This
book follows Jason's progress from a late starting schoolboy player, through to
full time builder and part time player for Barking, Saracens and then the Quins.
Through the turbulent and often confusing times of the transition from amateur
to professional rugby, and on to the glory of international success. The book
covers the highs and lows, from worries that he might never walk again, through
the seemingly never ending convalescence needed after the neck surgery and onto
the immense pride of being named Captain for England.
Through
all this Jason manages to impart some words of wisdom, such as why it is a bad
idea to sit next to Phil Vickery if you are on the scrounge for food, or why it's
a bad idea to try and tackle moving cars on the way to the restaurant.
This
book is recommended for all those that miss(or missed) the amateur days of top
level rugby and the larger than life characters who played in those times, or
it is for those people that just want to read a cracking story of a lad who stumbled
across a game he came to love, and then went on to be arguably the world's best
in his field.
I was a big fan of Jason Leonard before reading
this book, and was even more impressed with him afterwards. Jason comes across
as a fairly humble person, who did his best to avoid the politics and personal
power struggles of the higher levels of the National game, and who was never happier
than when he was able to don a rugby shirt and run out onto the pitch.
A great read.
