Gareth Edwards ranked as the greatest scrumhalf of all time by Barnes and Jones

May 25, 2020
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Ultimate Rugby

The Times has continued their Top Tens series with Stephen Jones and Stuart Barnes picking their greatest scrum-halves of all time and for once they agree on one thing with both selecting Gareth Edwards as the finest scrumhalf of all time.

Jones described the Welsh legend as a "very, very special athlete and player, never involved in anything low or dirty, always a true sportsman and a talent, frankly, from another planet."

Barnes held Edwards to a similar high regard writing "I watched him walk on water during the Lions two greatest tours of 1971 and 1974. It was no coincidence that the iron grip of the All Blacks and Springboks was broken in the era of Edwards."

Edwards wasn't the only Welshman to feature on Jones' list with Mike Phillips, Rob Howley and Terry Holmes all taking the final three places respectively in his list.

Howley also made Barnes' with the former flyhalf also including three New Zealand and Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray.

Stuart Barnes' Top 10 Scrumhalves:

1. Gareth Edwards - Wales

2. Fourie Du Preez - South Africa

3. George Gregan - Australia

4. Aaron Smith - New Zealand

5. Dave Loveridge - New Zealand

6. Joost Van Der Westhuizen - South Africa

7. Conor Murray - Ireland

8. Rob Howley - Wales

9. Justin Marshall - New Zealand

10. Fabien Galthié - France