Sir Gareth Edwards at 70

He's been voted the greatest rugby player of all-time.

His power, pace and passion embodied the game's golden era.

And he remains a true icon of Wales.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let us celebrate Sir Gareth Edwards at 70.

APPLAUSE

A very, very special night, I think,

we have in store for you, Sir Gareth Edwards,

and a very special birthday. Happy birthday.

Well, thank you very much.

I'm delighted to have been able to make it, really!

I don't really know how I should feel,

but it certainly doesn't feel all that long ago

that I was being raised as a miner's boy in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen,

playing for Wales all those years ago,

and here we are now three score and ten.

Many, many years on but so much to talk about.

So many wonderful moments through your career

and the life that came after your rugby playing days as well.

And might I say, you've aged very well indeed.

It's all the make-up!

LAUGHTER

OK, we're going to be reliving many of those highlights over the next hour or so,

over 70 great years, and finding out just what made you who you are today

and the person, the player that you were as well.

But shall we have a little look back and remind ourselves

why Sir Gareth Edwards is such a legend.

'The young 19-year-old virtuoso of all the talents,

'Gareth Edwards from Cardiff.'

'On the 25 yard line. Gareth Edwards, one sidestep.

'Great tackle... Almost a great tackle.

'Edwards has scored. What a score.'

'On the Scottish 25.

'Edwards. Edwards is going.

'He's going to score!'

'Gerald Davies throws.

'Mervyn Davies got his fingertips to it. Gareth Edwards.

'You can't stop him from that distance.'

'There's a very happy young man indeed, only 21, Gareth Edwards.

'One of the great successes of this international season, without a doubt.'

'Edwards, handing off Burgess.

'The strength, the determination, the finesse of John at the end.'

'Edwards, over the Welsh ten yards line.

'Over halfway. The kick ahead by Edwards.

'Can he score? It would be a miracle if he could.

'He may well get there.

'And he has!'

'Brilliant by Quinnell!

'This is Gareth Edwards. A dramatic start.

'What a score!'

'Edwards. Looks for the long drop at goal.

'He's struck it beautifully and it sails through.'

'Bobby Windsor feeds to Edwards.

'Looking for the gap. Almost racing through.

'He does! He's going to get there!'

'50-50 ball, and Edwards wins it!

'And that's going to be a first try for Cardiff.

'A pure solo effort by Gareth Edwards.'

'Bit of space there, and Edwards, will he get that record try?

'Has he got it? It's given!'

'Gareth Edwards, who is going to lead them out.

'A wonderful gesture to one of the greatest of all.

'A man who will always be in rugby's Hall of Fame.'

APPLAUSE

Well, it wasn't difficult making that.

It was difficult getting it all compacted

into one short piece of video tape

because there's so much and so many great moments to look back on.

But this isn't the first time

you've been asked to look back over your life of, course,

because Eamonn Andrews presented you with the famous red book

before the age of 30.

Well, it almost cost a divorce in the house

because we were having all these phone calls all the time,

and if ever I answered it, it went dead.

And then sometimes Maureen would answer the phone

and they would ask, "Is the subject in?"

And she was then going to say, "Yes."

So I'd say, "Who was that on the phone?" "Nobody. Wrong number."

Shall we remind you of that moment when they surprised you.

Let's have a little look.

This Is Your Life, and to help me tackle the man I'm after,

one of the, or in fact, the world's finest rugby union team, Wales.

So let's get there in time and give him the surprise of his life.

Gareth Edwards, Wales' most capped rugby international,

tonight this is your life.

Well, Gareth, you thought Maureen was at home in Porthcawl,

south Wales, tonight, but she wasn't travelling alone

because with her are your mother and father, Ann and Glan Edwards,

and your sister Gloria and your brother Gethin.

APPLAUSE

-Marvellous.

-Yes.

Really fantastic. And your parents, there, your mum and dad.

So lovely to see them enjoying that moment.

Tell us a little bit about your upbringing and what it was like

and their parenting and how that helped to shape you.

Well, I think very typical of so many in the audience.

You know, typical upper Swansea Valley village,

mining village life.

Wonderful care and love and attention.

We might not have been the wealthiest people on earth,

but certainly we didn't want for anything,

so I never even thought that we ever needed anything,

other than what we were presented with all the time.

Well, two people who knew you and your family very well

in those formative years are here tonight.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Dame Sian Phillips

and rugby broadcaster Huw Llywelyn Davies.

APPLAUSE

See, now we've got two people who can really tell us

what you were like as a boy, Gareth.

Because Huw, you grew up, didn't you, with Gareth.

What was he like as a kid?

We grew up the other side of the road.

He spent far more time kicking a ball than he did reading any textbooks back home.

But always a ball, kicking it, passing it.

We played cricket Test matches by the side of our house.

Smashed a few windows.

Six and out in the garden the other side,

the telling off from his father.

But Gareth, whatever game we played, he always had to be Wales.

He was Wales, and Geth, his brother, poor dab,

who was 18 months younger, always had to be the opposition.

And invariably the opposition was England,

because we had to beat England.

Gareth would never lose.

If he was taking the conversion at the end of the game to win it

for Wales, and missed, somebody had charged to early

so he could have another bash at the conversion.

But let me tell you,

he wasn't this muscular man in his early days.

As a matter of fact, his mother called him skinny and wiry.

And I remember Mrs Edwards saying that when they went

on the trip Ysgol Sul, the Sunday school trip,

to Barry or to Porthcawl, she was embarrassed undressing Gareth

and putting his shorts on, or his swimming shorts on,

because he looked like a string of spaghetti!

And Sian, tell us a little bit, if you will, about your memories,

because I think you have some lovely memories, don't you, about Mrs Edwards Senior.

Indeed. I had a wonderful tea one day with Gareth's mother.

And she told me a story which I adore.

And one nasty November day, she came out of their house

in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and she slipped on the ice

and she knocked her head and she was unconscious.

Several neighbours came and carried her into the house.

Cut to the front parlour, the sofa, she'd been laid out

and she was beginning to come to,

as she heard one of the men who had put her there say,

"Oh, dear, do you think she's all right?"

And the other one said, "No, she looks bad."

"Oh, dear", he said, "there's a shame, isn't it?"

And the other one said, "Yes. Mind you, it could have been worse.

"It could have been Gareth!"

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

Well, a village that produced some special alumni, you know,

and there's some very special people come from there, so thank you so much.

Oh, it's a pleasure. Many happy returns.

Dame Sian Phillips and Huw Llywelyn Davies, ladies and gentlemen.

APPLAUSE

Lovely to hear some stories about when you were a boy.

And this boy was fast growing into a very talented teen, wasn't he?

You were an excellent rugby player, obviously,

a talented footballer with Swansea City looking at you, scouting you.

An amazing athlete as well.

So how did you choose which sport, ultimately,

you were going to dedicate your life to?

I think if I hadn't met up with Bill Samuel,

who was the PE teacher in Pontardawe technical school,

he was the person that really sort of put me in a certain direction.

But it was really going to Millfield that put the wheels in motion.

One thing was sure, he definitely saw talent in you, Bill Samuel,

and he, as you say, he got in touch with Millfield School

which was, as it is now, a public school

which has a reputation for sporting excellence.

And he sent the headmaster a list of your talents, which must have been a very long letter indeed.

So obviously the headmaster's interest was piqued, wasn't it, when he saw this letter.

And really it led to a life-changing opportunity.

Let's have a little look.

I remember the phrase quite well,

it was that this young man is potential dynamite.

That Gareth seemed a natural for Millfield.

And I wanted a platform whereby it would be possible for Gareth

to play rugby against the best English schools,

get a Welsh secondary schools cap,

and then I wanted him to appear in the British schoolboy championships in athletics,

which he did and broke a record.

But more importantly, I wanted him to find his roots,

to know that he was a Welsh boy or a Welshman

and that when he donned that red jersey,

that he would feel that he owed it to his parents,

to his community and to his village, and a little bit to me,

that he would always do his best.

And I don't think he ever let us down, David.

Wow. Inspirational words.

APPLAUSE

But tell me, a boy who came from a mining community in south Wales,

rocks up at one of England's top public schools

which I imagine was filled with lords and earls

and all kinds of landed gentry.

How did you fit in?

I remember coming back from playing,

and in those days we'd come back on a bus from the playing fields.

Ran upstairs, being a senior boy and a prefect, I ran the bath.

Upstairs, quickly changed, came back down,

to find somebody in the bath!

And I went, "Who are you?", I said.

"I'm the Earl of Offaly", he said.

So, I said. "I'm Lord Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen."

LAUGHTER

"So you can get out!"

Your successes there meant you ended up winning

the Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year in 1966, didn't you?

And the man who won the senior prize

was the Olympic gold medallist, the long jumper, of course, Lynn Davies.

And he's here tonight, Lynn. There he is.

And later, of course, your paths would cross

in a slightly more formal way, wouldn't they?

Well, I went with Nick Williams, who ended up one of my best friends.

We were at Cardiff College of Education

and Lynn happened to become the new lecturer in sport.

An exceptional lecturer, but he couldn't teach

Nick and myself to swim, that's the only thing.

Just because it's interesting that we've managed to find something that you're not good at.

-So that's quite interesting in itself.

-Oh, I didn't say that.

LAUGHTER

Well, this was a really important time in your life.

You'd come back from Millfield, you'd started at college,

and you get your first taste of top-class rugby, really,

club rugby, anyway, playing with Cardiff.

And it was a lifelong association, it would end up being for you in club rugby.

Tell us a little bit about how special that period was.

It was a club with such fine tradition,

great players and, of course, they played at Cardiff Arms Park as well.

And when I walked down that path, down to the clubhouse,

I'll never forget the feeling that I had the first time I ever did it.

I still get that feeling today, just,

it's as if you're surrounded by the ghosts of ages past, you know.

There's so much history surrounding that ground

and surrounding that club.

Well, through all those years, those early years of sporting success,

there was another person who was always there by your side,

supporting you, and has been there ever since.

So let's hear from her.

We first met, and we both failed our 11 plus,

so we landed up in the same class in the secondary school.

And the teacher, Megan Williams, said,

"He's perfect for you, you know?"

And I said, "I wouldn't touch him with a pitchfork."

I think I said, or a fork.

That was... Oh gosh, we were only 12, 13, then.

Years later, we met up again.

We had a date to go to the cinema to make up a foursome.

And he was very late.

I was going to give him another 60 seconds and I was going to leave.

Anyway, he turned up, with all his kit, and the spikes.

It just went from there, really.

We tied the knot in 1972

and our first child was born

just before the South African tour

and he went off for three and a half months.

And, you know, in those days, it was an amateur game,

he had to go to work every day.

But, oh, my God, we had... We wined and dined on all the glories.

We've been all over the world.

We've had fun. We've had a lot of fun.

Happy birthday, cariad.

You're still older than me though, aren't you, but you look all right!

Have a great day.

APPLAUSE

So, tell us, was it love at first sight with Maureen?

Oh, at 12, definitely, yes. At 12 years of age.

Well, we know you have a very romantic side,

even though you might always not want to show it in public,

because your favourite song is a beautiful ballad, isn't it,

by the late Welsh entertainer, Ryan Davies.

Tell me why that song is so, so special.

Just because it's such a lovely song, for a start.

And Ryan, of course, he was such a great personality,

and he lived in the area.

And it is such a moving song.

I just love it.

OK, well, for your enjoyment,

here to perform Pan Fo'r Nos Yn Hir for you tonight

are Miriam and Myfyr Isaac.

APPLAUSE

# Pan fyddo'r nos yn hir

# A phell y wawr

# Brwydro drwy'r oriau hir

# Heb gwsg un awr

# Ymladd a throi a throi

# Drwy'r oriau maith

# Heb weled diwedd ddoe

# Na phen i'r daith

# Yna drwy'r twyllwch du

# Gwelaf dy wyneb di

# Wrth gofio'r rhamant

# Cau mae'r amrant

# Pan fo'r nos yn hir

# Tossing and turning

# Aching for sleep

# Restless and yearning

# Darkness so deep

# Then through the longest night

# My heart it holds you tight

# I close my eyes

# My fear subsides

# When the night is long

# Yna drwy'r twyllwch du

# Gwelaf dy wyneb di

# Ac ofn a gilia

# Braw ddiflana

# Pan fo'r nos

# Yn ddu. #

APPLAUSE

Hi, Gareth, how are you?

I'm so sorry I can't be there, but I'm filming.

I wanted to send you this message to give you all my best wishes.

Gareth, you are undoubtedly, not just the greatest Welsh sportsman that's ever lived,

but possibly one of the greatest Welshmen that's ever been,

and I'm proud to call you my friend.

I send you all my best wishes tonight.

They asked me to talk about your achievements.

I first noticed you when you were with Tottenham Hotspur.

I mean, you dazzled on the field.

What you've gone on to do with Real Madrid is nothing short of...

What? Edwards?

The rugby guy?

Is he still alive?

I don't really know him.

We've met, I met him at a car-boot sale in Cowbridge.

He was trying to sell me a hover mower.

There was no warranty, so I told him to...

Yeah, sure.

Gareth Edwards, hello, congratulations.

Erm, have a great night. Erm...

Can you hear me, Gareth? You must be very old now.

I'm joking, of course. Have a great night, my friend.

I'll see you in the summer, love to Maureen, and we'll catch up soon.

APPLAUSE

Very good.

Now, there was a moment, a particular match 50 years ago,

where you really appreciated Maureen's support.

Shall we have a little look?

Gareth, you're the third scrum-half to be tried out by Wales so far this season.

How do you feel about making your international debut in Paris?

A pretty tough place for an international, I would say.

I'd rather make my debut at Cardiff Arms Park, actually,

in front of my home crowd.

I suppose it will be a very great experience,

which I shall never forget.

I have played there before for my school,

Millfield, three years ago at schoolboy level.

But I suppose it will be different this time,

with 65,000 people instead of 100 or so.

'And the man playing scrum-half today for Wales, the young,

'19-year-old virtuoso of all the talents,

'Gareth Edwards from Cardiff.'

That was obviously a very special moment, one you'll never forget.

But tell us, what stood out from that day for you?

Well, seeing that ball bounce all over the place was a good start.

Possibly, what may be a lot of the modern players today

wouldn't fully appreciate, with all the preparation they have,

David Watkins was my captain and outside-half.

A great player from Newport

who had played for the British Lions the year before.

So at least I had experience on my side.

So I suggested to David maybe we should meet up after the selection

but before the game, which was in a couple of days' time,

at Cardiff Arms Park and have a little run out

so that we could get to know one another.

There was no preparation in those days. You made your own arrangements.

So when I eventually got to Cardiff Arms Park,

David was there with his jacket still over his shoulder.

I said, "What's the matter, Dai?"

He said, "Take your time, don't bother", he said.

"They won't give us a ball to train with."

So, I knew he was a Newport player, and Cardiff are a bit,

you know, odd with Newport players!

I said, "Leave it to me."

So I shouted to the groundsman,

"Oi", I said, "Excuse me, can I have a ball?"

Knowing that he knew me.

I said, "I'm playing for Wales on Saturday.

"I wouldn't mind a ball, to have a practice."

"I don't care who you're playing for, nobody told me anything about this."

LAUGHTER

And then, with that, all of a sudden David went down

and started tying his jacket into a knot, and into a ball.

And, honestly, the first pass I ever threw to David Watkins was his coat.

LAUGHTER

That was a great start, obviously.

But when you paired up with your next Welsh number ten

it was the start of one of the great half-back partnerships in rugby history.

So let's hear how you met the man himself.

We were selected for the probables, against the possibles

in January, early Feb, I think, in '67.

And Gareth rang up and he said,

"I think we should get together and have a practice."

The weekend was awful.

As we arrived it was as though somebody had put 10p in the plug

and the rain came down even worse.

I was falling all over the place

so I literally just went to Gareth, and just said,

"Gareth, you throw it, I'll catch it."

'Edwards. John, looking for the gap.'

There had been some hype about Gareth,

about this youngster from Millfield, that he was a bit exceptional.

Very, very good footballer as well.

After a couple of games I could see, this guy can do a bit, you know.

He was such an all-rounder, you see.

His body shape and balance.

Low centre of gravity, see, he could move and twist.

Plus strength. He could explode out of places.

You combine all these things,

you throw them into a bowl and give it a good stir,

you come up with an exceptional talent.

Gareth, join the clan.

You qualify for the Llandaff version of Last of the Summer Wine!

Mind you, we'll have to check your references,

and you might have to go through an interview.

And chairman of the interviewing committee is none other

than Mr Sydney John Dawes.

I'll vote for you.

Have a good one, mate, take care.

APPLAUSE

There you go. You're in the Last of the Summer Wine club.

Now, within a year of your first cap, at just 20 years old,

you ended up becoming Wales' youngest ever captain,

leading Wales 13 times.

Tell us a little bit about that experience, being such a young captain,

with such a team of well-established players around you.

Well, you're right, experienced players as well.

Everybody said I was too young to be the captain,

but I think, as I was told a good few years later,

they thought they were going to take a risk.

Worth the risk, they said, because if it worked

then they'd have a captain for a good few years.

And what kind of a captain were you in the dressing room?

Erm...

Well, tactically, of course,

I think you can control the game as you wish to play it, and as you see it.

But in the dressing room, in those days, of course,

the responsibility of a captain was more or less

to gather the troops together -

"Right, lads, this is the plan. This is what we've got to do."

Clive Rowlands became our coach after that and he was a great help

because as I was leaving to go on to the field,

and you think now, this is a big tactical talk.

"If it's good ball", he said, "pass it.

"And if it's bad ball, kick it."

LAUGHTER

Well, it's tactics like that...

That's all we did!

..that saw that incredible group of players come together

at the start of what was this really exciting time for Welsh rugby

and take that Grand Slam in 1971.

It really was the fruition, wasn't it, of a generation,

a golden generation that was going to sweep the board.

So let's have a little look at that.

'Again, Edwards to Barry John. John Williams in the line.

'Out to Dawes. There's a great chance here for Gerald Davies.

'I think he's going to make it!'

'John Dawes. Again, Williams in the line.

'He's over the 25.

'In to John Taylor. What a magnificent move!'

'Gerald Davies throws. Mervyn Davies got his fingertips to it.

'Gareth Edwards!'

'Barry John tackling once again.

'Williams on the interception. John Williams.

'Up the line. He's got five people inside him.

'Inside him is Denzil Williams.

'Gareth Edwards on the outside. He must score!'

APPLAUSE

Is that for you where that golden era began, that Grand Slam?

Yeah, I would say so.

Wales had won the Triple Crown in '69, and we'd got confidence.

Those boys were young a few years before,

and now that much more mature, they were much more experienced

and were ready for it and it just fell into place.

And it was the beginning of an amazing year

because so many of those Welsh players

were then part of that successful British and Irish Lions team

that went down to New Zealand in 1971

with that incredible series there.

Not only did you give so much joy to the northern hemisphere rugby,

but down there in New Zealand watching was a young lad

who would go on to captain New Zealand one day,

and he was pretty inspired too.

My good friend, Gareth Edwards.

Golly, I wouldn't have thought I'd ever say that back in 1971.

The 1971 team that came to New Zealand

gave a generation of children an opportunity

to have British and Irish Lions as our heroes.

Gareth, you were my hero.

Although, being this little, fat kid, I wanted to be a number nine.

I wanted to be able to dive pass like Gareth Edwards.

Happy 70th birthday, have a great night.

I'm sorry I couldn't be with you and Maureen tonight,

enjoying this special occasion.

But you've done so much for rugby, on and off the field,

from '71 Lions, to the '74 Lions, to that try,

that I get sick and tired of watching, Gareth!

But congratulations on a wonderful life and here's to many more years.

I look forward to seeing you some time soon for a beer.

Happy birthday.

APPLAUSE

Now, an incredible Test series, to go down there

and beat the All Blacks in their own backyard as well.

And these tours, back then, they were so long, weren't they?

Yes, I think we played 26 games on this tour.

Every one a difficult one and a hard one as well.

But some exceptional rugby.

You see Mike Gibson there, showing how the ball should be passed.

JPR. John Bevan coming back on the inside.

David Duckham would have been on the other wing.

You know, some outstanding rugby, the way they played.

Willie John McBride, Sandy Carmichael.

God, I can remember even though it's in black and white.

And Barry playing as if he'd invented the game.

It was the most enjoyable period of time to be playing New Zealand,

and actually ending up beating them.

Most enjoyable, and I'm so glad to see so many

of my contemporaries here this evening.

John Taylor and David Duckham are in the audience, of course.

Tell us a bit about what Gareth was like, David, as a team-mate.

He was certainly very special.

We've all heard about his physical attributes

and I think he's one of the few players

who could have been brought forward in time to play in the modern game

and he wouldn't have looked out of place.

When you took the ball off the back of the lineout in that third Test,

and ran straight at Bob Burgess, the New Zealand fly-half,

and you handed him off with such force

that he was momentarily lifted off the ground.

Unbelievable piece of skill.

And right on your shoulder, Barry John,

under the posts, five points, thank you very much!

That turned the tide on that tour and I knew then in my own heart

that we would win that series.

You weren't just on song on the pitch, of course.

This was a very lyrical side, wasn't it?

John Taylor, you were in charge of music, you were very instrumental...

-I was.

-So the song choice was all down to you, was it?

Well, it was partly down to Carwyn, our coach,

who was very formal in the way he did it.

We had to have an English, a Welsh, an Irish and a Scottish song

that we could sing formally,

but our, sort of, informal singsong song was Sloop John B.

It was partly chosen because

it was something that everybody could get involved in.

Although we had Delme, who's here tonight, Derek Quinnell, JPR,

very, very good tenors,

we had quite a few in the party who couldn't really sing at all.

LAUGHTER

And there were a couple of Welshmen, I'm ashamed to say.

But captain wasn't too good!

Gareth was halfway between.

But the great thing about Sloop John B,

it has this, sort of, back refrain and Arthur Lewis led it.

He knew he could do that, he couldn't do anything else,

and it was... Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom.

Two minutes later, Arthur is still going...

Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom.

So, that's why Sloop John B became our, erm...

-It was synonymous, wasn't it?

-..tour song.

-Synonymous with that side.

And the Lions choir performed Sloop John B at the 1971

BBC Sports Personality of the Year,

where, of course, the team won Team of the Year.

So let's see if you'd win any singing prizes, shall we...?

# Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom Ba-boom-boom

# We sailed on the Sloop John B

# My grandpappy and me

# Around Nassau town we did roam

# Drinking all night

# Got into a fight

# I feel so broke up, yeah

# I want to go home... #

# Ba-boom-boom, ba-boom-boom Ba-boom-boom

# So hoist up the John B's sail

# See how the main sail sets

# Call for the Captain ashore

# Let me go home

# Let me go home

# I want to go home, yeah, yeah

# Well, I feel so broke up

# I want to go home

# Da-ra, da-da-ra, da-da-ra Da-da-ra, da-da-ra

# Da-da-ra

# The first mate he got drunk

# And broke in the Captain's trunk

# The Constable had to come and take him away

# Sheriff John Stone

# Why don't you leave me alone, yeah, yeah

# Well, I feel so broke up

# I want to go home Da-ra-ra, da-ra-ra

# So hoist up the John B's sail Hoist up the John B's sail

# See how the main sail sets See how the main sail sets

# Call for the Captain ashore

# Let me go home Let me go home

# I want to go home Let me go home

# I want to go home Hoist up the John B's sail

# Well, I feel so broke up

# I want to go home

# Let me go home

# So hoist up the John B's sail Hoist up the John B's sail

# See how the main sail sets See how the main sail sets

# Call for the Captain ashore

# Let me go home Let me go home

# I want to go home Let me go home

# I want to go home Hoist up the John B's sail

# Well, I feel so broke up

# I want to go home

# Let me go home

# Well, I feel so broke up, yeah

# I want to go home. #

APPLAUSE

Hello, Gareth.

Sorry I can't be with you

but I gather you have now reached the three score and ten.

Well done.

1968 was our first meeting, when we went to South Africa,

and you were very much part of that tour as a young 21-year-old.

But the thing that really stands out in my mind is 1971

when you were such a key factor in our big win in New Zealand.

What a magnificent backline it was.

I know that you were very much a strong part of that.

And, of course, then being a member of my 1974 team.

'Edwards looks for the long drop at goal.

'He's struck it beautifully and it sails through!'

'Taken by Gareth Edwards. Edwards five yards short.

'Gordon Brown scoring again!'

'The Lions with a heel against the head.

'Mervyn Davies to Edwards. Slips it inside. It must be the try.'

I've always been proud to have played with you.

You've had many accolades over the years

and, of course, you got your knighthood about a year ago

and, you know, you're still the same Gareth as I met in 1968.

It's been great the way you've handled that all.

Just keep on the way you've been doing

because that's why you're Gareth Edwards.

APPLAUSE

Lovely. Lovely words there and quite rightly as well.

Willie John McBride there praising your contribution

to that all-conquering British and Irish Lions tour

to South Africa in 1974.

In between all those incredible Lions triumphs

we've talked about, you created two of the most iconic moments in rugby.

So let's start with the greatest of your individual tries,

against Scotland in 1972.

'Mervyn Davies takes the tap down from Peter Brown.

'It's beautifully laid back for Gareth Edwards.

'Edwards, over the Welsh ten yards line.

'Over halfway. The kick ahead by Edwards.

'Can he score? It would be a miracle if he could.

'He may well get there.

'And he has!'

APPLAUSE

Fantastic to hear the tones of Bill McLaren there,

saying, "Will he make it?"

-Did you believe you were going to make it all the way?

-I was hoping!

As I kicked the ball for about the third time,

I could see there was a curve on the ball and I thought,

"Oh, my word, it's going to run into touch in goal."

It's a long way to come not to have a score at the end of that.

So I was praying that it wasn't going to go out.

But my mother, of course, who watched matches

with her hands to her face, thought I'd split my head open

because she thought it was blood running down

but, of course, it was the red shale from the dog track

which surrounded the Arms Park in those days.

It looked pretty dramatic, even on that grainy coverage, didn't it?

It didn't smell so good either!

LAUGHTER

Listen, before we see your greatest ever team try, Gareth,

we have a message for you from a Welshman in New York.

It is of great regret, obviously not playing for Wales being a huge one

and indeed the Lions, or indeed outside to your scrum,

that I can't be with you this evening

to celebrate this most auspicious of years.

Here's a small test for everyone to try.

Try saying...oh, you know THAT place, THAT thing,

THAT person, you know, THAT restaurant, THAT try.

Everyone knows the try. Rare.

'This is great stuff. Phil Bennett covering.

'Chased by Alistair Scown.

'Brilliant. Oh, that's brilliant!

'John Williams. Bryan Williams.

'Pullin.

'John Dawes.

'Great dummy.

'David. Tom David.

'The halfway line. Brilliant by Quinnell!

'This is Gareth Edwards!

'A dramatic start!

'What a score!'

You deserve every accolade thrown at you this year.

Llongyfarchiadau. Chi'n haeddu pob clod.

A very happy birthday, Mr Edwards.

APPLAUSE

Nice words from Matthew Rhys there,

echoing, I'm sure, the sentiment of a lot of people here.

The pleasure one gets out of that is to be reminded of it

in so many different countries around the world

when people say, "Do you know what, I was there."

And I reckon there must have been

4.5 million people in Cardiff that day!

LAUGHTER

Everybody seems to have been in Cardiff that day to watch that game.

Almost every participant in that try it here tonight.

Shall we hear from one of them? Tom David is going to tell us what it was like for him.

To be honest, that try is shown so many times

people think that Gareth is still playing!

LAUGHTER

It is interesting, we've all wined and dined on this try.

For those who never saw it, I'll explain how it happened.

There was a ruck on the halfway line

and New Zealand won it through Kirkpatrick.

The captain fed Bryan Williams, the winger,

who put a high ball up towards the posts.

The obvious thing is, Phil Bennett caught it and we thought,

let's run to the next lineout, and he did his three sidesteps.

People always say that was magical but it was sheer bloody fright!

LAUGHTER

He passed the ball on to JPR,

who passed the ball on to John Pullin, the only English guy

in the move, who passed the ball to John Dawes, who passed the ball

to Tom David, who ran 50 yards with all the sidestep skills!

Passed the ball to Derek Quinnell

and Golden Balls scored in the corner!

LAUGHTER

But you know, I can never understand why people get so excited

by that try because we'd practised that move the previous day.

LAUGHTER

APPLAUSE

It's amazing how people remember history differently, isn't it?

Isn't it wonderful.

Your glories on the field of play, of course, in the '70s,

gave you this huge profile off it.

There was one man getting even more material out of your rugby success

and it was our next guest.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Max Boyce.

APPLAUSE

MUSIC: HYMNS AND ARIAS

Take a seat.

You've brought with you, Eamonn Andrews had his big red book...

-Yes, this is my little black book.

-Your big black book.

-Yes.

How much inspiration did you get from Gareth and his performances?

That whole era, the '70s, the whole era was inspirational.

They were the halcyon days, they were the crowning years

and it did, it inspired everyone.

And Gareth was an integral part of that team.

He was the heartbeat, he was the warrior of the team.

And, you know, we look back, I'm privileged, people my age,

that we saw that era and we witnessed it.

When Gareth came to speak at my rugby club in Glynneath

a year ago, and until you put all those bits together,

it's only then you realise what a remarkable player he was.

-And you've been friends for such a long time, haven't you?

-A long time.

-Over 40 years, I think. Has he ever let you down?

-Oh, yes.

LAUGHTER

Oh, aye.

A lot of this is nonsense, I'm telling you!

LAUGHTER

Do you know this man, right, as you know he's a keen fisherman.

He's a keen fisherman, right.

He once told Cliff Morgan that he gets as much thrill

out of catching a salmon as he did playing for Wales.

-Did you say that?

-Yes.

-And he's promised me a salmon, right,

for 40 years!

Have I seen a salmon? I'm still waiting for this salmon, right.

John West I gave you once, didn't I?!

And I don't fish. He's taken me fishing six times.

We've fished on ponds and on lakes and canals, right.

We even fished at Llandegfedd reservoir.

He said, "We're bound to catch some today.

"It's just been stocked with 10,000 trout." We didn't catch one!

And it was only me and him on the reservoir.

So I know he's lauded tonight and rightfully so,

rightfully so, as a great friend and a great Welshman.

And I've got to ask the question, Gareth,

because I want to know, in all that time,

where's my fish?

LAUGHTER

So this is a little reminder for you in all its glory.

"To think we've known you, Gareth, for three score years and ten.

"The age the Bible gave you to walk with mortal men.

"And we watched you score that famous try

"when the mighty Blacks were slain

"and we watched the replay once again.

"And again, and again, and again.

LAUGHTER

"And you were rightly knighted

"by the hand who will wear the crown.

"But did you tell his Royal liege how much you've left me down?

"You promised me a salmon that I could cook in wine.

"From the River Teifi's deepest pool you'd snare with rod and line.

"But no such fare has graced my plate,

"no poached or parcel dish.

"And so I'll ask you one more time, Sir Gareth, where's my fish?"

LAUGHTER

Ladies and gentlemen, Max Boyce.

APPLAUSE

-There we are.

-I think you know what you've got to get him.

Just a new topic for him, that's all.

Well, Gareth, as a youngster you had trouble deciding which sport

to concentrate on.

Bill Samuel helped guide you to your fame and glory in rugby.

But then, when you found a new life away from the rugby pitch,

the fame and fortune brought you in contact with

some different opportunities.

There was a chance to show all your skills, from squat thrusting

to canoeing, thanks to that great classic '70s show, Superstars.

'125 metres to go.

'Gareth Edwards nearest us. Barrington over on the far side.'

'Superb lifting from Gareth Edwards.

'And that puts him into the lead.'

'Good shot. And that's the best. And Edwards has won it.'

APPLAUSE

Very good, very good.

It was a crazy kind of show, to allow professional sports people

or even those at the very top of the amateur game

to play all kinds of sports and compete against each other.

-You'd never get the insurance now.

-Well, probably not.

The concept was great and what was good,

especially in those early days, very few of us ever practised for it.

We just turned up and had a go.

But a great opportunity to rub shoulders

with guys from different sports.

And that is where John Conteh, the former world boxing champion,

and you forged a friendship.

And, of course, this was all being balanced

while you were still playing rugby for Wales, which a lot of the modern

professionals watching this would find incredible.

-You had to leave Atlanta in a bit of a hurry, didn't you?

-I did.

In actual fact I was surprised that I was ever given permission.

The Welsh Rugby Union said I could go to Atlanta.

They were very honoured that I would be representing the sport of Wales

in America, even though we were due to play Scotland three days later.

They said, "As long as you're back for training on Thursday

"you'll be all right."

The last two or three events, I don't know if you remember this,

were the dips and the chins and the squat thrusts and what have you.

And I went, I finished my last squat thrust.

Pull, push.

"Right, sorry, boys. Great, thanks, got to go."

Grabbed my bag, jumped in a taxi which was waiting for me,

jumped on the plane, arrived in London.

There was a car waiting for me. It drove me to the Arms Park.

Gerry Lewis... Boys, fair play.

I said, "Ger, I'm in trouble. I can't move."

The only way I could straighten my arms, I promise you,

was to hook them onto a rail and lean back.

So it took him 48 hours to get me, sort of, back into working order.

And that story might well explain why you were nowhere to be seen

in one of the very best Welsh tries of the decade.

-I was applauding.

-We thought you'd still like to enjoy it.

We all would, that's for sure. Let's have a little look.

'Fenwick.

'Gerald Davies. What was he doing there?

'And you can see.

'Davies. Phil Bennett.

'Bennett out to David Burcher.

'Burcher back inside to Fenwick, to Bennett.

'Oh, this is going to be the try of the Championship.'

APPLAUSE

It was, of course, Phil Bennett who was your half-back partner.

The second half, if you like, of that '70s golden era.

Tell us a little bit about that relationship, if you will, Phil.

I was very privileged to play with Gareth for about six seasons.

I was in the squad for about ten seasons

but Barry was the first choice. Thank God he retired early!

It was great to play with Gareth because there were three flankers,

Slattery, a great flanker from Ireland, Tony Neary from England

and the great Jean-Pierre Rives from France.

And Gareth's great pass

kept me away from those three lunatics for ten years.

So, Gar, it was great to play with you,

it was great to play with the Welsh team.

Have a great 70th birthday and it was my privilege. Diolch yn fawr.

APPLAUSE

The joy that you got from that period is clear to see

from your face watching these clips and reliving those moments.

It was such a successful few years, the last few years of your career.

You reached 50 caps, you won two Grand Slams in three years,

became Wales' record try scorer.

And with that in mind, how difficult was it to make that decision

to hang up the boots?

Erm...

It was the French game in Cardiff, we won the Grand Slam,

and as I ran off the field, Jean-Pierre Rives

put his arm around me and said, "Gareth, today was your day.

"Well done. Maybe next year in Paris it will be my day."

And for the first time in my mind, I did say,

yes, yes, yes, Jean-Pierre, maybe you're right.

But my brain said, no, there might not be next year.

And I thought, why was that.

And I hadn't...this is true, I hadn't reached the dressing room

when the crowd obviously were elated with this latest Grand Slam...

..put their arms around me, "Ah, well done Gar.

"You're playing better than ever. Fantastic", he says.

"Off to Australia now...", he said, "..in the summer, beat them,

"then the All Blacks are here next year, we'll beat them,

"and then South Africa", he said. "Got it all."

And I thought...

the road is never ending, isn't it?

There's always one more tour.

So maybe it was the right time to pack in.

You were knighted in 2015 for services to rugby and charity

and that must have been a fantastic day for you all.

And his Royal Highness has something special to say to you right now.

Good evening everyone.

As patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, I'm lucky enough to witness

first-hand the pride and passion with which rugby is played in Wales.

And, Gareth, for decades, you have encapsulated this pride and passion.

An inspiration for generations who have grown-up

watching your skill and brilliance on the pitch,

as well as for those younger fans

for whom your reputation precedes you.

You are truly one of the greats

and I want to take this opportunity to thank you

for the incredibly important and lasting contribution you have made

to the game on the world stage

and I wish you a very happy 70th birthday.

APPLAUSE

-Well, how do you follow that?

-Well, I tell you how,

because Gareth became a very popular name in the '70s and '80s.

There was a bit of a boom with the name Gareth

so we've asked people to send in, before tonight, messages telling us

if they were named after you, Gareth Edwards.

And you would not believe the response we've had on social media.

It was overwhelming.

They've come from all over the world, from Singapore to Scotland.

People sent their pictures at #IamGareth.

I'll tell you about a few of them. This one here.

"I was born on the 17th of March, 1974.

"Mum was in labour the day before and dad was watching England Wales

"with the doctors in the waiting room.

"After the game, dad decided I'd be called Gareth instead of Stephen."

Gareth Melly says, "I was born in South Africa in 1982

"and was indeed named after the legend by my rugby-loving father."

And finally, "Gareth Edwards, born in 1977,

"at the exact time as Gareth Edwards scored a try against England."

And there were so, so many of those, it was incredible.

We've had people sending in their stories

and hearing how they got your name.

It's now time to hear from some other children and grandchildren.

Yours.

Hi, Dad. Penblwydd hapus on a very special occasion.

We wish you all the very best tonight.

It was great growing up having you as a dad, even though you were

very competitive and wouldn't let us win at anything.

All the same, you were very funny, especially when you weren't trying to be.

Hi, Tadcu. The reason you're special to me is all the amazing

people I get to meet because of you, like Gareth Bale and Rob Brydon.

Happy birthday, Tadcu, from your favourite grandchild!

Hi, Tadcu. Happy birthday.

The best memory I have of you is when we went on holiday to Orlando

and you didn't know who Mickey Mouse was.

You were always saying, Mickey who?

Have a great night, Dad.

We've had some brilliant times together

and in particular working together

and I'm thinking of Fred's Bar in Paris.

Here's to many more of those great nights.

Have a great time.

-ALL:

-Penblwydd hapus, Tadcu!

APPLAUSE

How lovely.

So, looking back on your life and your incredible career,

what's brought you most joy?

Without question, when you see that,

that would be very much top of the list, I should imagine.

But to be fortunate enough to have been able to play a sport

that allowed me to travel the world, meet so many interesting people,

play with so many wonderful people.

What I can say more than anything was Willie John's favourite

statement, "Lads, it was great to travel with you."

And that in itself said everything.

It was great to have travelled with all these guys

and made so many lifelong friends.

And your journey goes on

and the travel now is with this wonderful family as well

through the next period of your life.

But it wouldn't be a birthday without presents

and great friends, of course.

And friends of yours like to give you some extraordinary gifts

so we have one now in the shape of a very special performance.

He's chosen a song he says which embodies you and rugby itself.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Sir Bryn Terfel.

APPLAUSE

# Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus

# Aur y byd na'i berlau man

# Gofyn wyf am galon hapus

# Calon onest, calon lan

# Calon lan yn llawn daioni

# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos

# Dim ond calon lan all ganu

# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos

# Pe dymunwn olud bydol

# Chwim adenydd iddo sydd

# Golud calon lan rinweddol

# Yn dwyn bythol elw fydd

# Calon lan yn llawn daioni

# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos

# Dim ond calon lan all ganu

# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos

# Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad

# Esgyn ar adenydd can

# Ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad

# Roddi i mi galon lan

# Calon lan yn llawn daioni

# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos

# Dim ond calon lan all ganu

# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos

# Dim ond calon lan all ganu

# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos. #

APPLAUSE

Ladies and gentlemen, please, for one last time tonight,

wish Sir Gareth Edwards a very happy 70th birthday.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC: CALON LAN