Barry John: Fascinating fly-half for Wales and Lions

Barry John was rugby union’s undisputed first superstar, a mercurial player whose wizardry could be compared to football genius George Best.

Nicknamed ‘The King’ by New Zealand journalists after orchestrating the collapse of the All Blacks in a memorable Test series against the 1971 British and Irish Lions, John was rugby royalty on everyone’s lips.

John, the son of a Carmarthenshire miner who has died aged 79, had a magnificent career for Llanelli, Cardiff, Wales, Lions and Barbarians.

Internationally, it would only be six years before he announced his shock retirement, citing the pressure of fame and expectation in stepping down before his 28th birthday.

But John’s impact on the sport could never be underestimated; He was an imperious scrum-half whose seemingly effortless ability to beat defenders often defied logic and earned him worldwide admiration.

John’s famous half-time partner, Sir Gareth Edwards, wrote in his autobiography: “He (John) had a wonderful ease of mind, reducing problems to their simplest form, always supporting his own talent.

“One success on the field led to another, and soon he established a cool edge that spread to others on the field.”

And another respected Wales and Lions colleague, Gerald Davies, said: “With the hustle and bustle going on around him, he could isolate himself from it all.

“He kept his emotions under control and carefully restrained his surrounding actions. “The game will go according to his will and no one else’s will.”

He was born in the village of Cefneithin to William and John of Vimy, and was one of their six children. All three of his brothers (Delville, Alan and Clive) played rugby.

John started his career at Llanelli and made his first team debut against Moseley two days before his 19th birthday in 1964. Two years later he was seconded to Wales and in 1967 moved to Cardiff where his partnership with Edwards began to develop rapidly.

Tours of the Lions followed in 1968 and 1971, and this last trip remains the only time New Zealand lost in a Test series against the Lions.

The story continues

John scored 30 of the Lions’ 48 points in four Tests and flickering black-and-white television pictures showed him in all his glory as a player who, like Manchester United star Best, performed as if he were from a different planet.

Naturally, he was accompanied by accolades – he came third in the 1971 BBC Sports Personality of the Year rankings, behind winner Princess Anne and runner-up Best – and appeared on the company’s ‘Superstars’ program alongside familiar names such as Bobby Moore, Jackie Stewart and Joe. Bugner and Tony Jacklin.

He later went on to make 25 caps in his Wales career and five Tests for the Lions before John did it in one day.

He made his announcement in the Sunday Mirror newspaper and retired at a time when he was the biggest name in the sport.

“I was the first rugby pop star, superstar, whatever you want to call it,” John recalled in an interview with Wales Online.

“I came third in BBC Sports and a month later became the first rugby player to be featured on ‘This Is Your Life’. I was coming off the pitch against England at Twickenham and there was Eamonn Andrews with his big red book in his hand.

“I didn’t want to retire, but the circumstances were like that. People didn’t understand how you had to go to work, how you had to be fit for international level rugby.

“I was getting lethargic, I was getting tired. You can’t be like that on the international stage, especially at number 10.

“The invitations flew thick and fast. I didn’t have time for myself, I just knew I wasn’t as mentally and physically smart as I wanted to be.

“I was there (North Wales) promoting the bank. Young people were outside, there were a lot of people to greet me. I said a few words and she curtsied as she was introduced to someone. It’s nothing big, it’s something small, but it’s still a bow.

“That convinced me that this wasn’t normal. I was getting further and further away from real people. I didn’t want that anymore.”

John’s career may have been relatively short and sweet by today’s standards, but his legacy was one most actors could only dream of.

Wales won three Five Nations titles, a Grand Slam and two Triple Crowns during his stint on the international stage, and he remained in rugby after playing, reporting and writing columns for the Daily Express and Wales on Sunday.

John, who lives in Cardiff, is survived by his wife Janet and children Kathryn, Lucy, Anna and David.