John Taylor (rugby union, born 1945)

Last updated

John Taylor
Birth nameJohn Taylor
Date of birth (1945-07-21) 21 July 1945 (age 78)
Place of birth Watford, England
School Watford Grammar School for Boys
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Loughborough Colleges
London Welsh RFC
London Counties
Surrey
()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
19671973
1971
Wales
British Lions
26
3
(25)
(0)

John Taylor (born 21 July 1945) [1] is a Welsh former rugby union player and current commentator. Nicknamed "Basil Brush" thanks to his wild hair and beard, he was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, and played as a flanker for London Welsh (he later became co-President with former teammate, John Dawes), and represented Wales 26 times between 1967 and 1973.

Contents

Rugby career

Playing

Perhaps Taylor's most famous moment was in the Five Nations match against Scotland in 1971. The match had see-sawed backwards and forwards with each team taking the lead several times. With a few minutes to go and the score at 18-14, Wales won a line-out on the Scotland 22 metre line. The ball moved through the backs to Gerald Davies who managed to squeeze in to score a try at the right hand corner. The Scottish defence kept up the chase to prevent Davies from touching down near the posts. With the score at 18-17 and ball to be placed on the right hand side, the conversion looked almost impossible, particularly as Barry John, the usual Welsh kicker, had been concussed earlier in the match. Instead, Taylor took the conversion attempt and kicked the ball perfectly between the posts. The final score was 19-18, giving Wales the victory. One Welsh journalist called this "the greatest conversion since Saint Paul". [2]

John Taylor played for the British and Irish Lions on the 1971 tour to New Zealand, playing in all 4 Tests.

Apartheid

He was notable for the stand he took against apartheid after visiting South Africa in 1968, after being selected for the 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa. Taylor was invited on the subsequent 1974 Lions tour to that country but made it clear he would follow his conscience and he refused to tour. He also refused to play against the South Africans during their 1969-1970 Tour of Britain and Ireland. It was Taylor's refusal to face the South Africans for Wales in 1970 that cost him a place with the Barbarians. After Mervyn Davies fell ill before the classic 1973 Barbarian encounter against the All Blacks, Taylor's name was suggested as a replacement. It is alleged that the club secretary for the Barbarians, Brigadier Glyn Hughes, responded negatively to the idea with the response "He's not playing. The man's a Communist!" [3]

Activities after retiring

Since 1991, he has been the lead rugby commentator on ITV Sport, describing the World Cup final victory of England over Australia on 22 November 2003. He retired from ITV after the 2007 Rugby World Cup and commentated for TalkSport on the 2011 RWC in New Zealand.

Throughout the 2015 Rugby World Cup, hosted by England in September and October but also including games at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in Wales, Taylor was the stadium announcer for matches played at Twickenham Stadium, London. He worked at every RWC through to 2015 and has worked on every Lions Tour since 1983.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newport RFC</span> Welsh rugby union club, based in Newport

Newport Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Premier Division. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on the east bank of the River Usk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry John</span> Welsh rugby union player (1945–2024)

Barry John was a Welsh rugby union fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to the first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC in 1964. Whilst at Llanelli, John was selected for the Wales national team—as a replacement for David Watkins—to face a touring Australian team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Bennett</span> Welsh rugby union player (1948–2022)

Philip Bennett was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanelli's first-choice fly-half. He made 414 appearances for the Scarlets over the course of a 15-year career he scored 131 tries, 43 drop goals, 293 pens and 523 convs. He made his Wales debut in 1969, but it was not until John's retirement from rugby in 1972 that Bennett became a regular starter for his country. He led Wales to the Five Nations Championship title, including the Grand Slam in 1978, which culminated with his retirement from Wales duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff RFC</span> Welsh rugby union club, based in Cardiff

Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since.

Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE DL is a Welsh former rugby union wing who played international rugby for Wales between 1966 and 1978. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Williams</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Shane Mark Williams, is a Welsh former rugby union player most famous for his long and successful tenure as a wing for the Ospreys and the Wales national team. He also played scrum-half on occasion. Williams is the record try scorer for Wales, and is fourth on the international list of leading rugby union test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata, Bryan Habana and David Campese.

Clifford Isaac Morgan, was a Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958. After his playing career ended, Morgan made a successful career in broadcasting, both as a commentator and presenter and also as a programme-maker and BBC executive.

In 1974, the British & Irish Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia. Under the leadership of Willie John McBride, the Lions went through the tour undefeated, winning 21 of their 22 matches and being held to a draw in the final match, albeit in controversial circumstances. The 1974 squad became known as 'The Invincibles' and regarded as the greatest rugby tour in history.

In 1971 the British Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the Test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a Test series in New Zealand. The side was captained by John Dawes, coached by Carwyn James and managed by Doug Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alun Wyn Jones</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a lock. He played most of his career for Ospreys and for the Wales national team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 12 for the British & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from rugby in 2023.

Robert Nicholas Jones is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was capped 54 times for Wales during his career, at that time a record. He and Gareth Edwards, Rob Howley, Dwayne Peel and Mike Phillips are the only scrum halves to have achieved 50 caps or more for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Roberts</span> British Lions & Wales international rugby union footballer

Jamie Huw Roberts is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played as a centre.

Terence John Davies MBE was a Welsh international full back who played club rugby for Swansea and Llanelli. He won 21 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Davies was seen as the last of the great Welsh full backs, before the 'No direct kicking into touch' rule was introduced in the late sixties and changed the full back role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Halfpenny</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Biggar</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Daniel Biggar is a Welsh professional rugby union player currently playing for French Top 14 side Toulon as a fly-half. A Wales international, Biggar has also twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Willis</span> British Lions & Wales international rugby union footballer

William Rex Willis was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and invitational rugby for the Barbarians. He won 21 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Davies (rugby union)</span> Wales international rugby union footballer

Clifton Davies was a Welsh international prop who played club rugby for Cardiff and invitational rugby for the Barbarians. He won 16 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia</span> Rugby union tour in June and July 2013

The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a rugby union tour during June and July 2013. The British & Irish Lions played ten matches - a three-test series against Australia, and matches against the five Australian Super Rugby sides, a Combined New South Wales–Queensland Country team, and a match en route to Australia against the Barbarians.

David Gareth Davies is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Scarlets and the Wales national team.

References

  1. John Taylor player profile ESPN Scrum.com
  2. Frank Keating column, the Guardian, 16 October 2007
  3. John Taylor: Rebel with a Cause The Independent, 30 May 2009