The National Clubs Association (NCA)      Chairman's Notes (7)

You will see that we now have the SSE logo on our web-site header, if you click the link you will see their involvement in Rugby in the Community game.

At my home club Stourbridge, Vernon Davies, our statistician has prepared his dream team from clubs we have played during our time in National One.

I was asked recently to choose a squad of the best players in National 1 since our entry into that league in 2001. It was suggested that such a team would reflect the high quality of this league. In the event, it proved to be an impossible task since such a selection is basically so subjective and would also depend on the existence of a comprehensive list of the candidates and a photographic memory of their abilities. So, when an alcohol fuelled discussion produced the following squad, we thought it might encourage supporters to produce their own alternative favourites.

The squad did not include any players who had turned out for Stourbridge despite the claims of at least 5 players and the restriction to National 1 meant that we were forced to exclude 2 England captains Nigel Melville (Otley) and John Orwin (Morley) a 54 times capped Wade Dooley (Preston Grasshoppers) and a fly half, Paul Grayson (Preston) who scored 400 points for his country. They all played in National 2 North, at level 4. 

National 1 Elite Squad.

15.Sam Ulph                    (Esher & Wasps)

14.Tim Visser                   (Tynedale, Newcastle, Edinburgh)

13.Chris Malherbe           (Wharfedale, Kendal)

12. David Pears                 (Wharfedale, Quins)

11. Andrew Fenby            (Blaydon, Scarlets)

10. Colin Stephens           (Sedgley Park, Llanelli, Wales)

9. Guy Easterby                (Otley, Llanelli, Ireland)

1.Joe Marler                     (Esher. Harlequins) (Now in England Squad)

2.Graham Dawe               (Plymouth Albion, Bath, England)

3.Darren Garforth            (Nuneaton, Leicester England)

4.Will James                     (Cornish Pirates, Gloucester, Wales)

5.Dan Ward-Smith           (Plymouth Albion, Bristol, Wasps)

6.Kingsley Jones               (Doncaster, Wales)

7.Steve Ojomoh               (Moseley, Bath. England)

8.Tim Fourie                     (Sedgley Park, South Africa, Rugby League)

Replacements

16. Mark Linnett               (Worcester, Moseley, England)

17. Chris Tarbuck             (Nuneaton Coventry, Leicester)

18. John Fidler                  (Cinderford, Gloucester, England)

19. Christoff Lombaard    (Cambridge)

20. Emile Wessels                        (Esher, Namibia)

21, Matt Moore                (Esher, England A) 

If anyone is interested in picking their dream team from the conception of the NCA National leagues in 1987 please forward to me, a prize of a bottle of champagne to the winner whose team we will publish.

Regards

 

Norman Robertson.

Chairman