Jackson column: Courtney Meredith stands alone from Wales 1953 heroes

Courtney Meredith was the last player left standing from the team photo from Wales v New Zealand in December 1953. He was a British Lion and a professional rugby player. Ron Waldron scrummed with and against him. He used to almost scrump his head off against Meredith in training. Meredith’s university education paved the way for an executive role in what was then the Steel Company of Wales. The game was more confrontational then. It was before you worried about playing rugby. Today it's a clean sport. But it was physical. For Ron, it means he used the scrummaging as a young player and is still around to tell the tale.

Roy John was a quantity surveyor and a Lions Test lock from Neath. He died in 1981, aged 55.

Clem Thomas was born January 28, 1929 in Cardiff and died September 5, 1996 in Swansea, aged 67.

Rees Stephens was a Test Lion and served on the Big Five selection committee. He died in 1998 in Swansea, aged 75.

Rex Willis was a scrum half for Cardiff and a Test Lion. He died in 2000 at 75.

Dai Davies was a coalminer before joining the police. He died in 2003 at the age of 78.

Ken Jones won silver in the GB 4×100 relay team at the 1948 Olympiad. He died April 18, 2006 at Newport, aged 84.

Gerwyn Rowlands was an amateur boxer and head of PE at Whitgift School, Croydon. He died February 10, 2009 in Clare, Suffolk, aged 84.

Bleddyn Williams captained club, country and the Lions. He died in Cardiff in 2009 at the age of 86.

Gwyn Rowlands played two trial matches for England before being capped by Wales. He died April 30, 2010 at Aylesbury, aged 81.

Billy 'Stoker' Williams was a loosehead prop for Swansea. He was also a steelworker, 1955 Lion and former club captain.

Cliff Morgan was a footballer and broadcaster. He died on August 29, 2013 at Bembridge, IoW, aged 83.

Gareth Griffiths was born in 1931 in Penygraig and died in 2016 in penarth, aged 85.

John Gwilliam was headmaster of Birkenhead School and a double Grand Slam captain. He died December 21, 2016 at Deganwy, aged 93.