Gareth Edwards and his wife Maureen cause chaos as they explore stunning Welsh canals. There are devout rugby followers in England but as I've always said, it's not the same as here. So it's hard to tell people to calm down. And, best of all, rugby football, that game which has traditionally accompanied every Welsh man or woman from cradle to grave, was once again back at the heart of the national conscious. But she has warned me she might be late back. You’ve just got to get on with it.’, “Be grateful for everything too. By the time Edwards played his last international 11 years later in Cardiff - also against France on a day Wales won the Grand Slam - he had won 53 caps and played in 10 Test matches for the Lions, being part of the victorious tours to New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974. But the sowing of the seeds of good professional qualities and standards is behind this revival, I have no doubt of that. He waves me farewell, and Maureen gives me a warm hug and a kiss as she sees me off. I have always said we must not try to play confrontational rugby; we have always been at our best when we've played with subtlety and in space. When Maureen arrives, looking glamorously windswept and sporting a friendly grin, I am sitting in the couple’s cosy sitting room, entertaining an enormous and demanding black cat and flicking through a coffee table photobook presented to Gareth on his 60th birthday last summer. “I said to my children, ‘When you two get married, you’ve got to stick it out. Wales have shown this year that you can still be successful even if you haven't got giants in your team.". The men wearing the sweatbands are Denzil Williams and Mervyn Davies. It’s time to be heading off – they may officially be retired but the Edwardses’ lives are far from empty – and Maureen walks me to the door, past the kitchen where Gareth is having a cup of coffee with a friend. Gareth Edwards and wife Maureen cause chaos when they take a trip on the Llangollen Canal. “And I think both my boys are super people, although I say it myself. When they were playing we weren’t invited to travel with them, but after they gave up he would get invitations to New Zealand or South Africa to speak. “We were born in the same street, I was at number 55 and he was number 11. You can unsubscribe at any time. “He had a blockage in his stomach. Edwards shrugs off an Australian tackle to score his 15th try for his country at the Arms Park in December 1975. Sir Gareth Owen Edwards, CBE (born 12 July 1947) is a Welsh former rugby union player who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey". explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. Of course, as Edwards says, in Wales it's one or the other: doom and gloom or ecstasy a la carte. “We love Porthcawl, it’s smashing,” says Maureen. I’m one of five children and Gareth’s one of three and if you’ve got a good solid family support system it can be done. You’ve just got to put up with it. magazine. Left to right are Delme Thomas, Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, Barry John and Clive Rowlands, team coach. “I’ve had builders for the last few months and they have been working so hard, they’ve been working like ants so I try not to complain. We went straight to Morriston Hospital and they were fantastic. She was met by news that left her stunned. Inside, the caption underneath a school photo showing Maureen and Gareth as children says, “I wouldn’t touch him with a fork – Maureen, aged 12”. And there’s me thinking famous sporting heroes would have people running around doing their hard work for them. “A teacher of ours said we were a good match, I was always in the gym and he was always doing athletics.”. So, what does the future hold for him and the national football team now? Out of Africa part 1 and 2, This page was last edited on 18 September 2020, at 09:15. Sir Gareth Edwards CBE; Edwards in 2009. And it is this which she counts as one of her proudest achievements. ', Gareth Edwards gives one of his endearing smiles and admits "I suppose you can't blame them. Gareth pops back into the living room to retrieve the phone and Maureen gets a twinkle in her eye. You’ve got to be proud of that.”. "Against New Zealand, South Africa, England and France we have finished as strongly as those sides, or stronger. As we sit back down, I realise that so far all we’ve really talked about is Maureen, wife of Gareth Edwards, not Maureen as a woman in her own right. Aug 3, 2015 - Gareth Edwards and his bride Maureen Edwards on his wedding day in 1972. “That’s one reason we haven’t moved. He woke up screaming and I knew it was serious. Which is just like it used to be before Welsh rugby disappeared into a trough of despair and a nation dutifully trailed in its wake. “I have done quite a bit of travelling through the rugby too. She shakes her head. It ended in a 20-14 defeat but was in no way a portent of things to come. And he did as well. Edwards believes the Welsh style, of using and moving the ball as the way forward, must influence Sir Clive Woodward in his selection for the tour of New Zealand. Pictures show police checkpoint in place as officers check essential travel reasons, The roads have been much quieter during the first week of the fire-break lockdown in Wales and on Monday officers were pulling drivers over on the A477 at St Clears, Helicopter and coastguard search as man out cockling reported missing off Llanelli coast, Darren Rees, 43, was last seen in Machynys, Carmarthenshire, where he was cockling during low tide on Tuesday. “I thoroughly enjoyed being a wife and mother and bringing up my children,” she says. Maureen, wife of rugby hero Gareth Edwards, was eventually persuaded to take part by her daughter-in-law, Eirlys. That’s Gareth Edwards, mind you. The image of him walking back (below), his face caked in dirt and exhausted after a chip and chase from deep inside his own half, is one of the most iconic in the game, Edwards in THAT image mentioned in the caption above, Edwards and his half-back partner, the great Barry John, meet then Liverpool striker John Toshack for a publicity shot at the Arms Park in November 1976, Remember the old City Centre Berni Inn on Cardiff's Queen Street? Edwards and Barry John were inducted into the footprint club in October 1972, The Wales rugby team picture before Edwards' debut game against France in 1967. People like Gavin Henson, Shane Williams, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Josh Lewsey, Geordan Murphy and some others are extremely good runners and players. In a country where the tears from past defeats could have filled the River Taff, this was startling confirmation of the renaissance of Welsh rugby. But he’s fine now.”. “I noticed them and there were a few... ugh!” she gives a mock shiver at the memory of some of the women whose interest in her husband was more than platonic. It has previously been bought for a multiple re-use license which is still valid. This image is no longer for sale. There can be no greater commendation of the contemporary squad than an acknowledgement of that nature by one of the country's living greats. Suddenly, they have confidence, they believe in themselves. A large air and sea search is taking place after he was reported missing, Pictures show police checkpoint in place as officers check essential travel reasons, The roads have been much quieter during the first week of the fire-break lockdown in Wales and on Monday officers were pulling drivers over on the A477 at St Clears, Mountain Ash Comprehensive School closed as 15 members of staff are off sick with coronavirus, There have been 39 cases of Covid-19 at the school since September, Woman stopped by police on 320-mile round trip from England Tier 2 area to visit horse in Wales, She was given a fixed penalty notice for a lockdown rules breach, US election 2020: Joe Biden says Democrats are 'on track to win' and urges supporters to 'keep faith', The Democrat presidential candidate was speaking to a supporter rally in Wilmington, Delaware, Twitter labels Trump's 'stealing the election' accusations as misleading, People protesting against US President Donald Trump have descended on Black Lives Matter Plaza, US Election 2020: Donald Trump Tweet accuses Joe Biden and Democrats of trying to 'STEAL' vote, The sitting President made the statement shortly after challenger Joe Biden told supporters in Delaware he was "on-track" to win, US election 2020: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wins re-election in New York 'despite $10m Republican fundraiser', 'Serving NY-14 and fighting for working class families in Congress has been the greatest honor, privilege, and responsibility of my life', Major U-turn on lockdown rules for England's pubs and restaurants, Pub owners and campaigners had previously urged the Government to reverse the “baffling” and “nonsensical” decision, Helicopter and coastguard in major search for missing man, The eight £1m-plus townhouses being built on the site where a mansion was bulldozed to the ground, In a corner of Cardiff's Llandaff Fields an exclusive development has just been released for reservation, 'Supply teacher tests positive for Covid-19 but continues teaching at Cardiff school', The supply teacher taught 150 pupils across five classes who are now self-isolating, 'Unacceptable’ student behaviour probed by university after 'party central' scenes at halls, 'There were large gatherings of drunk people all dressed up hugging each other and dancing', Woman stopped by police on 320-mile round trip from England Tier 3 area to visit horse in Wales, 'Staff are tired': The huge challenge NHS workers are facing as people are urged to follow the rules, NHS staff are now dealing with both rising coronavirus cases and routine treatments at the same time, The roads have been much quieter during the first week of the fire-break lockdown in Wales, Cardiff Winter Wonderland replaced by Christmas at the Castle for 2020, The event will feature a 33m big wheel, an open-air ice walk, Victorian Santa tours and more running from next week until early January, More than 190 people caught coronavirus in Welsh hospitals in the last week - live updates, The Welsh NHS is trying to treat more patients for routine conditions despite the rising number of Covid cases, Ryan Giggs replaced as manager for Wales' next three matches after arrest, The FAW said Ryan Giggs will be replaced by his assistant Robert Page for the matches against USA, Ireland and Finland after he was accused of assault, Cocaine dealers sent bulk texts to hundreds of customers advertising their 'wares', Kaine Peterson and Daniel Williams' drug dealing was uncovered after police accessed their phone records and discovered they were running a 'substantial' cocaine business in Newport.

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