Understudies

Listened to a cracking interview on BBC Radio Wales today with Chico Hopkins (if you can get it somewhere have listen) and I started thinking how many understudies there have been who if they had been born few years earlier/later would have had more caps but spent most of the life as a bench warmer.

It doesn't happen so much these days as tactical subs are allowed to people get a cap for coming on in last few minutes (pointless) and something Chico mentioned.

The ones I can think of are:

Hopkins - Kept out by Edwards
Gatland - Kept out by Fitzpatrick

Pretty sure both these would have had way more caps if played in different era.

clive rees kept out by JJ
dai bish kept out by holmes

Coco the clown kept out by Haskell

That was a good interview

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0100r0v/episodes/player

Chico vs All Blacks played 2 won 2. Once for the lions in the first test in 71 second for Llanelli.

A shopping trolley, kept out by Matt Banahan. Funnily enough all you need is a speed bump to halt either of them.

Marty Holah

Nick Evans

In the case of Marty Holah,36 caps,first choice 7,up to end 2003,rated number 2,7 after McCaw went North for Cash.
Nick Evans case it was pick me as First choice ,or Dan Carter they preferred
Dan Carter.

Morgannwg wrote:A shopping trolley, kept out by Matt Banahan. Funnily enough all you need is a speed bump to halt either of them.

Scored a nice try against Leinster today! Banahan, not the shopping trolley