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Life at Number 10: An Autobiography
Neil Jenkins is the most prolific goal-kicker in the history of British international rugby. First capped when he was 19, he helped turn Pontypridd into league champions. In this book, he reveals how he bacame one of the most sought-after players in Britain.
201 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
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July 14, 2013
Written in conjunction with Paul Rees, this Autobiography of "Jenks" is a must for all rugby fans and compulsory reading for any one evenly vaguely interested in Welsh rugby or the British Lions. The timezone for this book goes from the last heyday of Welsh rugby (Neil's Youth) and takes the reader through the demise and into the more recent upsurge of the area prior to the 99 World Cup. Not just a record of games and scores but an in depth look at 'who got on with who' and the internal politics of the game. Ex players who go on about "The good old days" and how they should be regained are rightly told how the game has changed. If you are lucky enough to attend an international match where Jenks is about to kick at goal, you will here people mutter softly "He's on Cae Fardre Park now." The reason comes from the books opening paragraph.
"Your throat is dry, your cheeks are burning, you feel breathless. All that stands between you and glory is an oval-shaped ball and a set of posts. You sense the nervousness of the crowd, some of whom are willing you to succeed while others are doing their best to put you off. You wonder why you are not sitting in front of the television with your feet up, clutching a can of cold beer and watching someone else audition for a part he is not sure of: hero or fall guy. You only wonder for a second. You blot out the noise, the nerves, the tension and the occasion. You pretend you are somewhere else, long ago, when nobody apart from your family and your school friends had ever heard of you. You are in a park not far from your home practicing your goal kicking. No one is around apart from a couple of souls walking their dogs, but they do not take even a cursory interest. There is nothing at stake: you can miss everything and tell your father you were unerringly accurate. Only you know."
My personal favourite book of the moment, I have a signed copy. I thoroughly recommend this book to all rugby fans but have to declare an interest - the boy lives quite close - I would recommend it anyway - honest.
"Your throat is dry, your cheeks are burning, you feel breathless. All that stands between you and glory is an oval-shaped ball and a set of posts. You sense the nervousness of the crowd, some of whom are willing you to succeed while others are doing their best to put you off. You wonder why you are not sitting in front of the television with your feet up, clutching a can of cold beer and watching someone else audition for a part he is not sure of: hero or fall guy. You only wonder for a second. You blot out the noise, the nerves, the tension and the occasion. You pretend you are somewhere else, long ago, when nobody apart from your family and your school friends had ever heard of you. You are in a park not far from your home practicing your goal kicking. No one is around apart from a couple of souls walking their dogs, but they do not take even a cursory interest. There is nothing at stake: you can miss everything and tell your father you were unerringly accurate. Only you know."
My personal favourite book of the moment, I have a signed copy. I thoroughly recommend this book to all rugby fans but have to declare an interest - the boy lives quite close - I would recommend it anyway - honest.
Displaying 1 of 1 review