Behind the Rose: Playing Rugby for England

by Stephen Jones, Nick Cain

Based on painstaking research into the early years of the England rugby union team and interviews with a vast array of Test match players from the Second World War to the present day, world-renowned rugby writers Stephen Jones and Nick Cain delve to the very heart of what it means to play for England, painting a unique and utterly compelling picture of the game. Detailing the glory, drama, and honor on the field, as well as the heart-warming tales of friendship and humor off it, this book is an absorbing and illuminating work that is a must-have for all supporters who have ever dreamed of walking the hallowed corridors of Twickenham as a Test match player and marching out to that field of dreams with the deafening roar of the crowd in their ears and the red rose emblazoned on their chest.

480 pages, Hardcover

First published November 8, 2014

About the author

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Stephen Jones is a Welsh journalist and the rugby correspondent for The Sunday Times since 1970s. He has covered every World Cup since the inaugural tournament staged in 1987, has reported on more British and Irish Lions tours (nine) than any other journalist and also on over 300 international matches. He has won the UK sports journalist of the year award, has twice been UK sports correspondent of the year and three times rugby writer of the year.

Reviews

[Howard Lubinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently compiled oral history of the England Rugby Union.