J P R Legend, R I P

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/67912287

Not much I can say, from the invincible Lions tour to the babas. One opf the greats.

[Canary42]

Bacterial meningitis - ugh nsty.

 

R I P  J P R

[anneasquith]

RIP . 

[Paul22118]

Used to go to the old Arms Park in the sixties and watch the greats.  JPR, Gareth Edwards, King John et al

RIP JPR

[Lie-in King]

Sad news indeed, a legend of the game.  RIP JPR.

[theshedman]

RIP JPR you were truly one of the greats of the game.  Easy to spot on the pitch as always going forward, big sideburns and socks around his ankles.  Even though the game was still amateur back then he played like a professional and after games went back to his day job as an Orthopedic Surgeon.

[10ClarionSt]

I think he was a promising tennis player too as a youngster. RIP.

[ToraToraTora]

^^^ there's always one.

[Togo]

Another great passes. I had moved to Wales in the late 60s and all through the 70s the Welsh rugby team were supreme, beating England every time he played. It drove me mad but I have long forgiven them and forgotten the pain. He, despite training as an orthopedic surgeon and being very aware of the dangers, was fearless on the field. No more 99 cals for you JPR and heaven's defence just became impasssable. 

 Gorffwys Mewn Heddwch J.P.R. Williams.

[Togo]

From todays Times.

//Once, when JPR was involved in a real-life traffic incident, Gareth Edwards said: “Bloody typical, isn’t it? The car’s a write-off. The tanker’s a write-off. But JPR comes out of it all in one piece.”

The next day a hospital spokesman said: “Mr Williams spent a comfortable night, but we were unable to save the lorry.”//

[jno]

played as a prop in the 7-a-side team

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_International_Seven-a-side_Tournament

[Peter Pedant]

Bacterial meningitis - ugh nasty.

and uncommon in the old - poor old guy

[Atheist]

A friend of mine accidentally sawed off his thumb with a circular saw. JRP sewed it back on, and my friend was chuffed on two counts.

[Atheist]

Mind you, it was his right thumb and he discovered how difficult it was to do certain things while it was healing (e.g. wiping his bum).

[Peter Pedant]

Oh he WAS the j unior doctor- I was afraid to ask for fear of all the yapping on here when I do mention anythink medical - 1970 - Hospitals Cup final ( med students) broke a finger, and had a digital block so he cd carry on playing.

HE thought it  was worth it: the rest of us, didnt.

(days of " if there were a drug that guaranteed you 80% an olympic medal but also had a 20% mortality, wd you take it? all the olympians said yes)

[Peter Pedant]

orthopod

I thought the post was that he had sawn his own thumb off, and I thought bloody typical

[DTCwordfan]

A chance to revel in a few of those wonderful runs of his, perhaps the greatest being involved in that infamous 1973 Baba try against the All Blacks....his career also summed up by Jonathan Davies  who commented, "When he was with the 1974 Lions in South Africa, when the fights broke out, he kept running in from full-back to punch the forwards. He was perhaps the most competitive bloke I have ever come across."

"He was ferociously competitive. It is very sad, he was just a great rugby player and an incredible character.

"Whenever you mention who were the greatest full-backs in any era, you hear about the greats like Serge Blanco and Christian Cullen, JPR is always in the mix."