Mervyn Davies

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Mervyn Davies
Player information
Full name Thomas Mervyn Davies
birthday December 9, 1946
place of birth Swansea , Wales
date of death March 15, 2012
Nickname Merve the Swerve
society
society deceased
position Number eight
Clubs as active
Years society Games (points)
London Welsh
Swansea RFC
National team
Years National team Games (points)
1969–1976
1971, 1974
Wales
British and Irish Lions
38 (7)
8 (0)

Thomas Mervyn Davies (born December 9, 1946 in Swansea , † March 15, 2012 ) was a Welsh rugby union player who was used as number eight . He was the captain of the Welsh national team and has participated in two tours of the British and Irish Lions .

Davies made his national team debut in 1969 against Scotland at the Five Nations . In this tournament Wales was able to win the title including the Triple Crown . The following year the team won the tournament again, and in 1971 even the Grand Slam . In the same year he first became part of the British and Irish Lions on their tour to New Zealand . The Lions were able to win the series against the All Blacks 2-1 and are to this day the only British-Irish selection that was able to successfully contest a test series in New Zealand. Davies was used in all four test matches.

In the 1970s, Wales developed into the leading rugby nation with Davies. In 1974 he was nominated again for the Lions. This time the tour took the national team to South Africa , where three of the four test matches and thus the series could be won with ease. The Springboks did not get beyond a draw in the final game. In 1975 he ran for the first time as captain of the Welsh national team. He led the team to victory at the Five Nations that year and another Grand Slam the following year.

Davies was considered one of the contenders for the captaincy of the 1977 Lions tour, but brain hemorrhage ended his career in advance.

In 2001 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame . He was voted the best Welsh captain by former players in 2002.

Davies died on March 15, 2012 of complications from cancer .

Individual evidence

  1. a b Wales legend Mervyn Davies dies after losing fight against cancer. BBC Sport , March 16, 2012, accessed March 16, 2012 .
  2. Welsh Rugby Legends Name The Greatest Of The Welsh Greats. Welsh Rugby Union, November 22, 2002, accessed September 20, 2009 .

Web links