Chasing the Chariot: Woodward's England

by Mick Collins

In November 2003, a young man from Surrey half-volleyed an oval ball over a Sydney crossbar and sparked something truly extraordinary. English rugby became, temporarily at least, the nation's favourite sport. The road ahead, however, would prove to be riddled with potential potholes. Against this background of triumph and celebration, Mick Collins spoke to players who had helped win the Webb Ellis Trophy on that dramatic day in Sydney and at length to the coach who planned its capture. Chasing the Chariot tells the story of an unprecedented period in English rugby, offering a picture of all levels of the game at a time of huge and dramatic change. The influence and effects of Woodward's planning and preparation have been far reaching, and from inner-city housing estates to public-school playing fields, enthusiastic youngsters to the world's most capped player, Collins discovered that this iconic figure's legacy to the game looks set to run on, long after his departure to take on new challenges.

219 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2004