HaydnTanner

While most rugby players have to ease their way into international rugby, it is fair to say Haydn Tanner was born to play on the biggest stage of all.

He won 25 caps, never being dropped, and captained his country on 12 occasions in what was the longest Welsh international career in history – a full 14 years.

Tanner exploded onto the international scene two weeks before his 19th birthday in 1935, having already been involved in one of the greatest upsets in history when St Helen's Swansea beat the touring All Blacks 11-3.

The fairytale continued as he helped beat New Zealand again in Cardiff, this time with Wales who won 13-12.

While still a student, he was selected for the 1938 Lions Tour to South Africa and battled it out with the Springboks' Danie Craven for the bragging rights to be named the best scrum-half in the world.

He played ten times in total for The British & Irish Lions, working his way into the starting XV for the second Test before injuries cut the then 21-year-old’s Tour short.

“Among all the scrum-halves I have known and played with, he would reign supreme,” said Wales centre Bleddyn Williams.

“He was a totally great player, a schoolboy international who grew into a master tactician. He had a superb pass, the best I ever played with. His service was even better than Gareth Edwards.”