Gwyn Rowlands the mastermind behind the last time the Welsh rugby team beat the All Blacks has died aged 81 'The Times' newspaper reported on Saturday.
Rowlands - a doctor by profession - only played five times for the Welsh, a fact that bemused the All Blacks and the media that followed them on the 1953 tour when Wales beat the Kiwis twice.
The Welsh have failed to beat the All Blacks since then in 21 matches.
Rowlands - born in England and who played in two trials for the England rugby team in 1948 - earned his place in the Wales side for the first Test on the back of an impressive display for his club side Cardiff, which included legend Cliff Morgan.
He scored the decisive second try of the match, having converted the first, in an 8-3 victory and followed that up in the second Test with two conversions and a penalty as Wales ran out 13-8 winners.
Despite those impressive performances and a third successive one against England where he scored a second try for his country, he chalked up just two more test appearances, both against France with the last one coming in 1956.
Rowland had an outstanding club career with Cardiff, scoring 66 tries in 99 matches.
His ability may not have been fully appreciated by the national selectors but the New Zealand press showered him with glowing tributes, as cited by The Times.
"The All Blacks rate Gwyn Rowlands highly as a wing although his own national selectors seemed to be doubtful about him, considering his pace, not good enough," wrote one of the press corps, John Hayhurst.
"I can only say that Wales must have been blessed with some excellent wings at that time."
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