Sponsored by
Totem of England rugby secures place in pantheon of game's greats
Lawrence Dallaglio jumped before he was pushed in retiring from the England team but the Wasps forward will be fondly remembered, writes Sam Wheeler.
AS cosmetic announcements go, Lawrence Dallaglio's retirement from international rugby is up there with Ian Paisley saying he does not wish to be considered as the next Pope.
We did not need an exclusive column in The Sun and a press conference to know that Dallaglio would never play for England again.
He was not going to be part of Brian Ashton's plans for the Six Nations.
Ashton is man enough to overlook the battering he took in Dallaglio's hastily-released autobiography but he will pick players on form, and at 35, the Wasps No 8 is no longer good enough to play at the highest level.
Powerful and iron-willed, Dallaglio was a key member of perhaps the finest team England have ever assembled, the World Cup and grand slam-winning class of 2003.
Not as key a member as Martin Johnson or Jonny Wilkinson or Richard Hill, but a key member nonetheless in a team that regularly put the Tri Nations countries to the sword.
He was also a vital ingredient in the Springbok-beating Lions side of 1997; his leadership and all-round contribution propelled Wasps to two Heineken Cup triumphs as well as four Premiership titles.
He won 85 caps for England, more than anyone except Jason Leonard, and had two spells as captain. He played three Tests for the Lions, a figure that would have been far greater had he not been injured in 2001 and 2005.
In short, his place in the pantheon of rugby union greats is secure.
However, he did precious little to enhance his reputation when he returned to the Test fold after his first, premature retirement. Since making himself available again ahead of the 2006 Six Nations, he started just one competitive Test.
That came against the USA in the World Cup. He was then dropped. Ten of the 12 caps he won in his second coming were from the bench.
Nevertheless, his presence at the World Cup may well have had a galvanising effect and helped England reach the final. Taking Dallaglio to France 2007 was a short-term solution to the team's problems.
A renascent England set-up no longer needs Dallaglio. As a player, he remains a major influence at club level, as Leeds will find out at Adams Park tomorrow, but he lacks the pace to be an effective back-row in Tests.
There are younger, more dynamic players who deserve to be given an opportunity by Ashton at the base of the scrum – the incumbent Nick Easter, James Haskell, Dan Ward-Smith and, if he ever manages to steer clear of injury, James Forrester.
Dallaglio will soldier on for Wasps until the end of the season. He will then take on an ambassadorial role with the club before moving in to coaching.
Whatever he does – unless it involves being an unsuccessful head coach of England – he will be revered by the sporting public.
When he rumbled onto the field as a replacement in his dotage, the cheer that greeted him would rock Twickenham.
That distinctive name and that distinctive face made him familiar to people with minimal interest in his sport.
His immense popularity has survived his mediocre record as England captain, a tabloid drugs scandal and his cruel mauling of the dignified Ashton.
In half-a-century's time, he will be remembered as a totem of English rugby.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
