TOP OF THE COPS
SOME of the best players in the history of the game made for an arresting sight on and off the field as policemen or policewomen. Here’s a couple of XVs with plenty of law enforcers, some playing slightly out of position.
The England side features Dorian West, below, as a makeshift tight-head – he has the body shape to do well there – and Lewis Ludlow. Whilst not yet active in the police force, the Gloucester man plans to make that his career after rugby.
It would have been great to have got one of Hungary’s first internationals in the team but the calibre of police-playing props is so high Richard Zarbo has missed out along with Wales tight-head, Hugh Williams-Jones, and two exIreland hookers, Ronnie Flanagan and Ronnie Carey, can count themselves unlucky not to be in the front row. In the second row, Frank Oliver, a 17-times capped All
Black lock, could argue he is a victim of injustice.
Given the dearth of eligible scrum-halves,
Joel Dudley has been ‘loaned’ to the Rest of the World XV from Jersey.
ENGLAND: Claire Allan (England); John Bentley (England & Lions), Frank Packman (Northampton, uncapped), Amy Turner (England), Nigel Heslop (England); Aaron Penberthy (Pirates, Jersey, uncapped), Ian Sanders (Bath, uncapped); Mark Linnett (England), Amy Garnett (England), Dorian West, below, (England), Wade Dooley (England), Paul Ackford (England), John Wells (Leicester, uncapped), Lewis Ludlow (England), Dean Richards (England & Lions)
DoR: Martin Bayfield
Head Coach: Nigel Horton
REST OF THE WORLD: John Gallagher (NZ); Selica Winiata (NZ), Bleddyn Bowen (Wales), Severo Koroduadua Waqanibau (Fiji), Jim Pollock (Scotland); Naas Botha (South Africa), Joel Dudley (Jersey); Dan Crowley (Aus), Fiao’o Faamausili (NZ), Karen Findlay (Scotland), Steve Sutton (Wales), Derwyn Jones (Wales), Alun Carter (Wales), Richie Collins (Wales), Phil Davies (Wales)
DoR: Steve Hansen
Head Coach: Wayne Pivac (both NZ)
Referee: Romain Poite