Williams featured in 20 of the 30 games during a marathon trip, which included four Tests against the All Blacks and two against Australia. With Irish forward Karl Mullen injured, Williams took over as skipper for the narrow defeats in Wellington and Auckland, and he led the Lions to a 19-6 success against Australia in Brisbane, scoring a try. First capped as a fly-half against England at Cardiff Arms Park in 1947, Williams helped Wales to a share of the Five Nations title that season. But 1953 was the year that Williams left a lasting impression on Welsh rugby.
He captained Cardiff and Wales to victories over Bob Stuart’s All Blacks – a feat Wales have not repeated in 17 attempts. Williams’ 22nd and final Test match appearance – again as captain – came against England in 1955, when a 3-0 victory brought the curtain down on a truly outstanding career. He keeps exalted company as one of the true Welsh rugby greats with legendary figures such as Gareth Edwards, Barry John and JPR Williams.
BLEDDYN WILLIAMS, MBE
Born in Taffs Well, 22/02/1923
22 caps for Wales (1947-1955); 7 tries
Five Tests for the Lions in Australia (2) & New Zealand (3) in 1950
