J.P.R. WILLIAMS

J.P.R. Williams died on Monday 8th November 2024  at the University Hospital of Wales after a short illness, battling bacterial meningitis. He was 74 years old.

A product of Millfield school, John Peter Rhys Williams (known as "JPR" or "Japes") was the talisman of the Welsh side of the 1970s, the beating heart of a great team that allowed the creative genius of Davies, John, Bennett, Edwards et al to flourish. With his trademark headband, mutton chop whiskers and socks rolled around the ankles, JPR was an awesome sight to opposition attackers or defenders alike and many romantics viewed him as the archetypal Celtic warrior, the last bastion of defence against marauding invaders. If, in metaphorical terms, those invaders were England, then Williams did his job to the full, for, to his enormous pride, he was never on the losing side to the men in white on ten occasions between 1969 and 1981. Such was Williams' impact on the game during this period, that Carwyn James, JPR's coach on the victorious Lions tour of 1971 was moved to write of his young protégé; "Like a forest animal he was blessed with a sixth sense for the presence of danger, an element which he often sought and loved. Fearless. Uncompromising. The competitor of competitors."

In many ways JPR was the complete fullback, combining thunderous tackling and solidity under the high ball with excellent offensive ability. Indeed, he was one of the first players to take full advantage of the Australian Dispensation Law which prevented a player from clearing to the full outside of his own 22. This meant that as well as being the last line of defence, the fullback could also prompt attacking moves from well inside his own half. His attacking ability was also aided by the fact that he played for a very talented London Welsh side, containing the likes of Mervyn Davies and John Dawes, meaning that he had greater freedom to express himself with ball in hand. JPR's highly competitive spirit can be traced back to his youth where he was a member of a family focused heavily on sport. He excelled at tennis, even winning the Junior Wimbledon title in 1967, though JPR conceded that he would never have been good enough for a professional career.

His tennis did however aid his hand eye co-ordination which partially explains his prowess under the high, hanging ball. Meanwhile JPR's strength, perhaps his greatest asset, was developed by sprinting up and down the fearsome Methr Mawr sanddunes at Ogmore, near his home town of Bridgend. Later on in his twenties, JPR's training as an orthopaedic surgeon gave him deeper insight into human anatomy and how best to condition the body both for maximum performance and against injury. His first appearance for Wales came on a development tour to Argentina in 1968. Wales lost the series 1-0, but Williams gained the respect of the Buenos Aires crowd who nicknamed him "Castra". John, as he was known then, made his full debut at just 19 the following year in a victory over Scotland. Wales won the Triple Crown, but missed out on the Grand Slam when they could only draw eight all in Paris. Wales then lost a series against New Zealand 2-0, but defeated Australia on the final leg of their tour down under. (Jon Collins)

In 1970 Wales won another Championship but missed out on the Grand Slam for a second successive year when they were beaten by Ireland in Dublin. The young JPR made his mark against England when he scored a try after being fed by replacement scrum half Chico Hopkins to help Wales win the game 17-13. The following year was a highly memorable one for JPR - Wales won the Grand Slam after their near misses of previous seasons and he participated in the Lions highly successful tour of New Zealand. For Williams, the highlight of the Five Nations probably came in the game against France when he intercepted a pass by Roger Bougarel, ran seventy yards downfield before laying off to Gareth Edwards to score a try. JPR then toured New Zealand where the Lions won the test series 2-1, with JPR even getting on the scoresheet with a drop goal in the drawn fourth test. The following year Wales were again in fine form, but were unable to complete a "double slam" due to the Welsh RFU's decision not to send a side to Dublin. For Williams, the highlight of the year was when he scored the first four point try for Wales in a 12-3 win over England at Twickenham. Wales also beat Scotland by 35-12, their largest victory for 41 years, but JPR was carried off with a broken jaw to be replaced by Phil Bennett. Later in the year, Wales took on the All Blacks in Cardiff and might have won the game had JPR's try not been chalked off. The All Blacks won the game 19-16, but their try scorer on the day, prop Keith Murdoch, is more remembered for getting involved in a scuffle at the nearby Angel Hotel and then disappearing into the Australian outback after being sent home in disgrace. (Jon Collins)

After running the All Blacks so close in the red shirt of Wales, JPR was to experience victory over New Zealand the following January in the black and white hoops of the Barbarians. He even scored a try in the second half of that epic win, one that he would later fondly recall; "The ball was in play for some 90 seconds, at the end of which I received a pass from Fergus Slattery and beat the opposition full-back Joe Karam with a laboured side step. After the ball had remained in play for so long, to round off the move with a vital try was a great thrill for me. I don't think I was ever as tired in the whole of my playing career, and trying to run back to the half way line was a considerable effort." The subsequent Five Nations Championship was unusual in that it featured a Five way tie on account of the fact that each side won twice at home and lost twice away. It was in the 12-3 defeat in Paris that "John" officially became "JPR", due to the introduction of another John Williams on the wing, who thereafter became known as "JJ". The 1974 season was a relatively poor one for Wales, and unusual in that JPR also missed a game due to injury. The match in question was against England at Twickenham where Williams was replaced by Roger Blyth. Blyth was seen as responsible for conceding a try to David Duckham, one that many felt JPR would have prevented. At the same end JJ Williams had a try chalked off leading Max Boyce to pen a song entitled "Of Blind Irish Referees". Both John Williams' then travelled to South Africa with the Lions and participated in a 3-0 series victory, though JPR attracted fierce criticism from the home press for his aggressive style of play and an alleged off the ball incident with the Springbok Tommy Bedford. (Jon Collins)

After a couple of relatively poor years, Wales won the Championship again in 1975, though were denied a Grand Slam when they lost 12-10 to Scotland at Murrayfield on St David's Day in front of a crowd of 104, 000. The following year, however, Wales were at the peak of their considerable powers and won a second Grand Slam of the 1970s. Against England at Twickenham, JPR won his thirty-third cap, thus surpassing Billy Bancroft's record total for a fullback. In a memorable performance, he also scored two tries and received seven stitches to a severe facial wound. Such was the impression he made that day that Carwyn James wrote the following tribute; "The figure of Williams in the distance, long hair flying in the wind, may remind us of Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, riding majestic and mysterious in the mists of Mabinogi; but a closer look reveals the stark realism of a warrior fully committed to battle.

And at Twickenham, that day, in the cold January air, rivulets of blood congealed below his high cheekbones. What a sight he made on television after the match! The gory, victoriously happy sight of a man who had scored two winning tries - both initiated from a wheeled scrummage!" Wales then followed up that victory with wins over Scotland (28-6) and Ireland (34-9), before taking on France in Cardiff. It was in this game that JPR provided the highpoint of the season with his try saving shoulder charge against winger Jean Francois Gourdon. That tackle most probably saved the game for Wales and gave sweet redemption to JPR who had earlier allowed Jean Luc Averous to slip by him for a try. For his astonishing efforts that year, JPR was awarded the Rothman's Player of the Year award for 1976-77. Wales retained their Triple Crown in the 1977 season, but lost out to France in the so called Championship decider 16-9 in Paris thanks to tries by Jean-Claude Skrela and Dominique Harize, whilst Wales' only response came through three Steve Fenwick penalties. The campaign also saw JPR score his fifth try against England in a 14-9 win in Cardiff.

The '77 series also saw Wales defeat Scotland 18-9 at Murrayfield, a match which featured a sensational try by Phil Bennett. JPR figured in the lead up work to the try and rated it as one of his favourites; "This was the decisive try for Wales. It was started in our own 22 when I fell on the ball and transferred to Steve Fenwick. He set up a counter attack carried on by Gerald Davies and David Burcher which ended up in a try by Phil Bennett. I choose it for one reason - that it highlights a successful attack out of a defensive position which was very tight." (Jon Collins)

JPR was made captain of Wales in 1978, an honour he retained for the 1979 season as well. He made the most of his tenure in charge by leading Wales to the Grand Slam in '78, their third of the 1970s. The only real low point came in the 20-16 win over Ireland in Dublin. JPR gifted a try to John Moloney and also committed a late foul on Irish legend Mike Gibson, for which he was roundly booed thereafter every time he touched the ball. In the summer, JPR then participated in Wales unhappy tour to Australia. The test series was lost 2-0, but JPR was able to fulfill a long held ambition when he filled in at flanker due to injuries to other players. Later in the year he then took on the All Blacks, both in the colours of Bridgend and Wales. Both matches were memorable for the wrong reasons - JPR was badly raked by opposition forward John Ashworth in the Bridgend game, whilst the test in Cardiff was lost 13-12 amidst allegations of gamesmanship by New Zealand lock Andy Haden.

The year of 1979 proved to be another successful one for Wales and JPR as the men in red won yet another Championship. The campaign began with a 19-13 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield which saw JPR's superb chip ahead set up a try for Elgan Rees. The next game against Ireland marked Williams 50th appearance for Wales and resulted in a 24-21 victory. In the final match of the campaign in Cardiff, the home side ran riot to beat England 27-3, but JPR missed much of the second half having left the field with a gashed calf. JPR then temporarily retired from the international scene in 1980 to concentrate on his medical career and missed the Five Nations, before making a comeback against the touring New Zealanders in a special match to mark the Centenary of the Welsh RFU. Wales lost the match heavily, but Welsh fans were delighted to see their old hero back in action. Although naturally disappointed to lose to New Zealand on a fifth successive occasion, JPR rated his comeback as one of the highlights of his career.

The following season he returned to the fray in the Five Nations Championship in a thrilling 21-19 victory over England in Cardiff. However, after Wales suffered a 15-6 defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield, JPR was permanently dropped, together with his Bridgend teammate Steve Fenwick. When asked how he would like to be remembered, JPR answered "As somebody who gave 100 per cent all the time and though I competed flat out, at the end of the day if I lost, it wasn't the end of the world. Also as a really competitive opponent who, when the game was over, you could drink with in the bar afterwards." In total JPR won eight Championships, six Triple Crowns and the Grand Slam on three occasions. He scored a total of 36 points in his 55 cap career, including six tries, and will be remembered as one of the true legends of Welsh rugby. (Jon Collins)