CLUB Bristol Rugby
POSITION Scrum half
Coventry to Bristol on an initial two year contract, his day job having been as a welder in Tipton. He made such an impact that he was chosen to play for England A against Italy in February last year and then captained the side against Ireland A at Gloucester the following month. He was in line for a place on the full tour of Australia last summer before sustaining a fractured wrist and has subsequently signed an extended contract with Bristol until the end of the 2009 season. He made 19 starts in the Guinness Premiership in 2005-06, scoring four tries, and has now clocked up 37 appearances for the club. He celebrated becoming the first England Counties player to graduate to full Test status with a long-range try on his debut against New Zealand last November.
Did you know?
Shaun is appreciative of the efforts that Bristol head coach Richard Hill, a former England scrum half, has invested in him. ”He has transformed me into the player I am, looked after me and guided me. I owe him a lot,” says Shaun, who began playing as a seven-year-old at Heathbrook, the home of Dudley Kingswinford RFC. He graduated to the first team, represented Midlands Colts, recovered from two broken ankles and moved to Coventry where Hill spotted him. ”I still go down to the Dudley club when I can to keep in touch with the players,” adds Shaun.
|