This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who served in, and survived, The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Daniell, John (‘The Prophet’) played for England Internationals: 7 : 1899 W- ; 1900 I+ S= ; 1902 I+ S+ ; 1904 I+ S- John Daniell was born on 12 December 1878 at Bath Played as a Forward for: Clifton College, Cambridge University (Blue 1898-1900), Richmond, Barbarians, Middlesex, Somerset Profession: Schoolmaster at Stanmore Park Preparatory School 1901-1902 and 1903-1904. Tea planter in India. War service: Private in 23rd (1st Sportsmans’) or 24th (2nd Sportsmans’) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, 99th Brigade, 33rd Division (?); Second Lieutenant, Army Service Corps from 11 November 1914; Temporary Captain, Headquarters, 2nd South Western Mounted Brigade from 15 May 1915. Remarks: Captained England 6 times. Injuries interrupted his career. Played for Barbarians: v West of England XV (0-14) v Cardiff (0-6) v Newport (0-21) in 1898. He was an England selector from 1913 to 1939 (chairman 1932-1939). Acting President of the RFU 1940-1945 after the death of G C Robinson. Then President 1945-1947. Cricket Blue; Somerset County Cricket Club 1904-1912 and 1918-1922. England cricket selector 1921 and 1924. He died on 24 January 1963, in Holway, Somerset
Obituary DANIELL, JOHN, who died on January 24, aged 84, rendered splendid service to cricket and Rugby football over many years as player and administrator. He was in the Clifton XI--and the XV--in 1895, 1896 and 1897, heading the batting averages in the last year. Though he created little impression as a cricketer when he went up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, S. M. J. Woods, the Somerset captain, included him in the county team for six games in 1898. When, the following season, Daniell hit 107 against such a powerful bowling side as Lancashire, G. L. Jessop felt compelled to award him the last place against Oxford. Daniell also played in the following two University matches and, as a lively and enthusiastic Rugby forward, he represented Cambridge from 1898 to 1900. In 1899, The Prophet, as he was then usually known, was first chosen for England at football and he gained seven caps between then and 1904, twice being captain. A member of the Rugby Football Union Selection Committee from 1913 to 1939, he was chairman for the last eight years; he became a Vice-President of the Union in 1938, was acting-President from 1940 to 1945 and President from 1945 to 1947. After going down from Cambridge, he was a schoolmaster for a brief spell and then took up tea-planting in India till, in 1908, he returned to England and accepted the captaincy of Somerset. A keen and highly popular leader, intolerant of slackers, he possessed a forcefully picturesque vocabulary when things did not go as he expected: but because he was always scrupulously fair, his sometimes caustic criticism left no ill-effects. He remained Somerset captain for four seasons and then retired, but after serving in the Army in the First World War, he responded to an appeal by the county and resumed the position from 1919 to 1926. Altogether Daniell, a hard-driving batsman at his best against off-spin bowling, scored 10,415 runs in first-class cricket, average 21.12, but it is as a fearless fieldsman at silly point, where he brought off the vast majority of his 222 catches, that he will be best remembered as a cricketer. However hard the hit, Daniell generally seemed able to hold any catch within reach. Of his nine centuries, he obtained two in one match at the age of 46--174 not out and 108 against Essex at Taunton in 1925. When his playing days finally ended, Daniell served as an England cricket selector and also, to help his county in a financial crisis, acted for a time as honorary secretary to Somerset. http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228441.html
