An Article for all Aspiring Back Rowers from Richard Hill

Hill went off the radar post 2003, successive injuries kept him out of the game for the last few years of his career. Better to go out on a high than a fading low.

A great back row, who had played at blind and openside at international level with massive accolades. He was a master of all you cant see from the the crowd. He was the fulcrum of the England Back five in the days when they were a great team.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16016_6991922,00.html

Fair play to him he was one of those players that even as a Welshman I enjoyed watching (except when against us).

IMO he never really got the accolades he deserved when playing but when he was injured England then realised what they were missing.

One of my favourite players of all time. He would be in the back row of my all time Lions XV. Have a look at his autobiography - its a good read.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Fair play to him he was one of those players that even as a Welshman I enjoyed watching (except when against us).

IMO he never really got the accolades he deserved when playing but when he was injured England then realised what they were missing.

He never said much which was great because that generation of England players were full of gobshites like Dawson and Dallaglio. If those guys had of kept an ounce of respect for their opposition and in some cases their team mates they wouldn't have the reputation they do outside of England.

As you say Bedford, Richard Hill was not only an almost perfect Flanker, easily in the same echelons as McCaw, Venter, Kronfeldt, Jones or Slatttery, he was respected as one by everyone.

As a quiet bloke who doesnt crave limelight, punditry and so on, I was surprised to see him write an article on the game, and an astute one covering the basics well with some canny insights. Apparently now the RFU's cheif Sommelier..

I had missed that article. Glad you posted it. He was as good a blindside as anyone. Any player today could learn a lot about how to play by watching Richard Hill clips. Even in his last season, playing on only one good leg, he was terrific. Not sure if anyone remembers, but in RWC 2003, England struggled mightily in the matches when he was out injured. Even getting to that RWC final was by no means assured without him back at 6.

Class act, on and off the pitch.