Tales from the Members' Bar

No.17 Neil Starling

Ladies and Gentlemen, prepare yourselves. Stop reading now and go and make yourself a cup of tea. Delve into the darkest recesses of the pantry. The King of Biscuits has arrived!

After the series of injuries Neil Starling has suffered in his career, I am sure that no-one would begrudge him his tea-time indulgence.

A Surrey boy, born in Kingston-on-Thames, Neil began playing rugby with Rosslyn Park minis too long ago for the actual date to be remembered. Like many others, he joined his father's club and still remembers those times fondly. He keeps in touch friends he made both there and at school - Wallington County Grammar - he is an Old Walcountian.

Rugby at school was not an all-conquering experience. Apart from a whole string of Independent schools spread along the North Downs where Wallington could go for their customary lessons, there were also more than a couple of useful county schools, in and around the same area, quite capable of handing down a beating. In this character-forming part of his life Neil came up against a useful winger at John Fisher by the name of Sackey (yes, that one) and boisterous scrap of a scrum-half  - Paul Hodgson at Glyn School.

Neil moved on to study at the University of Birmingham where, once again, things were not plain sailing. Rugby was so popular a sport that the trials could not do justice to the situation. However, once games got under way, Neil made rapid progress from the Freshers' B XV. He played his final two years in the BUSA side and had been introduced to professional rugby at the Worcester Academy.

His first professional contract was with Rotherham. Plain sailing? Of course not.

The Titans had, at last, been granted Premiership status and had gone from two seasons with scarcely anything but wins in the record to rock bottom and out of their depth in the top tier. The first team was taking a beating just about every week and it was not a happy camp. In a loan deal, Neil was playing for Nottingham on Saturdays and was available for the Rotherham A team for Monday nights.

He has seen quite a few old sparring partners in National League 1 games this year with both teams on the fixture list.

The great thing about the Saints this season is the confidence and camaraderie that has been built up within the squad. Contrasting it with his time at Rotherham, Neil realises that winning helps but anyway, Northampton Saints is a great place to be. There seems to be a special bond amongst house-mates (I have found that with other players that I have interviewed) and amongst the houses.

Returning for a moment to injuries, Neil's anterior cruciate ligament was broken while on duty with England Sevens - one tackler came from one way and another from a different direction: ouch! It did not hurt much at the time; he hardly noticed it; then he stopped and tried to change direction. He no longer thinks about the knee whilst playing and the major hamstring tear he suffered during rehabilitation is completely healed. Apart from the rest of this season, Neil is looking forward to a solid pre-season. Amongst other things, it should help him top-up his speed and endurance.

Is that tea ready yet? Time for a Chocolate Hobnob.

arw

28.02.2008

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