SURPRISES IN LIONS PARTY NAMED DAWES TO LEAD 1971 LIONS ON N.Z. TOUR

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32562, 23 March 1971, Page 24

SURPRISES IN LIONS PARTY NAMED DAWES TO LEAD 1971 LIONS ON N.Z. TOUR

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. J. Dawes, the 30-year-old London Welsh captain who has led Wales to the Triple Crown of British Rugby supremacy this season, will captain the British Lions on their 26-match tour of Australia and New Zealand this winter.

The Rugby Union last night announced the team, which will leave London by air on Friday, May 7, and after warm-up games in Australia on May 12 and 15 will travel on to New Zealand.

Dawes is the first Welshman to lead the Lions. Dawes is one of 13 Welshmen in the 30-strong party. The absentees from the current Wales team are the front-row of B. Llewelyn, J. Young—both unavailable—and D. Williams, and the flanker, D. Morris. Two others, who cannot find a place in the Welsh side, are the scrum-half 23-year-old C. Hopkins, who, in 20 minutes as substitute for the injured G. Edwards, changed the whole course of the match against England, and the uncapped 21-year-old D. Quinnell, who will go as a flanker. The other uncapped player is the 26-year-old No. 8, P. Dixon. He is one of six Englishmen. There are six

from Ireland, and Scotland, “wooden-spoonists” in the championship, provide five. Dawes, head of the chemistry department at a Lon-

don school, was delighted when he heard the news. He said: “I am very relived. I was hoping for the honour after being freely tipped in the press in recent weeks, but I could not get it out of the back of my mind that no Welshman had ever led a Lions side. "I think we can win the test series against the All Blacks. As always we have the backs to do the job so

the key will be if the forwards can get enough ball for us,” he said. “The most successful of recent Lions, the 1955 team in South Africa, had this, advantage and their superior backs managed to share the series.” Dawes also acts as coach to London Welsh, the most successful side in England, and will work closely with the former Llanelli stand-off C. James, who is the Lions coach. Said Dawes: "I know Carwyn very well and his approach to getting the best out of a team is similar to mine.” He does not think the lack of a vice-captain will handicap the team. Reserves to attend pre-tour training: R. J. Ameil (Leicester and Scotland), D. M. Barry (Oxford University), F. E. Cotton (Loughborough Colleges and England), T. G. Evans (London Welsh and Wales), I. C. McCrae (Gordonians and Scotland), C. W. W. Rea (Headingley and Scotland).

let hockey.—The U.S.S.R. powered its way to an 8-1 win over Finland in the world ice hockey championships to retain its lead. Sweden is second after an exciting 6-5 win over Czechoslovakia.