Haydn Tanner
Birth name | Haydn Tanner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | (1917-01-09)9 January 1917 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Penclawdd, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 5 June 2009(2009-06-05) (aged 92) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Gowerton Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | University College, Swansea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Haydn Tanner (9 January 1917 – 5 June 2009)[2] was a Welsh international rugby union player who represented both Wales and the British and Irish Lions. At club level he played for several top-flight teams, including Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, London Welsh and the Barbarians.
Personal history
Tanner was educated at Gowerton Grammar School and was still a schoolboy when he played at scrum-half for Swansea against the All Blacks at St. Helens in 1935. Swansea won the game by 11 points to 3, with Tanner and his cousin Willie Davies outstanding. The New Zealand captain, Jack Manchester, is said to have passed back the message to New Zealand: "Tell them we have been beaten, but don't tell them it was by a pair of schoolboys".
In December the same year Tanner won his first cap for Wales at the age of 18 years and 11 months, making him one of the youngest players to appear for Wales. The match was again against the All Blacks and Tanner was again on the winning side. He went on to win 25 international caps, 12 as captain, despite his career being interrupted by the Second World War.
Tanner toured South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 1938 and played in only one test owing to injury. In 1948 he was captain of the Barbarians against Australia. His last international match was against France in 1949.
He was undoubtedly one of the greatest scrum-halves to ever play the game and, according to the 1950 Lion, Bleddyn Williams, he was ‘the greatest’: "Among all the scrum-halves I’ve seen and played with, he would reign supreme," said Williams. "He had a superb pass – the best I ever played with. His service was even better than Gareth Edwards."
After retiring from rugby, he became an industrial chemist working in the wood pulp trade for Thompson and Norris. He later became a buyer for Reed International and travelled extensively. He attended the Harvard Business School and became purchasing director for Reed Paper and Board UK. He retired in November, 1980.[3] Having moved to Surrey, he became coach of Esher and became a member of London Welsh.[4]
Tanner died in his sleep on the 5 June 2009, aged 92.[5][6]
References
- ^ Welsh Rugby Union player profiles[permanent dead link]
- ^ Paul Rees (17 August 2009). "Haydn Tanner". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Haydn Tanner: Rugby union player celebrated as one of the best". Independent.co.uk. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
- ^ "Haydn Tanner | Welsh rugby international | Obituary". TheGuardian.com. 17 August 2009.
- ^ "Lions and Wales legend Tanner passes away". WRU. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ^ "Welsh rugby mourns Tanner death". 9 June 2009.
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- Apr 1915: Edgar Mobbs (vs. Wal)
- Jan 1948: Haydn Tanner (vs. Aus)
- Jan 1952: Jimmy Nelson (vs. SA)
- Feb 1954: Rex Willis (vs. NZ)
- Feb 1958: Cliff Morgan (vs. Aus)
- May 1958: Jim Greenwood (vs. East Africa)
- Feb 1961: Ronnie Dawson (vs. SA)
- Nov 1962: Ron Jacobs (vs. Can)
- Feb 1964: Ronnie Dawson (vs. NZ)
- Jan 1967: Noel Murphy (vs. Aus)
- Dec 1967: Stewart Wilson (vs. NZ)
- May 1969: John O'Shea (vs. Rhodesia)
- Jan 1970: Gareth Edwards (vs. SA)
- May 1970: John Spencer (vs. Sco XV)
- Oct 1970: Frank Laidlaw (vs. Fiji)
- Jan 1973: John Dawes (vs. NZ)
- Nov 1974: Willie John McBride (vs. NZ)
- Jan 1976: Mervyn Davies (vs. Aus)
- Jun 1976: Phil Bennett (vs. Can)
- Sep 1977: Gerald Davies (vs. Lions)
- Dec 1978: Derek Quinnell (vs. NZ)
- Jan 1982: Bill Beaumont (vs. Aus) cancelled
- Mar 1983: Fergus Slattery (vs. Sco XV)
- Dec 1984: Gareth Davies (vs. Aus)
- May 1985: Colin Deans (vs. Ita)
- Nov 1988: Phillip Matthews (vs. Aus)
- Nov 1989: David Sole (vs. NZ)
- Sep 1990: Nick Farr-Jones (vs. Eng)
- Oct 1990: Nick Farr-Jones (vs. Wales)
- Nov 1990: Robert Jones (vs. Arg)
- Sep 1991: Stuart Barnes (vs. Sco)
- Jun 1992: Andy Robinson (vs. Rus)
- Nov 1992: Will Carling (vs. Aus)
- Dec 1993: Scott Hastings (vs. NZ)
- Jun 1994: Neil Edwards (vs. Zim)
- Dec 1994: Robert Jones (vs. SA)
- May 1996: Phil de Glanville (vs. Ire)
- Aug 1996: Gavin Hastings (vs. Sco)
- Aug 1996: Arran Pene (vs. Wal)
- Dec 1996: Rob Andrew (vs. Aus)
- May 2000: Ian Jones (vs. Ire)
- May 2000: Zinzan Brooke (vs. Sco)
- Aug 2000: Jeff Probyn (vs. Ger)
- Dec 2000: Lawrence Dallaglio (vs. SA)
- May 2001: Gary Teichmann (vs. Wal)
- May 2001: Tim Horan (vs. Sco)
- May 2001: Gary Teichmann (vs. Eng)
- Nov 2001: Rob Howley (vs. Aus)
- May 2002: Todd Blackadder (vs. Eng)
- May 2002: Pat Lam (vs. Wal)
- Jun 2002: Ian Jones (vs. Sco)
- May 2003: Taine Randell (vs. Eng)
- May 2003: Mick Galwey (vs. Sco)
- May 2003: Mark Connors (vs. Wal)
- May 2004: Taine Randell (vs. Sco)
- May 2004: Matt Burke (vs. Wal)
- May 2004: Anton Oliver (vs. Eng)
- Jun 2004: Rob Baxter (vs. Por)
- Dec 2004: Justin Marshall (vs. NZ)
- May 2005: David Humphreys (vs. Sco)
- May 2005: Corné Krige (vs. Eng)
- May 2006: Raphaël Ibañez (vs. Eng)
- May 2006: Will Greenwood (vs. Sco)
- Jun 2006: Bobby Skinstad (vs. Geo)
- May 2007: Hugh Vyvyan (vs. Tun)
- Jun 2007: Hugh Vyvyan (vs. Esp)
- Dec 2007: Mark Regan (vs. SA)
- May 2008: Mark Regan (vs. Bel)
- May 2008: Morgan Turinui (vs. Ire)
- Jun 2008: Mark Regan (vs. Eng)
- Dec 2008: John Smit (vs. Aus)
- May 2009: Martin Corry (vs. Eng)
- Jun 2009: Phil Waugh (vs. Aus)
- Dec 2009: Victor Matfield (vs. NZ)
- May 2010: Xavier Rush (vs. Eng)
- Jun 2010: Xavier Rush (vs. Ire)
- Dec 2010: Matt Giteau (vs. SA)
- May 2011: Sergio Parisse (vs. Eng)
- Jun 2011: Sergio Parisse (vs. Wal)
- Nov 2011: Victor Matfield (vs. Aus)
- May 2012: John Smit (vs. Eng)
- May 2012: Mick O'Driscoll (vs. Ire)
- Jun 2012: John Smit (vs. Wal)
- May 2013: Mike Tindall (vs. Eng)
- Jun 2013: Sergio Parisse (vs. Lions)
- Jun 2014: Juan Manuel Leguizamón (vs. Eng)
- Nov 2014: Alastair Kellock (vs. Aus)
- May 2015: Shane Jennings (vs. Ire)
- Jun 2015: Brad Thorn (vs Eng)
- Aug 2015: Bakkies Botha (vs Sam)
- Nov 2015: Victor Matfield (vs. Arg)
- Nov 2016: Andy Ellis (vs. SA)
- Nov 2016: Dan Tuohy (vs Cze)
- Nov 2016: Andy Ellis (vs Fij)
- May 2017: Thierry Dusautoir (vs. Eng)
- May 2018: Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (vs. Eng)
- Jun 2019: James Horwill (vs. Eng)