother.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27And she told me a story which I adore.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31And one nasty November day, she came out of their house
0:08:31 > 0:08:35in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and she slipped on the ice
0:08:35 > 0:08:39and she knocked her head and she was unconscious.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Several neighbours came and carried her into the house.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Cut to the front parlour, the sofa, she'd been laid out
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and she was beginning to come to,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52as she heard one of the men who had put her there say,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55"Oh, dear, do you think she's all right?"
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And the other one said, "No, she looks bad."
0:08:58 > 0:09:01"Oh, dear", he said, "there's a shame, isn't it?"
0:09:01 > 0:09:06And the other one said, "Yes. Mind you, it could have been worse.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09"It could have been Gareth!"
0:09:09 > 0:09:11LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Well, a village that produced some special alumni, you know,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24and there's some very special people come from there, so thank you so much.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Oh, it's a pleasure. Many happy returns.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Dame Sian Phillips and Huw Llywelyn Davies, ladies and gentlemen.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32APPLAUSE
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Lovely to hear some stories about when you were a boy.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43And this boy was fast growing into a very talented teen, wasn't he?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46You were an excellent rugby player, obviously,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50a talented footballer with Swansea City looking at you, scouting you.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52An amazing athlete as well.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55So how did you choose which sport, ultimately,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57you were going to dedicate your life to?
0:09:57 > 0:10:00I think if I hadn't met up with Bill Samuel,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04who was the PE teacher in Pontardawe technical school,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08he was the person that really sort of put me in a certain direction.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13But it was really going to Millfield that put the wheels in motion.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16One thing was sure, he definitely saw talent in you, Bill Samuel,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and he, as you say, he got in touch with Millfield School
0:10:19 > 0:10:21which was, as it is now, a public school
0:10:21 > 0:10:24which has a reputation for sporting excellence.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28And he sent the headmaster a list of your talents, which must have been a very long letter indeed.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32So obviously the headmaster's interest was piqued, wasn't it, when he saw this letter.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36And really it led to a life-changing opportunity.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Let's have a little look.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I remember the phrase quite well,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44it was that this young man is potential dynamite.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47That Gareth seemed a natural for Millfield.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And I wanted a platform whereby it would be possible for Gareth
0:10:50 > 0:10:53to play rugby against the best English schools,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55get a Welsh secondary schools cap,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59and then I wanted him to appear in the British schoolboy championships in athletics,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01which he did and broke a record.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05But more importantly, I wanted him to find his roots,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09to know that he was a Welsh boy or a Welshman
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and that when he donned that red jersey,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16that he would feel that he owed it to his parents,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20to his community and to his village, and a little bit to me,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22that he would always do his best.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And I don't think he ever let us down, David.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Wow. Inspirational words.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31APPLAUSE
0:11:31 > 0:11:35But tell me, a boy who came from a mining community in south Wales,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38rocks up at one of England's top public schools
0:11:38 > 0:11:41which I imagine was filled with lords and earls
0:11:41 > 0:11:43and all kinds of landed gentry.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45How did you fit in?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I remember coming back from playing,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52and in those days we'd come back on a bus from the playing fields.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57Ran upstairs, being a senior boy and a prefect, I ran the bath.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Upstairs, quickly changed, came back down,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02to find somebody in the bath!
0:12:02 > 0:12:05And I went, "Who are you?", I said.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07"I'm the Earl of Offaly", he said.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10So, I said. "I'm Lord Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen."
0:12:10 > 0:12:12LAUGHTER
0:12:12 > 0:12:14"So you can get out!"
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Your successes there meant you ended up winning
0:12:18 > 0:12:22the Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year in 1966, didn't you?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25And the man who won the senior prize
0:12:25 > 0:12:30was the Olympic gold medallist, the long jumper, of course, Lynn Davies.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32And he's here tonight, Lynn. There he is.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And later, of course, your paths would cross
0:12:35 > 0:12:38in a slightly more formal way, wouldn't they?
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Well, I went with Nick Williams, who ended up one of my best friends.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45We were at Cardiff College of Education
0:12:45 > 0:12:49and Lynn happened to become the new lecturer in sport.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52An exceptional lecturer, but he couldn't teach
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Nick and myself to swim, that's the only thing.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Just because it's interesting that we've managed to find something that you're not good at.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- So that's quite interesting in itself.- Oh, I didn't say that.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04LAUGHTER
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Well, this was a really important time in your life.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10You'd come back from Millfield, you'd started at college,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13and you get your first taste of top-class rugby, really,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15club rugby, anyway, playing with Cardiff.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19And it was a lifelong association, it would end up being for you in club rugby.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Tell us a little bit about how special that period was.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24It was a club with such fine tradition,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28great players and, of course, they played at Cardiff Arms Park as well.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32And when I walked down that path, down to the clubhouse,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36I'll never forget the feeling that I had the first time I ever did it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39I still get that feeling today, just,
0:13:39 > 0:13:44it's as if you're surrounded by the ghosts of ages past, you know.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47There's so much history surrounding that ground
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and surrounding that club.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Well, through all those years, those early years of sporting success,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55there was another person who was always there by your side,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58supporting you, and has been there ever since.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59So let's hear from her.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04We first met, and we both failed our 11 plus,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08so we landed up in the same class in the secondary school.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And the teacher, Megan Williams, said,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14"He's perfect for you, you know?"
0:14:14 > 0:14:17And I said, "I wouldn't touch him with a pitchfork."
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I think I said, or a fork.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22That was... Oh gosh, we were only 12, 13, then.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Years later, we met up again.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29We had a date to go to the cinema to make up a foursome.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31And he was very late.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I was going to give him another 60 seconds and I was going to leave.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Anyway, he turned up, with all his kit, and the spikes.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41It just went from there, really.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44We tied the knot in 1972
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and our first child was born
0:14:47 > 0:14:50just before the South African tour
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and he went off for three and a half months.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And, you know, in those days, it was an amateur game,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58he had to go to work every day.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03But, oh, my God, we had... We wined and dined on all the glories.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05We've been all over the world.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09We've had fun. We've had a lot of fun.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Happy birthday, cariad.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15You're still older than me though, aren't you, but you look all right!
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Have a great day.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19APPLAUSE
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So, tell us, was it love at first sight with Maureen?
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Oh, at 12, definitely, yes. At 12 years of age.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Well, we know you have a very romantic side,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39even though you might always not want to show it in public,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42because your favourite song is a beautiful ballad, isn't it,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45by the late Welsh entertainer, Ryan Davies.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Tell me why that song is so, so special.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Just because it's such a lovely song, for a start.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53And Ryan, of course, he was such a great personality,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and he lived in the area.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59And it is such a moving song.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01I just love it.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03OK, well, for your enjoyment,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07here to perform Pan Fo'r Nos Yn Hir for you tonight
0:16:07 > 0:16:09are Miriam and Myfyr Isaac.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12APPLAUSE
0:16:20 > 0:16:27# Pan fyddo'r nos yn hir
0:16:27 > 0:16:33# A phell y wawr
0:16:33 > 0:16:39# Brwydro drwy'r oriau hir
0:16:39 > 0:16:46# Heb gwsg un awr
0:16:46 > 0:16:53# Ymladd a throi a throi
0:16:53 > 0:16:59# Drwy'r oriau maith
0:16:59 > 0:17:05# Heb weled diwedd ddoe
0:17:05 > 0:17:12# Na phen i'r daith
0:17:12 > 0:17:19# Yna drwy'r twyllwch du
0:17:19 > 0:17:24# Gwelaf dy wyneb di
0:17:24 > 0:17:29# Wrth gofio'r rhamant
0:17:29 > 0:17:33# Cau mae'r amrant
0:17:33 > 0:17:39# Pan fo'r nos yn hir
0:17:40 > 0:17:46# Tossing and turning
0:17:46 > 0:17:52# Aching for sleep
0:17:52 > 0:17:59# Restless and yearning
0:17:59 > 0:18:06# Darkness so deep
0:18:06 > 0:18:13# Then through the longest night
0:18:13 > 0:18:19# My heart it holds you tight
0:18:19 > 0:18:22# I close my eyes
0:18:22 > 0:18:26# My fear subsides
0:18:26 > 0:18:32# When the night is long
0:18:33 > 0:18:40# Yna drwy'r twyllwch du
0:18:40 > 0:18:46# Gwelaf dy wyneb di
0:18:46 > 0:18:50# Ac ofn a gilia
0:18:50 > 0:18:54# Braw ddiflana
0:18:54 > 0:18:59# Pan fo'r nos
0:18:59 > 0:19:10# Yn ddu. #
0:19:12 > 0:19:14APPLAUSE
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Hi, Gareth, how are you?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I'm so sorry I can't be there, but I'm filming.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29I wanted to send you this message to give you all my best wishes.
0:19:29 > 0:19:35Gareth, you are undoubtedly, not just the greatest Welsh sportsman that's ever lived,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38but possibly one of the greatest Welshmen that's ever been,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and I'm proud to call you my friend.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42I send you all my best wishes tonight.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45They asked me to talk about your achievements.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I first noticed you when you were with Tottenham Hotspur.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I mean, you dazzled on the field.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55What you've gone on to do with Real Madrid is nothing short of...
0:19:56 > 0:19:58What? Edwards?
0:19:59 > 0:20:01The rugby guy?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Is he still alive?
0:20:06 > 0:20:08I don't really know him.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11We've met, I met him at a car-boot sale in Cowbridge.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13He was trying to sell me a hover mower.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16There was no warranty, so I told him to...
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Yeah, sure.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Gareth Edwards, hello, congratulations.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Erm, have a great night. Erm...
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Can you hear me, Gareth? You must be very old now.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I'm joking, of course. Have a great night, my friend.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38I'll see you in the summer, love to Maureen, and we'll catch up soon.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40APPLAUSE
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Very good.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Now, there was a moment, a particular match 50 years ago,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56where you really appreciated Maureen's support.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Shall we have a little look?
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Gareth, you're the third scrum-half to be tried out by Wales so far this season.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05How do you feel about making your international debut in Paris?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08A pretty tough place for an international, I would say.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11I'd rather make my debut at Cardiff Arms Park, actually,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13in front of my home crowd.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I suppose it will be a very great experience,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17which I shall never forget.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I have played there before for my school,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Millfield, three years ago at schoolboy level.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25But I suppose it will be different this time,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29with 65,000 people instead of 100 or so.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32'And the man playing scrum-half today for Wales, the young,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35'19-year-old virtuoso of all the talents,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'Gareth Edwards from Cardiff.'
0:21:37 > 0:21:41That was obviously a very special moment, one you'll never forget.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44But tell us, what stood out from that day for you?
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Well, seeing that ball bounce all over the place was a good start.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Possibly, what may be a lot of the modern players today
0:21:52 > 0:21:55wouldn't fully appreciate, with all the preparation they have,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59David Watkins was my captain and outside-half.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01A great player from Newport
0:22:01 > 0:22:04who had played for the British Lions the year before.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06So at least I had experience on my side.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10So I suggested to David maybe we should meet up after the selection
0:22:10 > 0:22:13but before the game, which was in a couple of days' time,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16at Cardiff Arms Park and have a little run out
0:22:16 > 0:22:18so that we could get to know one another.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22There was no preparation in those days. You made your own arrangements.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24So when I eventually got to Cardiff Arms Park,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27David was there with his jacket still over his shoulder.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30I said, "What's the matter, Dai?"
0:22:30 > 0:22:32He said, "Take your time, don't bother", he said.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35"They won't give us a ball to train with."
0:22:35 > 0:22:39So, I knew he was a Newport player, and Cardiff are a bit,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41you know, odd with Newport players!
0:22:41 > 0:22:43I said, "Leave it to me."
0:22:43 > 0:22:46So I shouted to the groundsman,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48"Oi", I said, "Excuse me, can I have a ball?"
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Knowing that he knew me.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52I said, "I'm playing for Wales on Saturday.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54"I wouldn't mind a ball, to have a practice."
0:22:54 > 0:22:58"I don't care who you're playing for, nobody told me anything about this."
0:22:58 > 0:23:00LAUGHTER
0:23:00 > 0:23:03And then, with that, all of a sudden David went down
0:23:03 > 0:23:08and started tying his jacket into a knot, and into a ball.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12And, honestly, the first pass I ever threw to David Watkins was his coat.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14LAUGHTER
0:23:14 > 0:23:16That was a great start, obviously.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18But when you paired up with your next Welsh number ten
0:23:18 > 0:23:22it was the start of one of the great half-back partnerships in rugby history.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25So let's hear how you met the man himself.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29We were selected for the probables, against the possibles
0:23:29 > 0:23:35in January, early Feb, I think, in '67.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37And Gareth rang up and he said,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40"I think we should get together and have a practice."
0:23:40 > 0:23:42The weekend was awful.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47As we arrived it was as though somebody had put 10p in the plug
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and the rain came down even worse.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I was falling all over the place
0:23:52 > 0:23:54so I literally just went to Gareth, and just said,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57"Gareth, you throw it, I'll catch it."
0:23:57 > 0:24:01'Edwards. John, looking for the gap.'
0:24:01 > 0:24:03There had been some hype about Gareth,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07about this youngster from Millfield, that he was a bit exceptional.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Very, very good footballer as well.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13After a couple of games I could see, this guy can do a bit, you know.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16He was such an all-rounder, you see.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19His body shape and balance.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Low centre of gravity, see, he could move and twist.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Plus strength. He could explode out of places.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27You combine all these things,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29you throw them into a bowl and give it a good stir,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32you come up with an exceptional talent.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Gareth, join the clan.
0:24:34 > 0:24:41You qualify for the Llandaff version of Last of the Summer Wine!
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Mind you, we'll have to check your references,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46and you might have to go through an interview.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50And chairman of the interviewing committee is none other
0:24:50 > 0:24:52than Mr Sydney John Dawes.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I'll vote for you.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Have a good one, mate, take care.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58APPLAUSE
0:25:00 > 0:25:03There you go. You're in the Last of the Summer Wine club.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Now, within a year of your first cap, at just 20 years old,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11you ended up becoming Wales' youngest ever captain,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13leading Wales 13 times.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Tell us a little bit about that experience, being such a young captain,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20with such a team of well-established players around you.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Well, you're right, experienced players as well.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Everybody said I was too young to be the captain,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29but I think, as I was told a good few years later,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31they thought they were going to take a risk.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Worth the risk, they said, because if it worked
0:25:34 > 0:25:37then they'd have a captain for a good few years.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39And what kind of a captain were you in the dressing room?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Erm...
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Well, tactically, of course,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46I think you can control the game as you wish to play it, and as you see it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49But in the dressing room, in those days, of course,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53the responsibility of a captain was more or less
0:25:53 > 0:25:55to gather the troops together -
0:25:55 > 0:25:59"Right, lads, this is the plan. This is what we've got to do."
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Clive Rowlands became our coach after that and he was a great help
0:26:03 > 0:26:06because as I was leaving to go on to the field,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and you think now, this is a big tactical talk.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12"If it's good ball", he said, "pass it.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15"And if it's bad ball, kick it."
0:26:15 > 0:26:17LAUGHTER
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Well, it's tactics like that...
0:26:19 > 0:26:21That's all we did!
0:26:21 > 0:26:24..that saw that incredible group of players come together
0:26:24 > 0:26:28at the start of what was this really exciting time for Welsh rugby
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and take that Grand Slam in 1971.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It really was the fruition, wasn't it, of a generation,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36a golden generation that was going to sweep the board.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38So let's have a little look at that.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43'Again, Edwards to Barry John. John Williams in the line.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'Out to Dawes. There's a great chance here for Gerald Davies.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48'I think he's going to make it!'
0:26:51 > 0:26:54'John Dawes. Again, Williams in the line.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56'He's over the 25.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59'In to John Taylor. What a magnificent move!'
0:27:02 > 0:27:06'Gerald Davies throws. Mervyn Davies got his fingertips to it.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08'Gareth Edwards!'
0:27:11 > 0:27:13'Barry John tackling once again.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16'Williams on the interception. John Williams.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19'Up the line. He's got five people inside him.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21'Inside him is Denzil Williams.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'Gareth Edwards on the outside. He must score!'
0:27:28 > 0:27:30APPLAUSE
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Is that for you where that golden era began, that Grand Slam?
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Yeah, I would say so.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Wales had won the Triple Crown in '69, and we'd got confidence.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Those boys were young a few years before,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and now that much more mature, they were much more experienced
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and were ready for it and it just fell into place.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54And it was the beginning of an amazing year
0:27:54 > 0:27:56because so many of those Welsh players
0:27:56 > 0:27:59were then part of that successful British and Irish Lions team
0:27:59 > 0:28:02that went down to New Zealand in 1971
0:28:02 > 0:28:04with that incredible series there.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09Not only did you give so much joy to the northern hemisphere rugby,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11but down there in New Zealand watching was a young lad
0:28:11 > 0:28:14who would go on to captain New Zealand one day,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and he was pretty inspired too.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18My good friend, Gareth Edwards.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23Golly, I wouldn't have thought I'd ever say that back in 1971.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25The 1971 team that came to New Zealand
0:28:25 > 0:28:28gave a generation of children an opportunity
0:28:28 > 0:28:31to have British and Irish Lions as our heroes.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Gareth, you were my hero.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Although, being this little, fat kid, I wanted to be a number nine.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39I wanted to be able to dive pass like Gareth Edwards.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Happy 70th birthday, have a great night.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44I'm sorry I couldn't be with you and Maureen tonight,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46enjoying this special occasion.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50But you've done so much for rugby, on and off the field,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54from '71 Lions, to the '74 Lions, to that try,
0:28:54 > 0:28:58that I get sick and tired of watching, Gareth!
0:28:58 > 0:29:03But congratulations on a wonderful life and here's to many more years.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06I look forward to seeing you some time soon for a beer.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Happy birthday.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10APPLAUSE
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Now, an incredible Test series, to go down there
0:29:17 > 0:29:20and beat the All Blacks in their own backyard as well.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24And these tours, back then, they were so long, weren't they?
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Yes, I think we played 26 games on this tour.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32Every one a difficult one and a hard one as well.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34But some exceptional rugby.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38You see Mike Gibson there, showing how the ball should be passed.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41JPR. John Bevan coming back on the inside.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44David Duckham would have been on the other wing.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47You know, some outstanding rugby, the way they played.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Willie John McBride, Sandy Carmichael.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53God, I can remember even though it's in black and white.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56And Barry playing as if he'd invented the game.
0:29:56 > 0:30:02It was the most enjoyable period of time to be playing New Zealand,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and actually ending up beating them.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Most enjoyable, and I'm so glad to see so many
0:30:07 > 0:30:10of my contemporaries here this evening.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13John Taylor and David Duckham are in the audience, of course.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Tell us a bit about what Gareth was like, David, as a team-mate.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19He was certainly very special.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21We've all heard about his physical attributes
0:30:21 > 0:30:23and I think he's one of the few players
0:30:23 > 0:30:27who could have been brought forward in time to play in the modern game
0:30:27 > 0:30:29and he wouldn't have looked out of place.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32When you took the ball off the back of the lineout in that third Test,
0:30:32 > 0:30:37and ran straight at Bob Burgess, the New Zealand fly-half,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and you handed him off with such force
0:30:40 > 0:30:44that he was momentarily lifted off the ground.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Unbelievable piece of skill.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48And right on your shoulder, Barry John,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51under the posts, five points, thank you very much!
0:30:51 > 0:30:55That turned the tide on that tour and I knew then in my own heart
0:30:55 > 0:30:57that we would win that series.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59You weren't just on song on the pitch, of course.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02This was a very lyrical side, wasn't it?
0:31:02 > 0:31:06John Taylor, you were in charge of music, you were very instrumental...
0:31:06 > 0:31:10- I was.- So the song choice was all down to you, was it?
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Well, it was partly down to Carwyn, our coach,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15who was very formal in the way he did it.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18We had to have an English, a Welsh, an Irish and a Scottish song
0:31:18 > 0:31:20that we could sing formally,
0:31:20 > 0:31:25but our, sort of, informal singsong song was Sloop John B.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It was partly chosen because
0:31:28 > 0:31:31it was something that everybody could get involved in.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Although we had Delme, who's here tonight, Derek Quinnell, JPR,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38very, very good tenors,
0:31:38 > 0:31:42we had quite a few in the party who couldn't really sing at all.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44LAUGHTER
0:31:44 > 0:31:47And there were a couple of Welshmen, I'm ashamed to say.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49But captain wasn't too good!
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Gareth was halfway between.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53But the great thing about Sloop John B,
0:31:53 > 0:31:57it has this, sort of, back refrain and Arthur Lewis led it.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00He knew he could do that, he couldn't do anything else,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03and it was... Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Two minutes later, Arthur is still going...
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12So, that's why Sloop John B became our, erm...
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- It was synonymous, wasn't it?- ..tour song.- Synonymous with that side.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19And the Lions choir performed Sloop John B at the 1971
0:32:19 > 0:32:21BBC Sports Personality of the Year,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23where, of course, the team won Team of the Year.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27So let's see if you'd win any singing prizes, shall we...?
0:32:29 > 0:32:32# Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom Ba-boom-boom
0:32:32 > 0:32:35# We sailed on the Sloop John B
0:32:35 > 0:32:39# My grandpappy and me
0:32:39 > 0:32:46# Around Nassau town we did roam
0:32:46 > 0:32:49# Drinking all night
0:32:49 > 0:32:54# Got into a fight
0:32:54 > 0:32:57# I feel so broke up, yeah
0:32:57 > 0:32:59# I want to go home... #
0:32:59 > 0:33:02# Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom Ba-boom-boom
0:33:02 > 0:33:06# So hoist up the John B's sail
0:33:06 > 0:33:10# See how the main sail sets
0:33:10 > 0:33:13# Call for the Captain ashore
0:33:13 > 0:33:17# Let me go home
0:33:17 > 0:33:21# Let me go home
0:33:21 > 0:33:25# I want to go home, yeah, yeah
0:33:25 > 0:33:28# Well, I feel so broke up
0:33:28 > 0:33:32# I want to go home
0:33:32 > 0:33:36# Da-ra, da-da-ra, da-da-ra Da-da-ra, da-da-ra
0:33:36 > 0:33:38# Da-da-ra
0:33:38 > 0:33:42# The first mate he got drunk
0:33:42 > 0:33:46# And broke in the Captain's trunk
0:33:46 > 0:33:52# The Constable had to come and take him away
0:33:53 > 0:33:56# Sheriff John Stone
0:33:56 > 0:34:01# Why don't you leave me alone, yeah, yeah
0:34:01 > 0:34:05# Well, I feel so broke up
0:34:05 > 0:34:09# I want to go home Da-ra-ra, da-ra-ra
0:34:09 > 0:34:14# So hoist up the John B's sail Hoist up the John B's sail
0:34:14 > 0:34:18# See how the main sail sets See how the main sail sets
0:34:18 > 0:34:21# Call for the Captain ashore
0:34:21 > 0:34:24# Let me go home Let me go home
0:34:24 > 0:34:28# I want to go home Let me go home
0:34:28 > 0:34:32# I want to go home Hoist up the John B's sail
0:34:32 > 0:34:36# Well, I feel so broke up
0:34:36 > 0:34:38# I want to go home
0:34:38 > 0:34:40# Let me go home
0:34:40 > 0:34:45# So hoist up the John B's sail Hoist up the John B's sail
0:34:45 > 0:34:49# See how the main sail sets See how the main sail sets
0:34:49 > 0:34:51# Call for the Captain ashore
0:34:51 > 0:34:55# Let me go home Let me go home
0:34:55 > 0:34:59# I want to go home Let me go home
0:34:59 > 0:35:03# I want to go home Hoist up the John B's sail
0:35:03 > 0:35:06# Well, I feel so broke up
0:35:06 > 0:35:08# I want to go home
0:35:08 > 0:35:11# Let me go home
0:35:11 > 0:35:14# Well, I feel so broke up, yeah
0:35:14 > 0:35:20# I want to go home. #
0:35:20 > 0:35:22APPLAUSE
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Hello, Gareth.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Sorry I can't be with you
0:35:37 > 0:35:42but I gather you have now reached the three score and ten.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Well done.
0:35:44 > 0:35:481968 was our first meeting, when we went to South Africa,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51and you were very much part of that tour as a young 21-year-old.
0:35:51 > 0:35:57But the thing that really stands out in my mind is 1971
0:35:57 > 0:36:01when you were such a key factor in our big win in New Zealand.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03What a magnificent backline it was.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07I know that you were very much a strong part of that.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11And, of course, then being a member of my 1974 team.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14'Edwards looks for the long drop at goal.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17'He's struck it beautifully and it sails through!'
0:36:17 > 0:36:20'Taken by Gareth Edwards. Edwards five yards short.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22'Gordon Brown scoring again!'
0:36:22 > 0:36:25'The Lions with a heel against the head.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28'Mervyn Davies to Edwards. Slips it inside. It must be the try.'
0:36:28 > 0:36:32I've always been proud to have played with you.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35You've had many accolades over the years
0:36:35 > 0:36:38and, of course, you got your knighthood about a year ago
0:36:38 > 0:36:42and, you know, you're still the same Gareth as I met in 1968.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44It's been great the way you've handled that all.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Just keep on the way you've been doing
0:36:47 > 0:36:50because that's why you're Gareth Edwards.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52APPLAUSE
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Lovely. Lovely words there and quite rightly as well.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Willie John McBride there praising your contribution
0:37:02 > 0:37:05to that all-conquering British and Irish Lions tour
0:37:05 > 0:37:07to South Africa in 1974.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09In between all those incredible Lions triumphs
0:37:09 > 0:37:14we've talked about, you created two of the most iconic moments in rugby.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18So let's start with the greatest of your individual tries,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20against Scotland in 1972.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23'Mervyn Davies takes the tap down from Peter Brown.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26'It's beautifully laid back for Gareth Edwards.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29'Edwards, over the Welsh ten yards line.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32'Over halfway. The kick ahead by Edwards.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34'Can he score? It would be a miracle if he could.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36'He may well get there.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38'And he has!'
0:37:38 > 0:37:40APPLAUSE
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Fantastic to hear the tones of Bill McLaren there,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47saying, "Will he make it?"
0:37:47 > 0:37:50- Did you believe you were going to make it all the way?- I was hoping!
0:37:50 > 0:37:53As I kicked the ball for about the third time,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56I could see there was a curve on the ball and I thought,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59"Oh, my word, it's going to run into touch in goal."
0:37:59 > 0:38:03It's a long way to come not to have a score at the end of that.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06So I was praying that it wasn't going to go out.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08But my mother, of course, who watched matches
0:38:08 > 0:38:12with her hands to her face, thought I'd split my head open
0:38:12 > 0:38:14because she thought it was blood running down
0:38:14 > 0:38:18but, of course, it was the red shale from the dog track
0:38:18 > 0:38:20which surrounded the Arms Park in those days.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It looked pretty dramatic, even on that grainy coverage, didn't it?
0:38:23 > 0:38:26It didn't smell so good either!
0:38:26 > 0:38:27LAUGHTER
0:38:27 > 0:38:31Listen, before we see your greatest ever team try, Gareth,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34we have a message for you from a Welshman in New York.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39It is of great regret, obviously not playing for Wales being a huge one
0:38:39 > 0:38:42and indeed the Lions, or indeed outside to your scrum,
0:38:42 > 0:38:44that I can't be with you this evening
0:38:44 > 0:38:47to celebrate this most auspicious of years.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Here's a small test for everyone to try.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55Try saying...oh, you know THAT place, THAT thing,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59THAT person, you know, THAT restaurant, THAT try.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Everyone knows the try. Rare.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04'This is great stuff. Phil Bennett covering.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10'Chased by Alistair Scown.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12'Brilliant. Oh, that's brilliant!
0:39:13 > 0:39:15'John Williams. Bryan Williams.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16'Pullin.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18'John Dawes.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21'Great dummy.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23'David. Tom David.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26'The halfway line. Brilliant by Quinnell!
0:39:26 > 0:39:28'This is Gareth Edwards!
0:39:28 > 0:39:30'A dramatic start!
0:39:30 > 0:39:31'What a score!'
0:39:33 > 0:39:36You deserve every accolade thrown at you this year.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Llongyfarchiadau. Chi'n haeddu pob clod.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43A very happy birthday, Mr Edwards.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45APPLAUSE
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Nice words from Matthew Rhys there,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51echoing, I'm sure, the sentiment of a lot of people here.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54The pleasure one gets out of that is to be reminded of it
0:39:54 > 0:39:58in so many different countries around the world
0:39:58 > 0:40:01when people say, "Do you know what, I was there."
0:40:01 > 0:40:03And I reckon there must have been
0:40:03 > 0:40:074.5 million people in Cardiff that day!
0:40:07 > 0:40:08LAUGHTER
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Everybody seems to have been in Cardiff that day to watch that game.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Almost every participant in that try it here tonight.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Shall we hear from one of them? Tom David is going to tell us what it was like for him.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22To be honest, that try is shown so many times
0:40:22 > 0:40:25people think that Gareth is still playing!
0:40:25 > 0:40:26LAUGHTER
0:40:26 > 0:40:30It is interesting, we've all wined and dined on this try.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33For those who never saw it, I'll explain how it happened.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35There was a ruck on the halfway line
0:40:35 > 0:40:37and New Zealand won it through Kirkpatrick.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40The captain fed Bryan Williams, the winger,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42who put a high ball up towards the posts.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45The obvious thing is, Phil Bennett caught it and we thought,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48let's run to the next lineout, and he did his three sidesteps.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52People always say that was magical but it was sheer bloody fright!
0:40:52 > 0:40:54LAUGHTER
0:40:54 > 0:40:56He passed the ball on to JPR,
0:40:56 > 0:40:59who passed the ball on to John Pullin, the only English guy
0:40:59 > 0:41:02in the move, who passed the ball to John Dawes, who passed the ball
0:41:02 > 0:41:06to Tom David, who ran 50 yards with all the sidestep skills!
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Passed the ball to Derek Quinnell
0:41:08 > 0:41:11and Golden Balls scored in the corner!
0:41:11 > 0:41:13LAUGHTER
0:41:13 > 0:41:16But you know, I can never understand why people get so excited
0:41:16 > 0:41:19by that try because we'd practised that move the previous day.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21LAUGHTER
0:41:21 > 0:41:23APPLAUSE
0:41:27 > 0:41:30It's amazing how people remember history differently, isn't it?
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Isn't it wonderful.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Your glories on the field of play, of course, in the '70s,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38gave you this huge profile off it.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42There was one man getting even more material out of your rugby success
0:41:42 > 0:41:44and it was our next guest.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Max Boyce.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48APPLAUSE
0:41:48 > 0:41:51MUSIC: HYMNS AND ARIAS
0:42:05 > 0:42:06Take a seat.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09You've brought with you, Eamonn Andrews had his big red book...
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- Yes, this is my little black book. - Your big black book.- Yes.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17How much inspiration did you get from Gareth and his performances?
0:42:17 > 0:42:22That whole era, the '70s, the whole era was inspirational.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25They were the halcyon days, they were the crowning years
0:42:25 > 0:42:28and it did, it inspired everyone.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31And Gareth was an integral part of that team.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34He was the heartbeat, he was the warrior of the team.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37And, you know, we look back, I'm privileged, people my age,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40that we saw that era and we witnessed it.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43When Gareth came to speak at my rugby club in Glynneath
0:42:43 > 0:42:46a year ago, and until you put all those bits together,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50it's only then you realise what a remarkable player he was.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53- And you've been friends for such a long time, haven't you?- A long time.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57- Over 40 years, I think. Has he ever let you down?- Oh, yes.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59LAUGHTER
0:42:59 > 0:43:00Oh, aye.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03A lot of this is nonsense, I'm telling you!
0:43:03 > 0:43:05LAUGHTER
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Do you know this man, right, as you know he's a keen fisherman.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11He's a keen fisherman, right.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14He once told Cliff Morgan that he gets as much thrill
0:43:14 > 0:43:17out of catching a salmon as he did playing for Wales.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21- Did you say that?- Yes.- And he's promised me a salmon, right,
0:43:21 > 0:43:23for 40 years!
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Have I seen a salmon? I'm still waiting for this salmon, right.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30John West I gave you once, didn't I?!
0:43:31 > 0:43:34And I don't fish. He's taken me fishing six times.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37We've fished on ponds and on lakes and canals, right.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40We even fished at Llandegfedd reservoir.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42He said, "We're bound to catch some today.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46"It's just been stocked with 10,000 trout." We didn't catch one!
0:43:46 > 0:43:49And it was only me and him on the reservoir.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54So I know he's lauded tonight and rightfully so,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57rightfully so, as a great friend and a great Welshman.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00And I've got to ask the question, Gareth,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03because I want to know, in all that time,
0:44:03 > 0:44:05where's my fish?
0:44:05 > 0:44:07LAUGHTER
0:44:09 > 0:44:13So this is a little reminder for you in all its glory.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19"To think we've known you, Gareth, for three score years and ten.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24"The age the Bible gave you to walk with mortal men.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26"And we watched you score that famous try
0:44:26 > 0:44:29"when the mighty Blacks were slain
0:44:29 > 0:44:31"and we watched the replay once again.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34"And again, and again, and again.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36LAUGHTER
0:44:36 > 0:44:39"And you were rightly knighted
0:44:39 > 0:44:41"by the hand who will wear the crown.
0:44:41 > 0:44:45"But did you tell his Royal liege how much you've left me down?
0:44:46 > 0:44:51"You promised me a salmon that I could cook in wine.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56"From the River Teifi's deepest pool you'd snare with rod and line.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59"But no such fare has graced my plate,
0:44:59 > 0:45:01"no poached or parcel dish.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05"And so I'll ask you one more time, Sir Gareth, where's my fish?"
0:45:05 > 0:45:07LAUGHTER
0:45:11 > 0:45:14Ladies and gentlemen, Max Boyce.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16APPLAUSE
0:45:21 > 0:45:24- There we are.- I think you know what you've got to get him.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Just a new topic for him, that's all.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31Well, Gareth, as a youngster you had trouble deciding which sport
0:45:31 > 0:45:32to concentrate on.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Bill Samuel helped guide you to your fame and glory in rugby.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39But then, when you found a new life away from the rugby pitch,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41the fame and fortune brought you in contact with
0:45:41 > 0:45:43some different opportunities.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47There was a chance to show all your skills, from squat thrusting
0:45:47 > 0:45:51to canoeing, thanks to that great classic '70s show, Superstars.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56'125 metres to go.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59'Gareth Edwards nearest us. Barrington over on the far side.'
0:46:00 > 0:46:02'Superb lifting from Gareth Edwards.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06'And that puts him into the lead.'
0:46:14 > 0:46:17'Good shot. And that's the best. And Edwards has won it.'
0:46:22 > 0:46:24APPLAUSE
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Very good, very good.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32It was a crazy kind of show, to allow professional sports people
0:46:32 > 0:46:34or even those at the very top of the amateur game
0:46:34 > 0:46:37to play all kinds of sports and compete against each other.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40- You'd never get the insurance now. - Well, probably not.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42The concept was great and what was good,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45especially in those early days, very few of us ever practised for it.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47We just turned up and had a go.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50But a great opportunity to rub shoulders
0:46:50 > 0:46:53with guys from different sports.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56And that is where John Conteh, the former world boxing champion,
0:46:56 > 0:46:58and you forged a friendship.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01And, of course, this was all being balanced
0:47:01 > 0:47:05while you were still playing rugby for Wales, which a lot of the modern
0:47:05 > 0:47:08professionals watching this would find incredible.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12- You had to leave Atlanta in a bit of a hurry, didn't you?- I did.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15In actual fact I was surprised that I was ever given permission.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19The Welsh Rugby Union said I could go to Atlanta.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22They were very honoured that I would be representing the sport of Wales
0:47:22 > 0:47:27in America, even though we were due to play Scotland three days later.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30They said, "As long as you're back for training on Thursday
0:47:30 > 0:47:31"you'll be all right."
0:47:31 > 0:47:35The last two or three events, I don't know if you remember this,
0:47:35 > 0:47:40were the dips and the chins and the squat thrusts and what have you.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43And I went, I finished my last squat thrust.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Pull, push.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48"Right, sorry, boys. Great, thanks, got to go."
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Grabbed my bag, jumped in a taxi which was waiting for me,
0:47:51 > 0:47:53jumped on the plane, arrived in London.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56There was a car waiting for me. It drove me to the Arms Park.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Gerry Lewis... Boys, fair play.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01I said, "Ger, I'm in trouble. I can't move."
0:48:01 > 0:48:04The only way I could straighten my arms, I promise you,
0:48:04 > 0:48:08was to hook them onto a rail and lean back.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14So it took him 48 hours to get me, sort of, back into working order.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18And that story might well explain why you were nowhere to be seen
0:48:18 > 0:48:21in one of the very best Welsh tries of the decade.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24- I was applauding.- We thought you'd still like to enjoy it.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27We all would, that's for sure. Let's have a little look.
0:48:27 > 0:48:28'Fenwick.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30'Gerald Davies. What was he doing there?
0:48:30 > 0:48:32'And you can see.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34'Davies. Phil Bennett.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37'Bennett out to David Burcher.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40'Burcher back inside to Fenwick, to Bennett.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43'Oh, this is going to be the try of the Championship.'
0:48:45 > 0:48:47APPLAUSE
0:48:52 > 0:48:56It was, of course, Phil Bennett who was your half-back partner.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59The second half, if you like, of that '70s golden era.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03Tell us a little bit about that relationship, if you will, Phil.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06I was very privileged to play with Gareth for about six seasons.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09I was in the squad for about ten seasons
0:49:09 > 0:49:12but Barry was the first choice. Thank God he retired early!
0:49:12 > 0:49:16It was great to play with Gareth because there were three flankers,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Slattery, a great flanker from Ireland, Tony Neary from England
0:49:19 > 0:49:22and the great Jean-Pierre Rives from France.
0:49:22 > 0:49:23And Gareth's great pass
0:49:23 > 0:49:26kept me away from those three lunatics for ten years.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29So, Gar, it was great to play with you,
0:49:29 > 0:49:31it was great to play with the Welsh team.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Have a great 70th birthday and it was my privilege. Diolch yn fawr.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37APPLAUSE
0:49:43 > 0:49:46The joy that you got from that period is clear to see
0:49:46 > 0:49:49from your face watching these clips and reliving those moments.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53It was such a successful few years, the last few years of your career.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56You reached 50 caps, you won two Grand Slams in three years,
0:49:56 > 0:49:58became Wales' record try scorer.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02And with that in mind, how difficult was it to make that decision
0:50:02 > 0:50:03to hang up the boots?
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Erm...
0:50:05 > 0:50:09It was the French game in Cardiff, we won the Grand Slam,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12and as I ran off the field, Jean-Pierre Rives
0:50:12 > 0:50:16put his arm around me and said, "Gareth, today was your day.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20"Well done. Maybe next year in Paris it will be my day."
0:50:21 > 0:50:24And for the first time in my mind, I did say,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27yes, yes, yes, Jean-Pierre, maybe you're right.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31But my brain said, no, there might not be next year.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33And I thought, why was that.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36And I hadn't...this is true, I hadn't reached the dressing room
0:50:36 > 0:50:41when the crowd obviously were elated with this latest Grand Slam...
0:50:42 > 0:50:45..put their arms around me, "Ah, well done Gar.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48"You're playing better than ever. Fantastic", he says.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51"Off to Australia now...", he said, "..in the summer, beat them,
0:50:51 > 0:50:54"then the All Blacks are here next year, we'll beat them,
0:50:54 > 0:50:57"and then South Africa", he said. "Got it all."
0:50:57 > 0:50:58And I thought...
0:50:58 > 0:51:01the road is never ending, isn't it?
0:51:01 > 0:51:03There's always one more tour.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05So maybe it was the right time to pack in.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09You were knighted in 2015 for services to rugby and charity
0:51:09 > 0:51:12and that must have been a fantastic day for you all.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16And his Royal Highness has something special to say to you right now.
0:51:17 > 0:51:18Good evening everyone.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22As patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, I'm lucky enough to witness
0:51:22 > 0:51:27first-hand the pride and passion with which rugby is played in Wales.
0:51:27 > 0:51:33And, Gareth, for decades, you have encapsulated this pride and passion.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36An inspiration for generations who have grown-up
0:51:36 > 0:51:39watching your skill and brilliance on the pitch,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41as well as for those younger fans
0:51:41 > 0:51:44for whom your reputation precedes you.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47You are truly one of the greats
0:51:47 > 0:51:50and I want to take this opportunity to thank you
0:51:50 > 0:51:54for the incredibly important and lasting contribution you have made
0:51:54 > 0:51:57to the game on the world stage
0:51:57 > 0:52:00and I wish you a very happy 70th birthday.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02APPLAUSE
0:52:09 > 0:52:12- Well, how do you follow that? - Well, I tell you how,
0:52:12 > 0:52:16because Gareth became a very popular name in the '70s and '80s.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19There was a bit of a boom with the name Gareth
0:52:19 > 0:52:23so we've asked people to send in, before tonight, messages telling us
0:52:23 > 0:52:26if they were named after you, Gareth Edwards.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30And you would not believe the response we've had on social media.
0:52:30 > 0:52:31It was overwhelming.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35They've come from all over the world, from Singapore to Scotland.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38People sent their pictures at #IamGareth.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40I'll tell you about a few of them. This one here.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43"I was born on the 17th of March, 1974.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46"Mum was in labour the day before and dad was watching England Wales
0:52:46 > 0:52:48"with the doctors in the waiting room.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52"After the game, dad decided I'd be called Gareth instead of Stephen."
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Gareth Melly says, "I was born in South Africa in 1982
0:52:55 > 0:52:59"and was indeed named after the legend by my rugby-loving father."
0:52:59 > 0:53:02And finally, "Gareth Edwards, born in 1977,
0:53:02 > 0:53:06"at the exact time as Gareth Edwards scored a try against England."
0:53:07 > 0:53:11And there were so, so many of those, it was incredible.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13We've had people sending in their stories
0:53:13 > 0:53:16and hearing how they got your name.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20It's now time to hear from some other children and grandchildren.
0:53:20 > 0:53:21Yours.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Hi, Dad. Penblwydd hapus on a very special occasion.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27We wish you all the very best tonight.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31It was great growing up having you as a dad, even though you were
0:53:31 > 0:53:34very competitive and wouldn't let us win at anything.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38All the same, you were very funny, especially when you weren't trying to be.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42Hi, Tadcu. The reason you're special to me is all the amazing
0:53:42 > 0:53:45people I get to meet because of you, like Gareth Bale and Rob Brydon.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48Happy birthday, Tadcu, from your favourite grandchild!
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Hi, Tadcu. Happy birthday.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57The best memory I have of you is when we went on holiday to Orlando
0:53:57 > 0:54:01and you didn't know who Mickey Mouse was.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03You were always saying, Mickey who?
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Have a great night, Dad.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07We've had some brilliant times together
0:54:07 > 0:54:09and in particular working together
0:54:09 > 0:54:12and I'm thinking of Fred's Bar in Paris.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Here's to many more of those great nights.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Have a great time.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18- ALL:- Penblwydd hapus, Tadcu!
0:54:21 > 0:54:23APPLAUSE
0:54:25 > 0:54:27How lovely.
0:54:30 > 0:54:35So, looking back on your life and your incredible career,
0:54:35 > 0:54:37what's brought you most joy?
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Without question, when you see that,
0:54:39 > 0:54:43that would be very much top of the list, I should imagine.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47But to be fortunate enough to have been able to play a sport
0:54:47 > 0:54:51that allowed me to travel the world, meet so many interesting people,
0:54:51 > 0:54:54play with so many wonderful people.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57What I can say more than anything was Willie John's favourite
0:54:57 > 0:55:02statement, "Lads, it was great to travel with you."
0:55:02 > 0:55:05And that in itself said everything.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08It was great to have travelled with all these guys
0:55:08 > 0:55:11and made so many lifelong friends.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13And your journey goes on
0:55:13 > 0:55:15and the travel now is with this wonderful family as well
0:55:15 > 0:55:17through the next period of your life.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20But it wouldn't be a birthday without presents
0:55:20 > 0:55:22and great friends, of course.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25And friends of yours like to give you some extraordinary gifts
0:55:25 > 0:55:28so we have one now in the shape of a very special performance.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32He's chosen a song he says which embodies you and rugby itself.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Sir Bryn Terfel.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39APPLAUSE
0:55:50 > 0:55:55# Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus
0:55:55 > 0:56:00# Aur y byd na'i berlau man
0:56:00 > 0:56:05# Gofyn wyf am galon hapus
0:56:05 > 0:56:09# Calon onest, calon lan
0:56:09 > 0:56:14# Calon lan yn llawn daioni
0:56:14 > 0:56:19# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos
0:56:19 > 0:56:24# Dim ond calon lan all ganu
0:56:24 > 0:56:29# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos
0:56:38 > 0:56:42# Pe dymunwn olud bydol
0:56:42 > 0:56:47# Chwim adenydd iddo sydd
0:56:47 > 0:56:52# Golud calon lan rinweddol
0:56:52 > 0:56:56# Yn dwyn bythol elw fydd
0:56:56 > 0:57:01# Calon lan yn llawn daioni
0:57:01 > 0:57:05# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos
0:57:05 > 0:57:10# Dim ond calon lan all ganu
0:57:10 > 0:57:16# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos
0:57:24 > 0:57:29# Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad
0:57:29 > 0:57:33# Esgyn ar adenydd can
0:57:33 > 0:57:38# Ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad
0:57:38 > 0:57:43# Roddi i mi galon lan
0:57:43 > 0:57:47# Calon lan yn llawn daioni
0:57:47 > 0:57:52# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos
0:57:52 > 0:57:57# Dim ond calon lan all ganu
0:57:57 > 0:58:01# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos
0:58:01 > 0:58:07# Dim ond calon lan all ganu
0:58:07 > 0:58:14# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos. #
0:58:14 > 0:58:16APPLAUSE
0:58:20 > 0:58:23Ladies and gentlemen, please, for one last time tonight,
0:58:23 > 0:58:27wish Sir Gareth Edwards a very happy 70th birthday.
0:58:28 > 0:58:31CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:58:32 > 0:58:34MUSIC: CALON LAN