Sexton ruined my Euro dream
Igrew up in south Yorkshire dreaming of becoming a footballer so I’d never have guessed that the only penalty shootout I’d experience would be in a Heineken Cup semi-final. Thankfully I’d been taken off with about ten minutes of normal time to go, so I wasn’t allowed to actually take one of the sudden-death kicks myself. Everyone remembers it was Jordan Crane who slotted the decisive penalty but the best of the lot came from Craig Newby; it went straight through the uprights.
Reaching the final against Leinster – and scoring a try – was right up there as a standout moment in my career but to lose in such a close game means it wasn’t the fondest of memories. We’d won the Premiership the week before and been on a run of ‘must-win’ games for six or seven weeks but, on that occasion, we fell short.
Johnny Sexton kicked everything in sight and Rocky Elsom was in inspired form.
The whole reason I’d joined Leicester from Newcastle, in the summer of 2008, was to play in games like that. I’d grown up watching the Tigers compete for the top honours and Leon Lloyd’s match-winner against Stade Francais in the European Cup final will forever be etched in my memory – if only for the fact Leon never shuts up about it!
Newcastle will always have a special place in my heart rugby-wise as they gave me my first big break and stuck by me through a long injury. I got picked up by the Falcons, aged 19, after I’d left school and gone to Durham University. While there, I was called up by England U21s and then made my Falcons’ first-team debut, in a draw at Leeds, in March 2003.
But the day after I fractured my leg in three places playing in an A-team match against Northampton on a cold and wet Monday night at Alnwick. Toby Flood thought he was a hot-stepping full-back in those days but their centre had him lined up, dump tackled him and he fell straight back on to my leg. The surgeon told me to concentrate on walking rather than playing again; it was that bad. My academy coaches, Peter Walton and John Fletcher, were brilliant in helping me through those tough times.
Coming back from such an injury made playing for Leicester and England Saxons all the more special. Having not been selected for England Schools, playing for my country was something I never expected. I had four great seasons at Leicester despite at least one bad injury a year.
Towards the end of my first season with Leicester Lewis Moody suffered a broken ankle in a team run and with Ben Herring badly concussed, I got my chance in a big European tie against Ospreys.We won 12-6 and I kept my place for the rest of that season, which culminated in us beating London Irish to become champions of England.
I was also in the squad for the final against Sarries where Danny Hipkiss won it right at the death.
Captaining Tigers to an LV=Cup win against Harlequins was another special moment. Quins fielded a pretty settled and experienced squad and the expectations on us weren’t that high but an unbelievable Al Lewington try inspired us to victory. It is good to see him and the other youngsters from that team doing so well.
In the final two years of my career I played with a damaged wrist and when yet another operation failed to put it right my surgeon advised me that enough was enough. I still had a year left on my contract and was only 29 at the time. I went back to uni and did a law conversion course and now I’m helping out alongside Leon Lloyd at rugby agency, Legion Sports.
I’m also involved in coaching. I worked with great players like GB Sevens’ Phil Burgess and Exeter's Will Chudley while at Loughborough University before coaching the forwards at Old Patesians and South Leicester.
I also helped out with Gloucestershire U18s and U20s and it was through them that I got in touch with Birmingham & Solihull, who I will be coaching next season.