This Is Guernsey

BEING somewhat uneducated on virtually any local rugby players before the late-90s, during the discussion I was frequently having to inject with the question, ‘what position did he play?’

For much of the opening hour, the reply would come ‘wing forward’ (in more modern day speak ‘flanker’) or No. 8.

It seems that although backs are usually seen as the glory boys, it were those in the back row who mainly left an indelible mark on our panel of experts.

To be fair, a couple of the panel were no slouches in plying their trade there either.

Few people can boast having 25 years of first team experience for Guernsey, but when it comes to longevity not many can match Phil Daunt.

He keeps himself in such decent shape now that you do a double take when he talks about playing back in 1972.

But Daunt was not restricted to starring for Guernsey.

‘He was brilliant for St Jacques as well – he had a tremendous influence on the other players,’ said John Moxon.

The Saints kit also allowed Daunt to dream of turning out for the most famous rugby playing nation.

‘I remember he told us that he thought he looked brilliant in all black,’ a chuckling Moxon added.

A player with more tangible New Zealand links was Graham Mauger, who panel member and another former Guernsey captain Dave Leafe thought very

highly of.

‘He played in the back row when here although I always thought you would probably play him at hooker in a select side.

‘He played for the suburbs of Auckland and was a very good forward.’

Leafe also emphasised the credentials of another flanker from his era, Brian Glover.

‘He was very quick and tackled anything that moved.

‘He had a fantastic temperament. Everything used to annoy me and nothing used to annoy him,’ said Leafe.

Other back rowers to filter into the chat included current day Guernsey first team coach Jon Colley as well as blindside specialist Patrick McKeary.

‘When St Jacques were first going, McKeary was one of the men who would beat St Jacques virtually on his own,’ Moxon said.

‘He was so hard. If you saw him in the opposition it would be a case of “oh, he’s playing”, with a sense of dread.’

But none of the above made the final cut.

When it came down to selecting a No. 8, while others selected he should fill the spot, Leafe had the final say.

‘Dan Donohoe was better,’ he said.

Donohoe was not here long, making his only Siam appearance in the 3-3 draw of 1978 when Guernsey’s pack were absolutely magnificent in a game the Sarnians dominated according to the Guernsey Press.

‘He was a classy player and a big bloke to go with it,’ Leafe said of his No. 8 that day.

On the openside of our team is another man who is no longer in the island.

Richard Clark came here to teach at St Sampson’s School and left when his licence ended.

During the interceding years, he showed himself to be an outstanding rugby footballer.

‘He was so easy to play with.

‘He was always there,’ said Geoff Renouf.

Ady Le Page added: ‘He was brilliant.’

However, the back row is completed by a born-and-bred Sarnian who is synonymous with St Jacques.

‘Richard Breban was a die hard – he would never give up,’ said Moxon of his fellow club stalwart, recalling the days farmer “Brebs” would turn up in his tractor, get changed in his trailor, play and then leave straight after the game to go and milk his cows.

Le Page added his vote to Breban’s cause.

‘I did not realise how good he was until I played with him as a vet. Playing with him was great because he was always with you, driving you forward,’ he said.

Having had his say on No. 8, Leafe was not given the option when it came to the first of the second rowers to make the XV.

Once he had ensured Donohoe was inked in, the rest of the panel ganged up on Leafe and as one told him: ‘you’ve got to be in somewhere’, such is their regard of the man and the player.

Chris Day summed him up in one line.

‘Dave was an excellent player… and also a very good captain.’

Leafe was someone equally at home in the second row as the back and therefore there were no arguments when it came to his selection.

Other locks to gain worthy mention included another hugely versatile forward in John Good, of who it was said ‘he was just a very good rugby player, although it is difficult to know where to place him in a XV because he could play anywhere in the back five’.

From further back, Day and Duquemin both recalled the exploits of Jock Welsh, who apart from his duties in the pack used to kick goals as well.

Of course, sooner or later a certain Ian ‘Jock’ Quesnel – the man who succeeded Le Page as the man with the most Siam Cup appearances for Guernsey – was bound to enter the fray.

Yet with Leafe already pencilled in, there was a particular reason why the panel decided not to plump for the talismanic No. 4.

‘Jock and Graham Hards were just excellent together – as a pair.

‘Individually they were decent players, but it’s as a combination that they were virtually unbeatable. One goes with the other.’

It eventually came down to a straight choice between two long-serving GRUFC stars.

Martin Petit certainly had his fans around the table:

‘He was one of the best second row players we have ever had. He used to rip so much ball,’ said Le Page.

Day added: ‘He was a very good shover and mauler.’

But the nod went instead to Steve Parrott, who was one of the outstanding players of the 70s.

‘A very good line out player in the days when you had to jump yourself rather than have others lift you,’ Day said.

Finally to the front row and there was no shortage of contenders.

Utter the words ‘Guernsey prop’ and the name Bill Lohmeier instantly springs to mind of those in the know.

The legend from the 60s was apparently highly regarded by the visiting sides who played against him and he was hugely admired by those closer to home too.

‘He always gets a mention in these discussions because he was just a very good club man – an outstanding servant to Guernsey,’ Day said.

Another in the frame for selection was Ray Watts, who Leafe summed up as ‘a strong guy’, with a large emphasis on strong.

Martin Belcher also merited a honourable mention, with several nods of agreement.

However, the tight-head spot in the end was fairly unanimous even though there was some slight confusion over the guy’s name.

Look back at some old Siam Cup reports and you see the name J. Lucas, yet he came into the debate under the name John James.

It seems he was known as both, but either way he was good enough to have played at a much higher level had he been based elsewhere.

‘I believe his actual name was John Lucas James. He was a tight-head prop and so strong,’ Day said.

The issue of who to chose on the other side of the scrum came to an abrupt end with Le Page’s flash of inspiration.

‘Alan Spice,’ he urged, following a quick slap of the table.

‘He was a loose head who came here as a county prop and showed why.’

As for the hooker, Peter Davison, Tony Riddle and Gordon Russell were all touched upon, but it came down to two men.

The first cropped up very early in the meeting as Day recalled the finest players of his era in the early-60s.

‘Dennis Duddy as a hooker was outstanding. He was very good, very quick.’

Those who played in more recent times bowed to his knowledge as they had no recollections of Duddy.

They, instead, championed the achievements of Tony Rigden.

‘He was probably the hooker throughout the 90s, regardless of how much the front row changed,’ Moxon said.

It was basically too close to call, but for purposes of the best forward pack of the ‘50s to the ‘90s, Duddy got the nod because of the huge impression he had left on a man he had played with all those years ago.

Next week: the backs.

Article posted on 4th April, 2009 - 2.29pm