Unfazed, Williams, a trained surgeon, retired from the pitch, stitched up his own injuries, and returned to the field. A red blur appeared at the corner flag. Wallabies fans can expect a new brand of rugby in Sunday's Bledisloe Cup Test with a melting pot of European, Kiwi and Super Rugby experience now at the coaching table, according to defence guru Matt Taylor. Over him stood prop John Ashworth, who proceeded to stamp twice on the side of Williams's face, opening up a star-shaped wound on his cheek. Davies was a British and Irish Lion in 1968 and 1971, one of a raft of Welsh players alongside Barry John, Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams to enter into the folklore of both the Lions and Wales. ', He knows because he had already had to make one choice between professional sport and doctoring. had to leave the field with blood pouring from the gash. It was his leonine moment. Nothing was vaster, either anatomically or psychologically, than a tackle he made in 1976. If his bones survived, his soft-tissue took a real battering. The prop squished JPR Williams' head in a sickening 1978 double ... shot which came "very close to" the red card threshold and was carded for upending Ireland's Robbie Henshaw in a horror tackle. Not quite clear though. We win the ball and the youngsters do all the running.' The powerful French wing was hurtling towards the line and was about 18 inches short when JPR emerged from nowhere to dismiss the Frenchman from his presence with a no-arms tackle into touch. On the ill-fated 1978 tour to Australia, Wales were so ravaged by injury that J.P.R. Working on the theory that you can't be a very good wine taster without downing the odd glass, J.P.R. Runner-up: JJ Williams (Wales) – 19%. document.getElementById('newsnowlogo_a').style.textDecoration='none'; NZ won 28-27. Nastase would never have dared open his mouth. The following year I was selected for the Welsh tour of Argentina, which was the start of the rugby adventure.'. 'Medicine. Gourdon went from try-scorer to victim of a traffic accident. 'A mixture of vets and youth. document.getElementById('newsnowlogo').onclick=function(){ window.open('http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Rugby+Union','newsnow'); }; On this occasion, that legend is JPR Williams. England had been a tad unlucky not to win the first Test and experimenting with Tuilagi on the right wing were 10-3 up a week later when he intercepted shortly before half-time and headed for the hills 70 yards out. He is now Mr Williams, consultant at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, although to the outside world he remains simply J.P.R. Perhaps it was just the way he played. He bounced off the chest, shoulder and elbows of the blur, to be left sprawled two, three yards in touch. Nothing was vaster, either anatomically or psychologically, than a tackle he made in 1976. Unfazed, Williams, a trained surgeon, retired from the pitch, stitched up his own injuries, and returned to the field. He advised me to play rugby, see the world for a while, and get on with the real business of studying. 020 8971 4339 Email Neil, SUBSCRIPTIONS Playing for Bridgend against the All Blacks in 1978, Williams was caught at the bottom of a ruck, where he was stamped on by the opposing prop John Ashworth and had a hole torn in his cheek. Despite that success, he chose to instead continue his medical studies, while playing rugby, which was then as we know, strictly an amateur game. ', Which would have won? This article was brought to you by The Rugby Paper, the UK's best-selling rugby publication, on-sale every Sunday.To subscribe to The Rugby Paper CLICK HERE, Tagged Ben Smith, Joe Worsley, John Eales, JPR Williams. It’s the titanic, brutal, World Cup quarter-final between France and England at Parc des Princes. He had an unerring eye for the high ball and could side-step as well as bounce juggernauts. 6 JPR Williams – on Jean-Francois Gordon for Wales against France at the Arms Park in 1976 . The Wallabies believe they know who to expect in the All Blacks' number 10 jersey on Sunday afternoon. Sam Emery, Head of Sales He now plays in the back row - as he did once for Wales. document.getElementById('newsnowlogo').style.cursor='pointer'; Nowadays I would not be able to play professional rugby and be a doctor. His sideburns now aren't quite as long as they were. In an international career that spanned three decades and encompassed the last great age of the Welsh game, the full-back was, to borrow a strictly medical term, bonkers. David Emery, Editor in Chief No, too radical. French heads drop, England regroup, and they go on to claim a famous 14-9 win with a late penalty and even later dropped goal from Jonny Wilkinson. J.P.R. Suddenly Joe Worsley appears from nowhere, cutting the angle brilliantly, and just manages to ankle tap the normally predatory Clerc. England celebrate like they have won the final itself. Medicine had to come first, although I was lucky to play when I did - you could combine a career and rugby. Bennett fed Wales full-back JPR Williams, who was the victim of a high tackle from New Zealand wing Bryan Williams. No question. England have battled their way to a 10-6 lead but midway through the second half the French are absolutely battering the England line. If his career did not suffer through exposure to danger then neither did his body. The exposure to risk did the good doctor no harm. The All Blacks team has been named to play Australia in the opening Bledisloe Cup test on Sunday. They ran a penalty close to the Welsh try-line. 020 8971 4332 Email David, Matt Emery, Editor He had a deft touch too and no moment was sweeter than when he dropped the goal from way back in the fourth Test against the All Blacks in 1971. Wales were narrowly ahead in a Grand Slam, winner-takes-all brute of a game against France, who were cranking up the pressure through their fearsome pack. 020 8971 4333 Email Subscriptions, Top 20 try saving tackles of all time: No.10-6. As he walked off he stopped, turned and went back to issue some instructions to the Bridgend players as to what should be done in his absence. 'My consultant told me to buckle down. This article was brought to you by The Rugby Paper, the UK's best-selling rugby publication, on-sale every Sunday. In our new Top 20 feature, Brendan Gallagher rates the magic moments when defence thwarted promising attacks. Before we get things underway with Part Three, read who preceded this list: The powerful French wing was hurtling towards the line and was about 18 inches short when JPR emerged from nowhere to dismiss the Frenchman from his presence with a no-arms tackle into touch. In 1966 he won the Wimbledon Junior Championship. was not big but he played huge. Unfazed, Williams, a trained surgeon, retired from the pitch, stitched up his own injuries, and returned to the field. What a legend. You have to wonder what would have happened if he had chosen tennis. As we got to know Eales better we began to appreciate that actually it was pretty routine for an extraordinary all-round rugby player who went on to also captain the Aussies to a second World Cup in 1999. The match was drawn; the Lions won the series 2-1, the only time they have ever beaten New Zealand. Scrum five, the French move forward purposefully, Marc Cecillon picks up cleanly and surges forward powerfully. Williams perhaps thought the best way to become an orthopaedic surgeon was by exposing his own bones to every conceivable type of fracture on the rugby field. Q&A: Ben Smith – All Blacks would be wrong to start selecting Europe-based players, Top 20 tries of all time countdown: No.11-15, Wasps seek to rekindle old flames in search for new DoR, Q&A – Jason Whittingham: We’ll ride out the storm but we need help from Treasury, Quins call in RPA to help mediate wage cuts, as Tigers ask for more time in legal dispute, Attack coach Sean Long leaves Harlequins staff, Chris Boyd waiting on contract extension at Northampton Saints. Over him stood Williams, fists clenched, mouth roaring. What a legend. Seriously tough guy, imagine stitching your own face and then going back on to play...legend for sure :D. Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has thrust three of his uncapped stars into the deep end by handing them starting roles against the All Blacks this weekend. 'My father Peter, also a doctor, said I could not play professional tennis and study medicine. Now just the wrong side of 50, Williams still turns out occasionally for Tondu Thirds. Smith had acres of ground to make up but judged his chase perfectly and decked Tuilagi  before bouncing up to secure possession as well. Most infamous was the incident when, playing for Bridgend - he returned to his home town in 1976 after nine seasons with London Welsh - against the All Blacks, he found himself at the bottom of a ruck. won a cap at wing forward. 020 8971 4340 Email Adam, ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Wondrous. It was not a leonine moment. 020 8971 4337 Email Sam, Neil Wooding, Trade Marketing Manager The crowd would have loved the Brit that refused to lose. His shoulder charge would result in a penalty try and a red card now but back in the wild west of the 70s it was fine. Where would the lame of Bridgend and the Thirds of Tondu be without him? JPR Williams gets his face stamped in vs the All Blacks | RugbyDump - Rugby News & Videos, Wallabies name three debutants to start in Bledisloe Cup opener against All Blacks, All Blacks retain Richie Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett partnership for Bledisloe Cup clash, Wallabies expect All Blacks to name Richie Mo'unga in 10 jersey, 'You will certainly see a change in how the Wallabies operate': Reinventing one of the world's most feared nations. Adi Jacobs of the Sharks suffered a similar fate this weekend against the Blues, but it was purely accidental as Doug Howlett's foot came down on his face after a tackle. He was so competitive and committed that he used to shut down all the instincts that have been triggers of fear ever since man found that unarmed combat with a sabre-toothed tiger was inadvisable. What a legend. Right at the death, and trailing 12-6, England broke in midfield and Andrew seemed clear, but the youthful Eales showed a remarkable turn of speed for a lock to close the England fly-half down and bring him to ground with a low tackle.