A magician, a poet, and a king.
But no one could express the joy of his great talent better than his half-back partner Sir Gareth Edwards.
Together they won the Grand Slam, the Triple Crown, and of course the landmark Test series in New Zealand against the British & Irish Lions, changing the way the game is played forever. Ta.
“I remember asking Barry once during the game, 'How did you know I was going to play?'” Edwards recalled.
“I knew it,” he answered, like a poet telling the world how easy it is to write prose. He was a one-off, that's for sure.
“He was a carefree guy, but he had great vision for the game. Even under the most pressure, he just stood there, looked up and did unbelievable things.”
“He was friendly and always wanted to chat, but he was also deadly on the rugby field when he decided to do something.”
John moved from Llanelli to Cardiff in 1967 and spent much of his career with clubs and countries other than Edwards.
Although polar opposites in personality, they instinctively understood each other's game and would become one of the most respected halfback partnerships in world rugby.
“I was getting nervous as I was about to have my big moment playing for Wales and people were talking about whether my serve was up to par, so I asked him for a run-out.” Edwards said. BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
“I asked him in Welsh, 'What do you want?' I'll never forget what he said, 'If you throw it, I'll catch it.'
“That changed my attitude towards the game and our partnership, because I knew Barry would always be there. Then we spent several years together.”
For Wales, Barbarians and Lions they became inseparable and looked unstoppable, especially on their historic tour to New Zealand in 1971, when John was anointed 'King' by the organizers. Ta.
“That label was thrust upon him during the New Zealand tour and it was very appropriate because he was really on the throne at that time,” Edwards said.
“He made decisions about how the game was played and it was very casual.
“It was very disappointing for the New Zealanders. Their team was very well prepared and rigorous. Barry was a magician.”
But the accolades and fame weighed heavily on the shoulders of the young man from Cefnaithin, a small village in west Wales.
Edwards recalls being shocked by the premature retirement of John, who was only 27 years old and seemed to be in his prime.
“Barry often made flippant remarks, so when he said he was going to pack his bags, I never thought he meant it,” he said.
“He's only 27 years old and we've achieved something in New Zealand that has never been done before, so we felt this was a new chapter for us.
“But he was adamant because the pressure was too much for me personally, and before the charity game he told me to enjoy it because it was the last time we would play together. That's right.''
“He should have continued, but I'm grateful to have played alongside such a magical person, not just a great rugby player.”
