Brendan Gallagher continues his Top 20 rankings series with a look at the best books and DVDs to be published and produced over the years. Bookmark these ready for Christmas or an upcoming birthday.
20. Building Jerusalem, one dream, once chance, one kick (DVD)
It wasn’t until 2015 that director James Erskine and producer Victoria Gregory – who was responsible for the award-winning Senna documentary – came up with a visual documentary homage to England‘s victory. The distance of time works well, the main characters are reflective and revealing in interview, the action seems fresher, the insight more acute and although there wasn’t a fly on the wall team with England in Australia – Woodward stoutly resisted that idea – there is enough revealing news and archive footage to bring everything together nicely.
19. Carwyn, A Personal Memoir by Alun Richards (Christopher Davies publishers, 2002)
Richards writes easily and candidly and paints a very authentic intimate picture of his talented and multi-layered friend Carwyn James who nonetheless could be a lonely, sometimes melancholy figure. Some lovely cameos on James’ spell with Rovigo in Italy in the mid-70s when, to the mainstream rugby world, he seemed to have abandoned them. Or was it the other way around?
18. The Victorious Lions by John Reason (Rugby Books, 1971)
Lions tour books were of their time and usually hurried, but Reason’s 1971 Lions tour is a cut above. The Daily Telegraph man was at his journalistic peak, enjoyed access to all the players and management and had a phenomenally newsworthy series to tuck into. He also took all the black and white pictures himself and that included a notable world exclusive when he was allowed into the Lions changing room to picture the ravaged face of Sandy Carmichael after the Scotland prop had been punched off the tour during the Canterbury game.
17. Sportswriters Eye: An Anthology of Alan Watkins’ Rugby Writing (Queen Anne Press 1989)
A bit left field I admit. Watkins was a political commentator by profession and lawyer by training and not only possessed an organised observant mind but also a blazing Welsh love of the game. It was when writing on rugby in The Independent that he really let the handbrake off with a timeless delight of sharp, occasionally jaundiced, even acid, but always elegant essays on the game.
16. Engage, the Fall and Rise of Matt Hampson by Paul Kimmage (Simon and Schuster, 2011)
Inspiring, unsentimental, gritty book with Kimmage doing full justice to the remarkable story of Matt Hampson. It can be a painful read but you should nonetheless, and happily humour is never far away to lighten the mood. This is one of the few rugby books that can also appeal to the general reader, let alone fellow sports fans. What a strong- minded and strong-willed individual the former Tigers and England U21 prop is and it is no surprise he has gone on to mastermind his ‘Get busy living centre’ a haven for those who have suffered similar life altering injuries.
15. Winning by Sir Clive Woodward (Hodder and Stoughton 2004)
The science and planning that saw England lord it over the southern hemisphere, sweep to a commanding Grand Slam in 2003 and win the World Cup. And much more besides. Rather than pen a traditional autobiography or World Cup diary after England’s triumph in 2003 – Woodward banned any book contracts in his squad before RWC2003 and abided to those rules himself – the England coach took his time to produce a long, cool analytical look at everything that led up to his side’s triumph. It still hangs together well with many pertinent lessons and learnings for today’s tyro coaches.
14. Crash Tackle by Danny Hearn (Littlehampton Book Services, 1972)
A poignant and much underrated tome dealing mainly with a painfully honest account of exactly what happens when you wake up one Saturday morning as a fit and able-bodied England rugby international and end the day in intensive care rendered a quadriplegic after breaking your neck playing for the East Midlands against the All Blacks. Pulls no punches and despite his gratitude to some who helped his recovery – he was to marry Jean his nurse and physiotherapist – also very critical of some aspects of the Stoke Mandeville regime.
13. The 1905 Originals by Bob Howitt and Dianne Haworth (Harper Collins 2005)
Wonderfully researched and illustrated account of Dave Gallaher’s New Zealand side in 1905 and their first ever tour of Britain and France. Huge amount of detail on a milestone trip which saw the early origins of the All Blacks, starting with the on-board revolt on the boat to Britain which Gallaher had to crush with military discipline before a match had been played. Ripping yarn, Boy’s Own stuff. Except it was all true.
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12. The Lions Speak edited by John Reason (Rugby Books 1972 and Aurum Press 2005, 2013)
Reason edited these notes from a coaching seminar weekend at the Polytechnic of North London in July 1972 which reflected on the 1971 Lions tour. Mike Gibson, John Dawes, Mighty Mouse, Ray Mclaughlin, Carwyn James, Bob Hiller and many others spoke and rarely has there been such a top table rugby brains trust gathered in this country. Sir Graham Henry – who watched and admired the 71 Lions in the flesh as a young teacher – referred constantly to this book in his formative days as a coach. “It’s a fascinating document and has been a faithful friend,” Henry says. “Some chapters are as relevant as ever and you could never tire of re-reading Carwyn James.”
11. Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary by John Daniell (Awa Press 2007)
Kiwi-born, Eton-educated, Daniell was a decent lock but an even better writer. Here, as an early paid ‘mercenary’ in France, he takes you into the weird and wonderful world of French club rugby and doesn’t hold back describing both beauty and the beast. Look out for his discourse on eye-gouging techniques and what it is actually like, when he succumbs to peer pressure, and grinds a knuckle into somebody’s eye socket. Not for the squeamish.
