Rugby Backs - The Fast and the Fearless

The shirts may have been looser, the physique less muscular but when the amateur-era backs pinned back their ears and headed for the try line they were every bit as thrilling as their modern equivalents. In my black-and-white days, Wales had the flying moustache (Gerald Davies) on the right-wing and either John Bevan or JJ Williams on the left but, despite my antipathy towards England, perhaps the most memorable speedster was the dashing David Duckham. If the lilywhites went on the attack, it was usually the blonde rocket at the end of the move. England have featured many fine three-quarters over the years, from Slemen to Underwood, even the annoying egocentric Chris Ashton, but for me Duckham had the edge in the attacking department.

Facing him in the memorable Barbarians-All Blacks clash in 1973 was the New Zealander Grant Batty. Like Davies he was more moustache than muscle but I always remember his ability to scurry towards the corner, evading all but the quickest defences for the touchdown. Stu Wilson and John Kirwan were others wearing the silver fern who were worth watching ball in hand. Also from the southern hemisphere was the formidable Wallaby David Campese. Fierce in the tackle and fleet of foot, Campo could be a Marmite character yet was undoubtedly one of the finest Aussie backs in my lifetime, crucial to his nation’s early World Cup success.

In the Five Nations, Tony Stanger was an incredibly quick winger for Scotland, while Simon Geoghegan also scored some superb tries for Ireland in the Nineties. In more recent seasons, the men in green have boasted other great three-quarters such as Keith Earles and Geordan Murphy but my favourite has to be Tommy Bowe. Very much a product of twenty-first century rugby he’s so tough to beat and when in full flight, just as tough to stop.

In past decades, the likes of Patrick Esteve, Patrice Lagisquet and Philippe Saint-Andre were the epitome of the French flair I so enjoyed watching on the box. Later, Tomas Casteignede was another Gallic entertainer. His impudent smile, like a naughty schoolboy discovered scratching his nom on a classroom wall, was matched by his cheeky, often unorthodox play. He wasn’t a winger as such. He was very much Monsieur Versatile, though mainly wearing ten, twelve or even fifteen. Relatively small of frame, he could score tries and plant some decisive drop goals with aplomb and wasn’t averse to adopting a few eye-catching hairstyles or colours.

Speaking of dodgy barnets and, in the context of professional rugby, shorties, I doubt anyone has bettered Shane Williams. Only five foot seven, he nonetheless proved himself in the sport for Wales and Ospreys alike by being one of the most prolific finishers of all. With a sidestep to die for, in 87 Tests he notched 58 tries to become a true Welsh hero, if a bit of a cocky b*stard. In the early Eighties, Robert Ackerman made an impact on me, although principally because he was a fellow Exeter undergraduate when he launched himself onto the international scene. I never met him, but he was mates with some of the rugger buggers in my hall of residence.

Wales have fielded superior wingers to young Bob in subsequent years. In addition to Shane, there have been the lightning-quick Ieuan Evans – who made fools of some of his speediest contemporaries – and George North. The latter announced himself with some style as a teenage prodigy in 2010. How could anyone be so big, so fast and so young? Whilst hampered by injuries, including a dismaying propensity for suffering concussion, he remains a key figure for the Welsh and Lions.

When it comes to giant teenage wingers, not even North could hold a candle to the powerhouse that was Jonah Lomu. He utterly stole the show in the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. I’ll never forget the way he literally trampled over the hapless Mike Catt for the first of four – yes FOUR – tries against England in the semi-final. Defeated captain Will Carling called him a “freak”, presumably out of awe and respect rather than rueful rudeness. Lomu was indeed a completely new type of player. At six feet five and more than 18 stone, he generally required at least two men to halt his rampaging runs so if he didn’t score himself he succeeded instead in sucking in defenders allowing team-mates to exploit ensuing gaps. God only knows what he could have achieved had kidney disease not curtailed his career and, at the age of 40, his life.

Another player who originally made his name with a single tour-de-force performance was Gavin Henson. In 2005, his tackles could have halted a juggernaut, let alone Toby Flood, as he also ran and kicked his way into legend. Only 6 feet tall but nevertheless sturdily built, he was touted as the new star of Welsh rugby. Sadly, like his Ospreys contemporary James Hook, his versatility worked against him, though probably not as much as his addiction to the celebrity lifestyle. I confess I found his slicked hair, orange face and shiny legs rather hard to take and for a few years he seemed to be in more game shows than games. His CV now adds up to an amazing ten different clubs but his international years are long past.

The same could be said of the thirteen-stone centre. Defences are so well drilled these days that to pierce the wall, attacks often adopt the crash-ball tactic. However, It wasn’t always about employing human battering rams like Basteraud or Jamie Roberts. I recall the rapier approach of the amateur era, watching the likes of Mike Gibson and Jim Renwick in the Seventies slice their way through the gaps. Jeremy Guscott also seemed to float across the pitch for England a few decades later.

New Zealand’s part-time boxer, Sonny Bill Williams has turned the skilful offload into a modern art form and Brian Habana's hat-trick against the All Blacks once lit up a dark, drizzly afternoon at Twickers but perhaps my favourite centres hailed from France and Ireland, both of them under six feet tall. Philippe Sella wasn’t a prolific try-scorer but the Agen man made some scintillating breaks during his 111 appearances for les Bleus. I don’t think rugby statisticians maintain a tally of assists but Sella must have set up countless scores for Blanco et al between 1982 and 1995.

A few years after Sella’s retirement, a young Dubliner called Brian O’Driscoll made his Irish debut. In 2000, 21 year-old Brian grabbed a hat-trick against France, repeating the feat against Scotland two years later. As youthful bleach-blonde highlights gave way to a more sober look, O’Driscoll forged an amazing career for Leinster, Ireland and the British Lions, leading his country 83 times, becoming Ireland’s highest try scorer and outscoring all other international centres. When he quit after the 2014 Six Nations, even I felt quite emotional. ‘BOD’ has been described as one of rugby’s greatest ever players and it is hard to disagree. Pace, power, strength, improvisational skill and inspirational captaincy all came together in one package.