Reviews
"A great read for anyone with an interest in the London Welsh, Wales and the Lions teams of the late 60's early 70's vintage. Great to see that at long last John Dawes gets some long overdue credit for his role in turning London Welsh and Wales into the force they were in the 70's, as well as the historic 1971 Lions tour to New Zealand. Full of interesting stories and extremely well written, one of the best rugby biographies of recent times. Overall an excellent read and highly recommended.
- G. Jones, Amazon
"John Dawes is one of the most fascinating characters in the long history of Welsh rugby, and this is a fascinating perspective on him. The man was a genius. This is a fine book, rich in the statistics and comparisons many sports fans love.
- Meic Llewellyn, Gwales.com
"As book titles go, "John Dawes, the man who changed the world of Rugby" is a bold statement to make. But the arguments the author makes are strong ones... Dawes was the architect of London Welsh's transformation.
- Gwladrugby.com
"This book tells the story of the greatest of all Lions tours, when Dawes and his hugely gifted contemporaries achieved rugby's Everest, becoming the only Lions team to win a Test series in New Zealand. And that remains the case to this day. Dawes was the best giver of a pass I have ever seen - although every rugby player thinks they can pass a ball, he did it at a different level. An intelligent man, he had a brilliant rugby brain and he was an exceptional captain - this is a good read.
- John Duckers, former business editor, The Birmingham Post
"At long last, John Dawes gets his rightful recognition.
- Brendan Gallagher, The Rugby Paper
"So huge does the author consider to be the contribution made by this man from Chapel of Ease, Gwent that he claims for him a more important place in historical terms than legends like Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Gerald Davies, JPR Williams and Mervyn Davies. In 1971, John Dawes led London Welsh to its best ever season, captained Wales to a grand slam and guided the Lions to their historic series win in NZ.And who can forget his part in Edwards' "try of the century" for the Barbarians against the All Blacks at Cardiff in 1973?As a captain he was peerless; he was the quiet man who got things done. He was the man who made British rugby lose its inferiority complex.
- Barri Hurford, Secretary, Welsh Rugby Writers
